A striking, large-scale marble lion, with its detailed mane and head turned in a noble pose, has emerged from the earth at Philippi.
Unearthed by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki research team during the 2025 excavation season, the sculpture was discovered in exceptional condition while the team was excavating the southern decumanus, one of the city’s primary east-west thoroughfares.
This discovery serves as the latest piece of a complex historical puzzle. The lion, which likely adorned a monumental fountain (nymphaeum) located at the convergence of the city’s two main roads, offers compelling new insights into how the city of Philippi evolved over centuries.
The Philippi lion at a monumental fountain
The team’s investigation focused on the full exposure of this fountain house, situated where the northern and southern decumanus roads meet. This season, the researchers revealed the fountain’s entire footprint, including a section of the paved square formed at this critical junction.
Excavators identified numerous marble relief fragments—specifically curved parapets arranged in a shell-like configuration—that once directed the water flow. Two of these fragments were successfully reunited with the parapet still in situ, restoring a piece of the fountain’s original design.
The site also yielded significant epigraphic evidence. Two fragments of Latin inscriptions, likely from the architrave of the fountain, were recovered. One fragment bears the letters PHILIP, while the second preserves two lines of text: P·NYMP and REI·PVB, providing further confirmation of the structure’s formal identity.
A mix of eras
The discovery of the marble lion is particularly intriguing because of its stylistic discordance. While the lion likely dates to the Roman Imperial period, it does not match the other sculptures recovered from the site in previous years. This observation has led researchers to a fascinating conclusion: the fountain appears to have been remodeled in the early Middle Byzantine period, utilizing a collection of heterogeneous, disparate elements.
This practice, characteristic of a period of “historicism,” suggests that Byzantine-era builders were deliberately incorporating Roman architectural elements and sculptures to create an aesthetic of antiquity.
This theory is reinforced by the fountain’s construction techniques and the fact that it was built directly over the paving slabs of the road junction, indicating that the intersection was significantly redesigned during the Early Middle Ages.
Broader archaeological finds
Beyond the monumental sculpture, the 2025 season brought a wealth of smaller finds to light, including ceramics, bronze coins, various metal objects, and an intact marble basin. These, along with the structural data, provide a consistent picture of a site that remained a focal point of urban activity long after its initial Roman construction.
With the 2025 field season now concluded, the evidence suggests that the crossroads at Philippi was not merely a transit point, but a constantly shifting space where different eras of history—Roman utility and Byzantine historicism—converged to leave their mark.
The foundation and strategic rise of Philippi
Founded in 360 BC by Thasian colonists under the name Crenides, the city was soon conquered and renamed by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC. He recognized its immense strategic value—not only for its nearby gold mines but because of its location on what would become the Via Egnatia, the vital Roman road artery connecting the Adriatic to the Bosporus.
Under Macedonian and later Roman rule, it evolved into a wealthy, self-governing metropolis, serving as a critical commercial and military hub in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Philippi: A turning point for Rome and Christianity
The city played a pivotal role in shaping Western history on two major occasions. First, in 42 BC, the Battle of Philippi served as the final stand for the assassins of Julius Caesar (Brutus and Cassius) against the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian. Their defeat effectively ended the Roman Republic and paved the way for the Roman Empire.
Even more significantly, Philippi became a spiritual milestone. In 49/50 AD, the Apostle Paul arrived in the city and founded what is widely considered the first Christian church on European soil. This transformed Philippi into a major center of early Christianity, layering centuries of religious and cultural history over the city’s earlier Hellenistic and Roman foundations.
Today, as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it remains one of the most complete examples of an ancient city, clearly showing the transition from classical grandeur to the early medieval era.
