Pella

Quick Facts: Who was Pella?

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Pella

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Ancient capital of Macedon, birthplace of Philip II and Alexander the Great.

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Origins & Early Life

Pella (Ancient Greek: Πέλλα) was the capital of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon from the 4th century BC up until the Roman conquest in 168 BC. Pella was the birthplace of Philip II in 382 BC, and his son Alexander the Great in 356 BC. It is located 1 km outside the modern town of Pella in Central Macedonia, Greece. Pella was probably founded at the beginning of the 4th century BC by Archelaus I as the new capital of Macedon, supplanting Aigai, which still remained the burial place for the kings and the royal family. Pella quickly became the largest and richest city in Macedonia and flourished particularly under the rule of Cassander and Antigonus II.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 168 BC, the city was sacked by the Romans during the Third Macedonian War and entered a long period of decline, its importance eclipsed by that of the nearby Thessalonica, which became the capital of the Roman province of Macedonia. The name is probably derived from the word pella, (Ancient Greek: πέλλα), "stone" which seems to appear in some other toponyms in Greece like Pellene. Julius Pokorny reconstructs the word from the Proto-Indo-European root peli-s, pel-s, Vedic Sanskrit: pāsāna, stone (from *pars, *pels), Greek: πέλλα, λίθος, stone, Hesychius (*pelsa), Pashto: parša (*plso), cliff, Germanic : *falisa, German: Fels, Old Norse: fell (*pelso), Illyrian: *pella, *palla. Solders in an essay on Hesychius glossary has referenced πέλλα (pella), λίθος (stone) as an ancient Macedonian word. With the prefix "α" it forms the word ἀπέλλα, apella, "fence, enclosure of stones".

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Robert Beekes relates the word πέλλα with the name of the city, but suggests that it probably has pre-Greek origin. In antiquity, Pella was a strategic port in Lower Macedonia, connected to the Thermaic Gulf by a navigable inlet, but the harbour and gulf have since silted up, leaving the site inland. Pella is first mentioned in relation to Xerxes' campaign and in relation to Macedonian expansion and the war against Sitalces, the king of the Thracians. It was probably built as the commercial capital of the kingdom of Macedon by Archelaus I, complementing the older palace-city of Aigai although there appears to be some possibility that it may have been created by Amyntas III. Archelaus invited the painter Zeuxis, the greatest painter of the time, to decorate his palace.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Pella

True or False: “The primary reason Pella declined in importance after the Roman conquest was due to its strategic location on a major trade route.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While it remained significant via the Via Egnatia, its importance was eclipsed by Thessalonica, which became the capital of the Roman province.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Peloponnesian League — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A military alliance dominated by Sparta, controlling much of the Peloponnese.
• Peloponnesian Senate — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: Provisional governing body of the Peloponnese during the early Greek War of Independence.
• Peloponnesian War — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A protracted conflict (431–404 BC) for control of Ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta.
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