You, for sure, have heard more than once about a certain Macedonian state? In any case, about his king - the great Alexander of Macedon, for sure. So, the city Pella- the ancient capital of the great Macedonian kingdom, the place where Alexander the Great was actually born.

During the reign of Philip II and Alexander the Great, Pella flourished and was the largest city in Macedonia. Today, the ruins of an ancient family lie in the very center of the region on, 40 km from. Every year, many tourists come here to wander around the once prosperous rich city.

The excavation site is a huge archaeological park and museum, on the territory of which the ruins of the city that have come down to us are located. Here you can see Sanctuary of Aphrodite And Temple of Demeter, as well as the famous palace ruins with mosaic floors. These mosaics are one of the main treasures of Pella. Made of river pebbles, they depict pictures of the everyday life of the ancient Greeks and events from myths - the abduction of Helen the Beautiful, the battle of the Amazons or the deer hunt. All researchers and experts unanimously declare that this level of skill was not only rare in ancient world, but the mosaic technique itself significantly influenced the development of art in Greece - for the first time, the image seems to be “voluminous” due to the use of pebbles of different shades. By the way, pay attention to how skillfully the pebbles are matched to each other - not only in size, but also in shape!

Another local attraction is the central square of ancient Pella - Agora - designed by the famous Greek architect Hippodame. Despite the ancient age, the agora had its own water supply and sewerage system. Around the main square are the ruins of the once luxurious houses in the Doric and Ionic style, and in the center of the city there is a low hill. Acropolis and the ruins of the palace complex with a total area of ​​​​almost 6 hectares - that was where to turn around! ... The large, rectangular area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe agora was surrounded by Doric porticos, behind which there were shops and pottery workshops, to the north of the square was the temple of Aphrodite with ritual halls and the Sanctuary of the Nymphs.

Most of the unique mosaics and other artifacts found during excavations are now stored in, lying across the road from main territory excavations. The museum has a collection of more than 3 thousand exhibits: jewelry from gold and precious stones, magnificent ancient exhibits - architectural and topographic drawings, vases, statues and figurines, coins of the Hellenistic and Macedonian period, and much more.

On the territory of the museum there is a cafe where you can have a snack and a cup of coffee, there is also a souvenir shop. Entrance to the territory of archaeological excavations - 6 euros (including a visit to the museum).

The ancient Greek city of Pella is the capital of the legendary Macedonian kingdom and the birthplace of the famous commander Alexander the Great. Ruin ancient city located a few kilometers from modern Pella and about 40 km from Thessaloniki.

The first mention of Pella is found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus. At the end of the 5th century BC. Macedonian king Archelaus moved the capital from holy city Egi to Pella and built here luxury palace, the painting of which was entrusted to the famous ancient Greek artist Zeuxis. The city began to grow and develop rapidly, and at the beginning of the 4th century Pella was already largest city Macedonia. The city reached its peak during the reign of Philip and his famous son Alexander the Great. In 168 BC. Pella was conquered and plundered by the Romans. For some time, Pella remained the capital of one of the districts of the Roman province of Macedonia, but subsequently lost its status to Thessaloniki. Over time, the city fell into decay, and an earthquake in the 1st century BC. completely destroyed it.

Research and the first excavations of ancient Pella date back to the beginning of the 20th century, but large-scale systematic work began already in the 50s of the 20th century. During the excavations, a monumental palace complex was discovered - the residence of the Macedonian kings and, in fact, the ancient Pella itself, located somewhat south of the palace. The city was built in accordance with the urban planning system of the famous ancient Greek architect Hippodamus with rows of streets intersecting at right angles. In the center of the city was the urban Agora, surrounded by a colonnade and occupying an area of ​​approximately 70,000 square meters, on the territory of which there were shops, workshops, administrative buildings, etc. Pella was also equipped with water supply and sewerage systems. Archaeologists have discovered numerous ruins of one- and two-story residential buildings (some of them have preserved pebble floor mosaics of stunning beauty), as well as the remains of fortress walls, the ruins of the city harbor (in ancient times, Pella was connected to the Thermaikos Gulf by a navigable lagoon) and ancient burials. Part of the archaeological site is now accessible to tourists.

The ruins of Ancient Pella are recognized as an important historical and archaeological monument and are under state protection. Excavations continue here and at the present time, and it is likely that new amazing discoveries await us in the future.

In 2009, the Archaeological Museum was opened on the territory of the excavations of ancient Pella, which is rightfully considered one of the best museums of its kind in Greece.

The ancient city of Pella, also known locally as Tabaqit-Fakhl, is known for its richest history. There are many interesting archaeological sites here, most of which belong to the Greco-Roman, Islamic and Byzantine periods (12-14 centuries AD). But some of the finds made here are among the oldest evidence of human culture. Excavations on the territory of Pella are ongoing at the present time - the city is dearly loved by archaeologists as interesting object for research.

Pella is located in the north of the Jordan Valley, not far from Amman. In the Greco-Roman era, the city was part of the Decapolis (Decapolis) - an association of ten economically and culturally developed cities.

The city of Pella owes its name to the city of the same name, in which Alexander the Great was born. As in the homeland of the commander, there were healing hot springs, so the soldiers of Alexander the Great gave the city the same name - Pella. But the city itself was founded long before the reign of Alexander the Great. Thanks to the unique archaeological finds, it can be argued that settled life already existed on the territory of Pella in the Paleolithic era. In the second millennium BC. Pella was already a city.

The main attraction of Pella is the ruins of a large Byzantine temple complex. It was built by Christians and was used for Christian worship, despite the established Islam in this region.

The ruins of a large ancient theater - the Odeon, are also a significant find of archaeologists. It was built in the 1st century AD. downtown. Near the Odeon, several ancient fountains have been preserved, of which the Roman Nymphaeum fountain deserves special attention. Among the Byzantine churches preserved in Pella, it is worth paying attention to the East and West. The Eastern Church is located on a high hill, with observation deck which offers an excellent view of the city - a place especially good for photography. The western church, which dates back to the 4th century AD, was badly damaged by the earthquake - all that remains of it are three columns that were part of the colonnade of the courtyard.

Also, tourists will see in ancient Pella such ancient monuments as: a residential quarter of the early Islamic period - streets, houses, shops; and the ruins of a mosque built during the Mamluk period.

Speaking of rare and ancient monuments, which tourists can see in Pella, it is worth noting the remains of the cities fortified for the defense of the Bronze and Iron Ages; artifacts that relate to the Old and New Testaments; traces of the Chalcolithic human settlement (4th century BC). As a result of modern excavations carried out not so long ago, evidence was found that ancient settlements existed in Pella 10 thousand years ago.

An excursion to the ancient city of Pella, in which everything is literally saturated with antiquity, antiquity, will remain in your memory for a long time.

The sources do not contain the exact date of the transfer of the capital of Ancient Macedonia from Eg to Pella, just as there is no name of the one who did it. However, most likely, this happened in the 5th century. BC e. during the reign of King Archelaus. The name of the new Macedonian capital is traditionally derived from the word πέλλα (ancient Macedonian “stone”). The reason for this, most likely, was the main pride and attraction of the city since its foundation - a high stone citadel. By the beginning of the IV century. BC. Pella became the largest city in the region. The best Greek architects, artists, sculptors, poets, musicians and philosophers came to the court of the Macedonian rulers. Here he lived and found his last refuge Euripides, more than once sang in their works of beauty new capital. He was echoed Xenophon, calling Pella the best and largest of all cities in Macedonia.

A place of honor in the center of the city was occupied by a church built in the last quarter of the 4th century BC. e. Agora, an architectural gem of Pella, unique both in design and size. The Agora was designed by the famous Greek architect Hippodames and covered an area of ​​approximately 7 hectares, which was 10 city blocks. The area of ​​the agora was surrounded by a Doric colonnade, behind which there were shopping arcades and pottery workshops. Temples of Aphrodite, Demeter, Cybele and the Sanctuary of the Nymphs were erected nearby.

Pella was one of the first cities known to have a centralized water supply for every residential building and wastewater disposal. The walls of the circular courtyards were decorated with frescoes. There were also unique pebble mosaics. Among them, the most famous are the images of a griffin lion fighting a deer, the abduction of Helen, Dionysus riding a leopard, as well as scenes of the royal hunt for a deer and a lion with the participation of Alexander and, in all likelihood, his closest friend Hephaestion. These mosaics adorned the floors of wealthy houses, especially the famous house of Dionysus. The level of skill with which they are made is recognized as an undeniable rarity in the ancient world.

Myself royal palace, which was designed by the famous Greek artist Zeuxis, was erected on the central hill and occupied a significant area, probably about 60 thousand square meters. It consisted of several large architectural groups arranged in two rows. In each of them around central square The courtyard housed a number of rooms. Due to its location and high foundations, the palace, when viewed from the city, seemed to float in the air. The size of the complex indicates that, unlike the palace at Aigai, Pella's palace was not only a royal residence, but also the seat of government.

The only description of the ancient city dates back to the 2nd century BC. BC e.:

“Pella stands on a hill looking at the winter sunset; swamps around it, impassable neither in summer nor in winter, - they are fed by floods of rivers. The fortress of Fakos rises like an island among the swamps in the place where they come closest to the city; it stands on a huge embankment, capable of withstanding the weight of the walls and not suffering from the moisture of the swamps surrounding it. From afar it seems that the fortress is connected to the city wall, although in fact they are separated by a moat with water, and connected by a bridge, so that the enemy would not be able to approach, and any prisoner imprisoned by the king could not escape except through the bridge, which is easier protect everything. There, in the fortress, was the royal treasury ... "

(Titus Livius)

Such was the city that gave the world a man who changed the course of history.

Son of Macedonian King Philip II and his wife, the queen Olympics, was born on the night of July 20-21, 356 BC. The newborn prince was named by his mother Alexander.

The boy spent the first years of his life in Pella in the women's quarter of the palace, under the supervision of the queen, who raised him according to her own convictions. Olympias instilled in her son her passion for mysticism and passion for ancient cults. Until the age of seven, the prince grew up mainly surrounded by women - his mother and nurse Lanika, then the upbringing of the boy was taken up very thoroughly.

The first teacher of Alexander was a relative of Olympias invited to Pella from Epirus, Leonid. The stern mentor did his best to alienate the prince from the court. The system by which he raised the boy was more like the Spartan one: regular trips to the mountains without water and food supplies, everyday exhausting training, mastering the skills of combat and hunting, and a meager meal once a day - this was the childhood of seven-year-old Alexander. Indulgences, sweets, decorations - everything was suppressed in the most decisive way. It got to the point that for some time the boy was forbidden even to be present at the royal table. Leonid pursued the goal of making a seasoned warrior out of the prince, indifferent to wealth and luxury, despising the pomposity of the court and able to do without any joys in life - both bodily and spiritual. Plutarch reports the following about the results of this approach to Alexander’s upbringing: “Even in his childhood, his restraint was revealed: being otherwise frantic and unrestrained, he was indifferent to bodily joys and indulged in them very moderately; the ambition of Alexander led to the fact that his way of thinking was serious and sublime beyond his age. The science of the formidable Molossian somewhat undermined the health of the future king, but at the same time it also had invaluable benefits, instilling in him uncompromising stamina.

The next tutor of Alexander in Pella was an Acarnanian Lysimachus. He encouraged the boy's enthusiasm for legendary tales and the Homeric epic, and to the delight of Alexander he called him Achilles, Philip - Peleus, and himself - Phoenix (Phoenix was the name of Achilles' teacher). The complete opposite of the tough Leonid, this man immediately fell in love with the prince. A friendship so close developed between them that, after many years, Lysimachus refused to remain in Macedonia and, despite his advanced age, followed his beloved pupil to Asia.

Among other Pella teachers of the prince, the names of Philiscus, whose son Oneisikrit, along with other philosophers, accompanied Alexander on the Indian campaign, and the mathematician Menechos, the former student of Plato.

Since nothing better existed at that time, Alexander received in Pella primary education in the Greek system: grammar, gymnastics, music and drawing. In the process of learning, general knowledge of geometry, astronomy and arithmetic was also given. Much attention was paid to athletic development, for which competitions in running, jumping, javelin and discus throwing, as well as wrestling were often arranged. It is known that Alexander played the cithara and sang well, and so well that Philip forbade him to do this in public: in his far from modest opinion, this was only befitting for actors and eunuchs.

At the same time, the palace witnessed a diplomatic meeting between the prince and the Persian ambassadors. The Persians did not coordinate their arrival with the military affairs of Philip, and when a rich embassy arrived to Pella, the king was not in the capital. Seven-year-old Alexander considered it the only possible way to receive honored guests himself. This meeting left an indelible mark on the memory of the Persians. And if they initially counted on the best reception and treats, then the conversation with the son of the Macedonian ruler took them by surprise: the boy did not ask them a single childish question. Instead, he asked the ambassadors a lot about the roads in Persia, the route by which they arrived, about the Persian king himself, his army, and about which countries he is at enmity with, and with which he is friendly. Obviously, the Persian envoys did not take the child seriously and only eventually realized that in answering Alexander's questions, they themselves told everything that would have taken more than a dozen spies.

Philip spent most of his time on campaigns, so he could only educate his son from time to time. And although he understood that no one would teach the prince the science of ruling and fighting better than him, the ruler did not have the opportunity to do it himself. However, he had a desire to give Alexander the best education and introduce him to the high culture of Greece. The cultural direction in which Alexander was brought up before that did not suit the king too much: one cannot go far on tales of gods and heroes. The heir to his throne needed a mentor not just good, but the best of the best. And Philip did not hesitate in his choice, inviting Aristotle to Pella. For some time the philosopher studied with Alexander in the capital, but soon, together with the prince and other pupils, he moved to a school built specifically for this purpose in Miez.

When Alexander turned sixteen, Philip decided that it was time for his son to get used to the realities of life. Having taken the prince from the idyllic Mieza back to Pella, the king began to involve him in governing the state. Having gone on a campaign against Byzantium (340 BC), Philip left his son as a regent under the supervision of experienced advisers, entrusting him with the state seal and with it the right of royal power. Over the next two years, Alexander successfully coped with the responsibility assigned to him, while the king fought in Thessaly, Phocis, Thrace, Illyria and Scythia.

Having ascended the throne, Alexander stayed in Pella for a few months, but in general he spent a little less than sixteen years there.

It remained the capital of Macedonia for several more centuries. The city fell into decay for unknown reasons (probably due to an earthquake) by the end of the 1st century.

In today's Pella, little reminds of its former greatness. Only the ruins of the once majestic city - a small fragment of the created Philip II great kingdom, the heyday of its power owed to his son Alexander. Only the snow-white columns are still directed upwards, supporting no longer the ceilings, but now, it seems, the sky itself. Pella is another example of a bitter joke of the time: whether it is a person or a city, the more significant his place in history is, the less his descendants remain from him afterwards. Only his glory continues to live for centuries as a guarantee of immortality.

Symi Island

Symi Island is one of the most beautiful and most visited in the Dodecanese. First of all, the port, which is called the most beautiful in Greece, strikes with its beauty. The city climbs in terraces up the slopes of the hills facing the shore. It was built mainly in the 19th century. Houses with balconies and tiled roofs, painted in various warm colors. The city is declared an architectural monument, and the reconstruction of old buildings and the construction of new ones is strictly prohibited.

The debate about this continues to this day. They are led by historians, Greek scholars, writers and ordinary people. An educated, unmarried, free-minded woman, leading an absolutely independent lifestyle. These are considered the getters of ancient Greece. Among these ladies were those who played fundamental roles in the public life of Greece. The houses of such hetaeras were the center for communication between politicians, artists, and public figures.

Family in the understanding of the Greeks

Word artists in ancient Greece

In this article, I will briefly introduce the Greeks, who sang life and beauty in their work. First of all, these are poets: Homer and Hesiod are the largest representatives of epic poetry, the plots of which are mainly great wars, joys and sorrows of an entire people; Sappho, Archilochus, Alkey, Alkman, Pindar and Bacchilid are representatives of lyric poetry, who recited their poems accompanied by lyre and music in general;

Achillion is the palace of the sad empress.

Among the many attractions of Corfu, the amazing Achillion sparkles with a special pearl. He is in small town Gastouri is 10 kilometers from the capital of the island. This palace is also called the Palace of the Sad Empress. Who is this empress and why the palace is so named, this article will tell you.

Story

For the first time, the name of Pella was heard by Herodotus when describing the campaign of the Persian king Xerxes against Greece in 480 BC. e. ; Herodotus called Pella a city located in the region of Bottia, inhabited by the Botti tribe.

Stefan of Byzantium noted in his geographical treatise: formerly Pella in Macedonia was called Bounomos or Bounomeia. During the reign of the Macedonian king Alexander I (- BC), the lands of Macedonia rapidly expanded to the north and east due to the displacement and absorption of the Thracian and other tribes. Under the son of Alexander I, King Perdikka II, Pella was already part of Macedonia, and the Botti tribe moved to the peninsula of Halkidiki. When the Thracian king Sitalk invaded Macedonia in the 2nd half of the 5th c. BC e. , the Macedonians took refuge in a few fortresses, making partisan attacks against the enemy. Perhaps it was then that Perdikka II decided to make Pella, located in a protected place, almost in the center of Emathia, his capital.

It is not known who exactly and when moved the capital of Macedonia from the sacred Eggs to Pella, but at least the son of Perdikkas, the Macedonian king Archelaus (- BC), built a luxurious palace there, for the painting of which he invited the famous Greek artist Zeuxis. Euripides was buried here.

« The consul left Pydna with all his army, the next day he was at Pella and set up camp a mile from the city, stood there for several days, examining the location of the city from all sides, and was convinced that the kings of Macedonia had not settled here in vain: Pella stands on a hill looking at winter sunset; swamps around it, impassable neither in summer nor in winter - they are fed by river floods. The fortress of Fakos rises like an island among the swamps in the place where they come closest to the city; it stands on a huge embankment, capable of withstanding the weight of the walls and not suffering from the moisture of the swamps surrounding it. From afar, it seems that the fortress is connected to the city wall, although in fact they are separated by a moat with water, and connected by a bridge, so that the enemy would not be able to approach, and any prisoner imprisoned by the king could not escape except through the bridge, which is easier protect everything. There, in the fortress, was the royal treasury...»

After the Roman conquest of Macedonia in the 2nd c. BC e. Pella remained for some time the center of one of the 4 administrative districts, into which the Romans divided Macedonia, but then the center was moved to a more conveniently located Thessaloniki, and the former capital of the Macedonian kings was abandoned. Lucian in 180 called Pella an insignificant town with a small number of inhabitants.

The fortress among the swamps did not stand the test of peacetime. In the 1st century BC e. the earthquake destroyed the city. Natural changes in the landscape also contributed to the oblivion of Pella. Once a port on the lake and having access to the Aegean Sea through the Ludius River, over time Pella turned out to be a land city.

Archeology

In our time, only the ancient ruins near the town of Ayii Apostoli (Greek: Άγιοι Απόστολοι ), but there was no certainty that this was the same city - the birthplace of Alexander the Great. In Agioi Apostoli, located one kilometer from the ruins of the ancient city and 40 km northwest of Thessaloniki (Greek Thessaloniki or Thessaloniki Θεσσαλονίκη), he changed his name to Pella.

Excavations in Greece at the supposed site of ancient Pella began in the city and continued from the city. In the city, decorative tiles with Pella inscriptions were found, confirming the correctness of the assumptions of archaeologists. During the excavations, a settlement of the Neolithic period (7th millennium BC), traces of a palace complex with an area of ​​6 hectares, and a fortress were found. Only the stone foundation remained of the walls of the fortress, the walls themselves were made of mud brick, which over time turned into mud that covered the foundation.

The ancient city with an area of ​​about 2 km² was located south of the palace. There was a large square (agora) in the center, and the city itself was regularly planned by 9-10 m wide streets intersecting at right angles. The buildings (almost 500) were one- and two-story.

Mosaic

Lion hunting (“House of Dionysus”, late 4th century BC)

Well-preserved mosaics from the early Hellenistic period have been found on the floors of some buildings.

Of particular interest are the andron floor mosaics of the so-called. "Houses of Dionysus" ("Dionysus", "Hunting a Lion"), and "Houses of Helen's Abduction" ("Hunting a Deer" and "Abduction of Helen" (preserved fragment)).

The inscription “γνῶσις ἐποίεσεν” (“Gnosis made”) is the first autograph of the author in the history of the mosaic on the mosaic depicting a deer hunting scene.

Deer hunting (“House of the abduction of Helen”, end of the 4th century BC)

This is a new level of mosaic art, which neither the masters of classical Greece knew and for a long time will not reach the masters of the Hellenistic era. Realism appears here for the first time: space and volume, color is used freely. In technology - the most careful selection of pebbles, not only in size, but also in shape, for better detail, new materials are used - strips of clay and lead.