Edit filter log

'{{Other uses|Heraclea (disambiguation)}} [[File:Ancientbitola.jpg|thumb|300px|Ruins at Heraclea Lyncestis]] [[Image:Via Egnatia-en.jpg|300px|thumb|Heraclea Lycestis on the [[Via Egnatia]].]] '''Heraclea Lyncestis''' also spelled '''Herakleia Lynkestis''' ({{lang-el|Ἡράκλεια Λυγκηστίς}} or Ἡράκλεια Λύγκου) was an [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]]<ref>Michael Avi Yonab, Israel Shatzman (1976), ''Illustrated Encyclopaedia of the Classical World'', Jerusalem: The Jerusalem Publishing House Ltd. SNB 562 000372 Page 230</ref><ref>H. B. Walters (editor), (1916), ''A Classical Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, Biography, Geography and Mythology'' pp 480-481</ref> city situated 2 km south of the present-day town of [[Bitola]], [[Republic of Macedonia]].<ref>[[NGL Hammond|Hammond, NGL]], (1972), ''A History of Macedonia, Volume I: Historical geography and prehistory'', Oxford:At the Clarendon Press, Oxford University Press, pg. 59</ref> It was founded by [[Philip II of Macedon]] in the middle of the 4th century BC, after he had conquered the surrounding region of [[Lynkestis]] and incorporated it into his kingdom of [[Macedon]]. The city was named in honor of the mythological Greek hero [[Heracles]]. The [[epithet]] ''Lynkestis'' means "the Land of the Lynx" in [[Greek language|Greek]]. Heraclea was a strategically important town during the [[Hellenistic period]], as it was at the edge of Macedon's border with [[Epirus]] to the west, and to the non-Greek world to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the [[Roman Republic|Romans]] conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The Romans divided Macedonia into 4 regions and Heraclea was in the fourth region. The main Roman road in the area, [[Via Egnatia]] went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road. Objects discovered from the time of [[Roman Empire|Roman]] rule in Heraclea are: [[Votive]] monuments, a [[portico]], [[thermae]] (baths), a [[theatre]] and town walls. In the early Christian period, Heraclea was an important [[Episcopal polity|Episcopal]] seat. Some of its bishops are mentioned in synods in [[Serdica]] and other nearby towns. From this period are the ensembles of the Small and Great (Large, Big) basilica. The Grave (Funeral) basilica with a [[necropolis]] is located east of the theatre. ==Roman Theater== The Roman emperor [[Hadrian]] built the theater in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the roman province of [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia]] were being restored. It began being used during the reign of [[Antoninus Pius]]. Discovered in 1931, a small bone ticket for a seat in the 14th (out of 20) row is the earliest known proof of the theater’s existence. The theatre itself wasn’t discovered until 1968. Inside the theater there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theater went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the [[Roman Empire]] were banned, due to the spread of [[Christianity]], the formulation of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]], and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, [[pagan]] rituals and entertainment. ==Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods== [[File:Heraclea Lyncestis.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Ruins at Heraclea]] In the early [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. Some of its bishops have been noted in the acts of the Church Councils as [[bishop]] Evagrius of Heraclea in the Acts of the [[Archbishopric of Sardica#Council of Sardica|Sardica Council]] from 343 AD. A Small and a Great (Large) basilica, the bishop's residence, a Funeral (grave) basilica near the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three [[nave]]s in the Great Basilica are covered with [[mosaics]] of very rich floral and figurative [[iconography]]; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early [[Christian art]] period. Other bishops from Heraclea are known between 4th and 6th century AD as bishop Quintilinus mentioned in the Acts of the [[Second Council of Ephesus]], from 449 AD. The city was sacked by [[Ostrogoth]]/[[Visigoth]] forces, commanded by [[Theodoric the Great]] in 472 AD and, despite a large gift to him from the city's bishop, it was sacked again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. ===Mosaics in the Basilicas=== [[Image:Heraclea.jpg|thumb|One of the Basilica's mosaics.]] A small [[Basilica]] was discovered in excavations made before the [[World War II]] between 1936-1938. At first it was thought to be an ancient palace, but in the later research from 1960–1964, it became clear that it was an early Christian basilica. There is a decorated floor mosaic made by the technique "[[opus sectile]]" within the basilica and several rooms have been unearthed. The first room was used for baptizing and the second room in has a floor mosaic made by the technique "[[opus tessellatum]]". After creation of the complex Great Basilica, the function of these rooms was changed. By discovering the walls, architectonic plastic and floors were reconstructed electronically. The Great Basilica is a monumental building with a room of open porch colonnades, a room of egzonarteks, one of narteks, two north annexes, and a room of three south annexes. The floors of these rooms are mosaic with geometric and floral designs. The mosaic in the narthex is of early [[Byzantine art|Byzantine]] art, a big composition at a size of {{convert|100|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. There are birds, trees, bushes, a red dog, which is a symbol of paradise, and animals beasts as a domain of the earth. This mosaic dates from the end of the 6th century. The Great Basilica is built on top of another one and was made sometime between the 4th to 6th century. [[File:AHeraclea35.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Mosaic at Heraclea]] The Great Basilica's mosaic floor is depicted on the [[Obverse and reverse|reverse]] of the Macedonian 5000 [[Macedonian denar|denars]] banknote, issued in 1996.<ref>[http://www.nbrm.gov.mk National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia]. Macedonian currency. Banknotes in circulation: [http://www.nbrm.gov.mk/default-en.asp?ItemID=061547767D9F93459B8971DBBE74A75A 5000 Denars]. – Retrieved on 30 March 2009.</ref> The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970-1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th room all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th room there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century. ===Arrival of the Slavs === In the late 6th century the city suffered successive attacks by [[Slavic peoples|Slavic]] tribes. In place of the deserted theater several houses were built between the 6th century and the 7th century AD, when [[Slavs]] settled across the northern regions of the [[Balkans]]. ==See also== *[[Macedon]] *[[Lynkestis]] *[[Stobi]] ==Notes== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.chlt.org/sandbox/perseus/pecs/page.1966.a.php The Perseus Digital Library: The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, 1976] {{Bitola}} {{coord|41.011|21.342|display=title}} [[Category:Upper Macedonia]] [[Category:Ancient Greek cities]] [[Category:Archaeological sites in the Republic of Macedonia]] [[Category:Populated places established in the 4th century BC]] [[Category:Former populated places in the Balkans]] [[Category:Ancient-era Republic of Macedonia]] [[Category:Argead colonies in Macedonia]] [[bg:Хераклея Линкестис]] [[ca:Heraclea Lincestis]] [[de:Herakleia Lynkestis]] [[el:Ηράκλεια Λυγκηστίς]] [[es:Heraclea Lincestis]] [[fr:Heraclea Lyncestis]] [[hr:Heraclea Lyncestis]] [[it:Eraclea Lincestide]] [[mk:Хераклеја Линкестис]] [[ru:Гераклея Линкестис]] [[sq:Herakleia Lynkestis]] [[sl:Heraclea Lyncestis]] [[sr:Хераклеја Линкестис]] [[sh:Heraclea Lyncestis]] [[fi:Herakleia Lynkestis]] [[sv:Heraclea-Lyncestis]]'