Heraclea Lyncestis
Heraclea Lyncestis
Heraclea Lyncestis also spelled Herakleia Lynkestis (Greek: Ἡράκλεια Λυγκηστίς or Ἡράκλεια Λύγκου) was an ancient Greek city situated 2 km south of the present-day town of Bitola, Republic of Macedonia. 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.
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
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 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 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.
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 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.
In the early 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 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 naves 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.
brick pillars used to create hot gas flow under the heated floor
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.
piping
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, a big
composition at a size of 100 m (328 ft). 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.
The Great Basilica's mosaic floor is depicted on the reverse of the Macedonian
5000 denars banknote, issued in 1996.
in the Museum
Theater
Roman Map
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.
Text from Wikipedia
Roman feet
