Heraclea Lyncestis is one of the most important ancient cities in Macedonia. The city existed for more than a millennium. It was founded in the middle of the 4th century BC by Philip II of Macedon as an important strategic point.
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In the middle of the 2nd century BC. The Romans conquered Macedonia and destroyed its political power, and then turned it into a province and divided it into four districts. Despite this situation, Heraclea, which belonged to the fourth district in the Roman period, experienced a certain prosperity. This is due, primarily, to the construction of the via Egnatia road on which this city was an important station.
From Roman times, the following objects have been discovered and presented in Heraclea: thermae, portico with honorary and votive monuments, theater, and parts of other objects within the city walls and outside them have also been identified.
In the early Christian period (4th-6th centuries AD), Heraclea was an episcopal see. Some of its bishops are noted in the acts of several church councils. Thus, Bishop Euagrius is mentioned in the acts of the council held in Serdica in 343, Bishop Quintilius at the council of Ephesus in 449, and Bishop Benignus in Constantinople in 553.
The buildings of the Small and Large Basilicas, the Episcopal Residence, and the Sepulchral Basilica with a necropolis outside the city walls date back to the early Christian period.
The portico is a porch with a rectangular base, the roof of which rested on a wall on the north side, and on a row of colonnade columns on the south side. Along the north wall stood a row of honorary and votive monuments, from which three pedestals for statues with Greek inscriptions of dedication and two statues have been discovered.
Next to the first pedestal, on which is carved an inscription:
“To the goddess Nemesis (erects the monument) Jupia Tertila”
A life-size marble statue of the goddess of justice and fate, Nemesis, was found in 1891. The stance, clothing, and overall appearance reflect classicist inspirations characteristic of the early years of the 2nd century AD.
To the second pedestal on which is engraved the inscription:
“The city (erects a monument) to Titus Flavius Orestes, twice a priest and benefactor, because of his love for this (city) at the suggestion of Gaius Marius Vlosianus Trasonus (son) in the time of the politarch Marius Claudius Pulcher”
A marble statue of the distinguished citizen of Heraclea, Titus Flavius Orestes, was discovered.
The inscription on the third pedestal reads:
“To the Goddess of Justice”
and on the upper frame above the inscription field are engraved two verses from Hesiod’s poem
“Works and Days”.
The portico dates back to the early 2nd century AD.
The Thermae of Heraclea is an imposing building that was composed of three main rooms: Frigidarium – a cold water bathing area; Tepidarium – a tepid water bathing area; and Caldarium – a hot water bathing area. The bath was heated by a Hypocaust system (a cavity under the floor), which was obtained by placing the floor on brick columns. Hot air circulated through its cavities, and the smoke was released outside through hollow pipes placed vertically along the walls.
The thermal baths were built in the Roman period, and were in use in late antiquity.
The Roman theatre at Heraclea was used for stage and animal performances. Construction was probably begun during the reign of Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Trajan Hadrianus / 24 January 76 – 10 July 138), and was completed during the reign of his successor Antoninus Pius. The time of Emperor Hadrian was characterized by the modernization of old theatre buildings in order to adapt them for agonal performances.
The theater’s auditorium has a horseshoe-shaped base, with a capacity of about 2500 spectators. In the central part of the auditorium there is a box with places of honor, and also, according to the preserved Greek inscription, the first row of seats was reserved for representatives of four municipalities (Asclepius, Dionysia, Artemisia, Heracleis).
The high wall surrounding the orchestra and the metal fence on it served to protect the spectators from irritated animals. Three animal cages have been discovered in the enclosing wall.
During the period of the penetration of Christianity, Christians were thrown into the arena to be torn apart by hungry beasts.
After the ban on the bloody gladiatorial fights in the early 5th century, the theater slowly lost its function and was slowly buried by erosion. The seats of the theater were used for other buildings in Heraclea, and on the site above the already abandoned, buried and damaged theater in the early 6th century AD, a micro-residential complex was built.
The small basilica in Heraclea functioned, with several phases and alterations, from the end of the 4th to the end of the 6th century AD.
The nave with two colonnades is divided into three naves. It ends on the east with an apse that is circular on the inside and contains seats for priests, while on the outside it is rectangular. The altar space is decorated with mosaics in the »opus sectile« technique and is separated by a marble partition, while the side naves are paved with floor bricks.
West of the nave are two more rooms that are out of proportion with it. The first room was a baptistery, and the next one to the west, paved with mosaic in the “opus tessallatun” technique – a catechumenum. After the construction of the Great Basilica complex, the aforementioned function of these two rooms was probably changed.
The Great Basilica of Heraclea (Episcopal Basilica or Basilica Ce) was a building of monumental proportions. Its rooms were paved with mosaics of extraordinary quality made in the »opus tessallatum« technique with geometric, floral and zoomorphic motifs.
Of particular interest is the Mosaic in the narthex, which, with an area of over 100 m2, is a masterpiece of early Christian art.
The episcopal residence in Heraclea had a trapezoidal shape and its southern side was attached to the city wall. According to ancient tradition, its rooms were arranged around a central courtyard with a well in the middle. The more luxurious chambers were located in the eastern wing.
With multiple phases, and perhaps multiple purposes, this building was in use during the 4th-6th centuries AD.
Life in Heraclea, as in many other ancient cities, died out towards the end of the 6th century AD.
At the turn of the 6th to the 7th century, according to historical sources, Slavic tribes settled in these regions.