Thessalonica, the modern city of Thessaloniki, was a major Roman port on the Via Egnatia and the capital of the province of Macedonia, and Acts 17 describes Paul preaching in its synagogue before a riot forced him out; it received two of his letters, 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Because a large living city has grown continuously on the ancient site, the classical remains are only partly exposed, but the Roman-era forum (ancient agora), the fourth-century Rotunda built under Galerius, and the nearby Arch of Galerius still survive above ground. A notable accuracy point concerns terminology: Acts 17:6 calls the city's magistrates 'politarchs,' a title once thought unattested and even doubted by some critics. Inscriptions from Thessalonica and Macedonia, however, have since documented that 'politarch' was a genuine local civic title, matching Luke's usage precisely. The ancient city is unquestionably real; much of it simply lies beneath the modern one.
- Where it is
- Central Macedonia, Greece
- Scripture
- Acts 17:1-9 · 1 Thessalonians 1:1 · 2 Thessalonians 1:1