The Footsteps of Saint Paul in Greece

Posted by Alexandros on November 20th, 2022

The apostle Paul, also known as the apostle to the nations, is one of the great figures in Christian history, as well as an important teacher of Christian belief and theology. Called Saul, he was a former prosecutor of the early Christians who became the Apostle who traveled the world to deliver the message of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He preached in sixteen Greek regions and wrote epistles to the Corinthians, Philippians, Thessalonians, Ephesians, and the Romans containing his teachings.

Paul began his journey in AD 49, taking the Via Egnatia, a great road built by the Roman proconsul Gnaeus Egnatius. Via Egnatia linked Dyrrachium on the Adriatic Sea with Byzantium, uniting all the great cities of Macedonia.

He visited Samothraki, a beautiful island in the northeast Aegean Sea, a region steeped in history: its many Byzantine churches and priceless archaeological finds clearly indicate that the island flourished in ancient times. The statue of Nike (Victory) of Samothraki, which is in the Louvre Museum in Paris, as well as the ancient columns scattered throughout the island, particularly in Paliapolis (the ancient city of Samothraki) are all evidence of the high cultural level of Samothraki. the city in ancient times, especially during the Hellenistic era.

From the island of Samothraki, the apostle Paul went to Neapolis, located in the Kavala district of northern Greece.

He then went to Philippi where he made the first conversion in Europe. Lydia lived there, who was the first person who accepted the Christian word. Here the vast and very important archaeological site, and the ruins of the first Christian churches are a clear indication of the cultural magnitude of the city in Antiquity. Today, a part of the ancient Agora (market square) remains as well as the ruins of the first Christian Basilicas (5th century).

The apostle Paul also visited Amphipolis and Apollonia, on his way to Thessalonica. Amphipolis was founded in 437 BC by General Agnon, son of Nikias, and prospered under Philip II, King of Macedonia. Apollonia was built on the southern shore of Lake Volvi, in 432 BC, by settlers from the city of Chalkida on the island of Evvoia. Near the north side of the ancient temple of the god Apollo, is the Vema (Podium) of the apostle Paul, and the waters that flowed from a nearby spring were considered sacred.

The apostle Paul arrived in Thessalonica in the fall of 49 AD The city was founded by Cassander in 315 BC and is named after his wife, Thessaloniki, sister of Alexander the Great. Byzantine and Christian churches of great historical importance, such as Acheiropoietos (5th century) and the 7th century Church of the Holy Wisdom of God (Agia Sofia), are considered to have been built on the ruins of an early Christian Basilica. The Church of Agios (Saint) Dimitriosit is dedicated to the patron saint and protector of the city, and was built on the ruins of the baths, where the great Christian martyr was imprisoned and buried in 303. The ancient agora, the Arc de Triomphe, the remains of the Palace of Galerius in the square Navarinou, the Rotunda, built in the 4th century AD and converted into a Christian church during the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great, are several of the city's highlights.

After Thessalonica, the apostle Saint Paul went to Veria, where he preached to the "noble Jews" of the city. Today Veria is the capital of the Imathia regional unit and the largest exporter of agricultural products in the region. It may have been inhabited as early as 1000 BC Paul is the patron saint of Veria, named after one of the daughters of the mythological King Veris.

In AD 51, the apostle Paul visited Athens, the cradle of philosophy, intellection, and the arts. He arrived by boat at Faliro, the then port of the metropolitan area of ​​Athens, and walked to the city where he found an altar with the inscription "To the unknown God". While he was waiting for his students Silas and Timothy to arrive from Macedonia, he walked through the ancient agora and the Acropolis, visited the synagogue, and discussed with philosophers. His destination was the Areopagus (meaning "the hill of Ares") where he preached the gospel of the risen Jesus to the Athenians. Athens has many Byzantines and early Christian churches, such as Kapnikarea (11th c.), Kaisariani Monastery (11th c.) with murals dating from the 11th c. XVI and a church dedicated to the apostle Paul (1887) in the heart of Athens among others.

Around 50 AD, the Apostle arrived in Corinth where he stayed for 18 months and made many conversions. Corinth is a very interesting city thanks to its ancient monuments, its Byzantine churches, and its monasteries.

During his third journey, the apostle Paul visited Lesbos, Chios, and Samos, three beautiful islands located in the northern Aegean Sea. People from all over the world join apostle Paul tour in Greece to witness all the routes on which he walked and to know about his life and teachings.