Home
Thassos Blog
Thassos Beaches
Accommodation
Thassos Tavernas
Cooking/Recipes
Beach Bars
Coffee Bars
Internet Cafe
La Pasteria
Panetteria
Motorbike Rental
Watersports
Thassos Guide
Thassos Info
Thassos History
Thassos Villages
Thassos Camping
Boat Trips
Real Estate
Art and Fashion
Costis Pottery
Art Gallery
Greek Art
Weather
Beach Weddings
Contact Us
Links
Your Stories
Nightlife
Horse Club
Thassos Products
B-Home
Limenas Residence
Scuba Diving
Maisonettes

[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

Greek and Roman History
in Thassos

Roman Period

During the coming together of Greek and Roman History Rome started showing its power by attacking many places and was victorious. Thassos in this "context" turned against Macedonia.

In 80 BC Leukios Syllas helped Thassos to gain a good compensation and he made the Senate give back Thassos territories from the Greek main land.

Thassian people at this time of history functioned as mediators between Thessalonika and the rest of Greece. "Loxi Stoa" is built in the city's agora as well as the monument of Theagenis the great Thassian athlete that was a champion in the Olympic Games where all of the Greeks took part.

However Thassos was not actually free under the Roman occupation. Writings of Plinius refer to Thassos as free until the Flavian period when Thassos was united with Thrace by Vespasianos in 69-70 BC. Nontheless it was still a wealthy and prosperous place something that is also shown by the archaeological findings of history.

Thassos also had an important role at the decline of the Roman Empire. When the republicans Brutus and Cassius fought with Antonios in Philipi, Thassos was used as a base of the republicans. Cassius comitted suicide in this battle and Brutus carried his body on the island. When Brutus died after the second battle Thassos became the refuge for many other famous Romans.

Antonios later on the Greek and Roman History in 42 BC was not in favor of the island but when Augustus came in authority along with his family helped the island return to its former prosperity. From then on Thassos development had a lot to do with the Roman emperors which is testified by many aspects of the Thassian life of the era.

At this years of the empire a few families were the ones that controlled jobs and money and the Roman goverment tried to create a new class; the "friends of Caesar and homeland" a title which was given to the most acknowledged Thassians in the 1st century AD. The role of women was basically in hieratic duties and the renovation of sanctuaries.

The Romans also made other changes in the authorities since they introduced a Senate. They came up with fights with gladiators, games that involved hunting and also did a renovation of the theatre in the middle of the 2nd century. The high priests of Augustus were also showing their wealth.

Claudius created the province of Thrace and then Thassos did not have to supply troops or work for the mainland's postal service. The Greek island enjoyed prosperity until the 4th century AD.

In the meantime Christianity reached Thassos as Paul evangelised Phillipi one of the first places in Europe that had Christians.

In the next centuries after Paul, big Basilica churches were built and the house of the Greek bishopric was located in Thassos.

To go from Greek and Roman History to Thassos History main page click here


footer for greek and roman history page