Reconstructing the Religious Landscape of the Roman Colony of Philippi

The religious landscape of the Roman Colony of Philippi, established after the Battle of Philippi in 42 BCE, underwent significant evolution from Augustus to Paul and beyond. A key finding is that colonial authorities prioritized a Roman or Greco-Roman pantheon for the urban center, marginalizing Greek, Thracian, or foreign cults to the outskirts or countryside. Initially, this spatial distribution reflected social and ethnic divisions, but over time, interactions among different groups led to diminishing distinctions and the emergence of complex, hybrid identities. The study reconstructs this dynamic process by analyzing the spatial organization of cults, revealing how religious practices adapted to changing social structures.

Rizakis, A. (2021). Reconstructing the Religious Landscape of the Roman Colony of Philippi. Philippi, from ≪I>Colonia Augusta to ≪I>Communitas Christiana, 36–67. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004469334_004