Stobi or Stoboi, was an ancient town of Paeonia, later conquered by Macedon, and finally turned into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris.
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The old city of Stobi “…Stobis, vetus urbs…” The earliest written evidence of Stobi is found in Livy’s Ab Urbe Condita. It refers to the triumph of the Macedonina King Phillip V against the Dardanians. Livy says that the battle happened near Stobi in 197 BC.
Being at the crossroad of the road along Axios River (Vardar) and the road that connected Via Egnatia and Via Militaris, Stobi became one of the most significant towns in Macedonia during Roman rule. During the reign of the first Roman emperor Augustus, Stobi became Civium Opiddum Romanorum in 69 CE and later it reached the status of Municipium. Although the dominant population was autochthonous, there were many citizens who had Ius Italicum.
The first Jews arrived in the area now known as Republic of Macedonia during Roman times, when Jews fled persecution in other Roman territories, with some settling in Macedonia. The presence of Jews in Macedonia is proved by Agrippa's letter to Caligula. At Stobi, in 165 AD, Tiberius Polycharmus, who is designated “father of the synagogue” converted his villa into a synagogue containing a prayer hall, a dining hall (triclinium) and a portico, reserving the upper story of the complex for his residence and that of his successors. The information comes from a very impressive and informative inscription, arguably the most important one found to date in a Diaspora synagogue. The remnants of a Jewish synagogue excavated in Stobi (Macedonia) date back to that period and the conclusion that a developed Jewish Community existed in that locality those days is based on these findings.
One of the most significant events in the history of Stobi is the appearance of Christianity. The name of the first bishop Budius is noted at the first ecumenical council in Nicaea in 325 AD. The Old Episcopal Basilica in Stobi was built in the 4th century and it is considered to be the oldest Christian church in R. Macedonia. In 388 AD the emperor Theodosius I visited Stobi from where he published two edicts which banned the heretic gatherings and the public discussions about religion. The sacred architecture discovered at Stobi, especially the Episcopal Basilica of the bishop Philip from the 5th century, recognize Stobi as an important Christian centre with established traditions.
In 447 AD Stobi was destroyed by the Huns as many other towns on the Balkans. The event, recorded by the sources, is also documented by the fired strata containing Hun weapon. This marked the beginning of a turbulent period and the gradual demise of Stobi. The beginning of the 6th century is marked by the huge earthquake in 518 AD which ruined many towns in Dardania and Macedonia Secunda. The movements of the Slavs, Avars, Kutrigurs and other tribes brought the destruction of the ancient towns at the Balkans towards the end of the century. This also meant an end of the urban...
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The old city of Stobi “…Stobis, vetus urbs…” at the confluence of rivers Crna and Vardar, was an ancient settlement of Paeonia, which during the reign of the Macedonian king Philip V in the II century BC was turned into an ancient town, and later when Macedonia was under the Roman rule, Stobi became the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris.
Located in the heart of Macedonia, on the crossroads between the Aegean World and the Central Balkan, during the whole period of its existence it was a place where cultural achievements of the ancient world gathered in a unique way.
Stobi, named it by the Roman historian Livy, was an important urban, military, administrative, trade and religious center of two large empires: Roman and Early Byzantine. During the reign of the first Roman emperor Augustus, Stobi was known as oppidum civium. In 69 CE the social status of this town was elevated to a higher rank municipium and coins, with Municipium Stobensium printed on them, were distributed. The citizens of Stobi enjoyed Ius Italicum and were citizens of Rome.
In late ancient period, Stobi developed into an important Episcopal center, whose bishops participated in the Ecumenical councils, along with other senior religious figures.
End of VI century AD marks the end of ten centuries of history of Stobi. In the following centuries, Stobi was sinking into oblivion under thick layers of earth and sand, until 1861, when French historian and traveler Leon Ezej rediscovered the beauty of this ancient city.
Today, the remains of this famous archaeological site are equally easily approachable from the E-75 corridor of the international highway, thus making it very popular tourist destination in Macedonia. The nocturnal illumination of the city walls and preserved monuments, additionally emphasize its beauty and...
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Stobi is an ancient Paeonian town, later conquered by Macedon, and finally turned into the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia Salutaris. It is located near Gradsko, North Macedonia, on the main road that leads from the Danube, Singidunum to the Aegean Sea, Thesaloniki and on the crossroad Via Egnatia, connecting Heraclea Lyncestis with Pautalia and Serdica. Stobi was built where the Erigon (Crna River) joins the Axios (Vardar), making it strategically important as a center for both trade and warfare. Stobi developed from a Paeonian settlement established in the Archaic period. Located on the northern side of a terrace, the early town covered an area of about 25,000 m2. Nearby Mount Klepa was a lucrative source of marble. The initial Paeonian population was later supplemented by other immigrant groups. It is believed that in 217 BCE, Philip V annexed Paionia during his campaign against the Dardani who had entered Bylazora, the largest Paeonian town. After Roman conquest, it became the largest city in the northern part of the Roman province Macedonia, later capital city of the Roman province Macedonia Secunda, an important urban, military, administrative, trade and religious center of two large empires: Roman and Early Byzantine. Located in the heart of Macedonia, on the crossroads between the Aegean World and the Central Balkan, during the whole period of its existence it was a place where cultural achievements of the ancient world gathered in...
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