Heraclea Lyncestis
Encyclopedia : H : HE : HER : Heraclea Lyncestis
Heraclea Lyncestis, was a town founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC in what was once the north-western region of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. The town was named in honor of the mythological Greek hero Heracles. The epithet Lyncestis is from Greek meaning "the Land of the Lynx". Today its ruins fall within the borders of the Republic of Macedonia, near the modern town of Bitola.
It was an important strategical 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. In the middle of the 2nd century BC, 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 Balkan road Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. Objects discovered from the time of Roman rule in Heraclea are: Votive monuments, thermi, theatres 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 basilica. The grave 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 Macedonia and Greece 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 BC, when gladiator fights in Macedonia and all the Empire were banned. In place of the deserted theater several houses were built in the 6th century and 7th century AD, when Slavic tribes setteled throughout the Balkans.
Mosaics in the Basilicas
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 tessalatum". After creation of the complex Big 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, a big composition at a size of 100 m. 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.
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.
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.