At the foot of Mount Olympus, an Eden-like environment
with lush vegetation, towering trees, many springs, a navigable river, lies
Dion the ancient site of ancient Macedonians.
This site of extraordinary historical importance is situated
is located within the borders of Pieria in Central Macedonia.
Excavations in the area, carried out by the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki, in the 1920 ’s, uncovered a fortified city
surrounded by sanctuaries of the classical period and other places of
worship. The city is thought to have been inhabited continually from the
Classical period to early Christian times.
Zeus at Dion
Among the Greek gods
worshipped in Dion was Zeus, the King of all the gods of ancient Greece, to whom
the city owes its name as it is a deviation of Dias which is Greek for Zeus.
At some point, far back into antiquity a great alter was
built for the worship of Olympian Zeus and his daughters, the Muses.
In the 5th century BC, after the Macedonian state had gained great power, athletic as
well as theatrical contests were known to have been established there.
The Kings of Macedonia themselves who made the sanctuary of
Zeus the central place of worship for all Macedonians, organised at there
public events.
Sacred Sites of the Macedonians
The city which grew up next to these sacred sites of the
Macedonians began to flourish in the 15th century BC, acquiring a
series of monumental buildings at the end of the 14th century BC.
After the historic battle of Pydna, between Rome and
Macedonia, which took place in 168 BC, the area became a colony of Rome.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment