(See also Pagasai)
It was founded between 293 - 288 BC. by the Macedonian king Dimitrios Poliorkites, with the settlement, i.e. the union, of smaller neighboring cities. It was the military, political and commercial base of the Macedonians towards Southern Greece. From the 1st c. BC it began to shrink and in the imperial and early Christian times it was limited to the northern side of the ancient city and mainly to the port. It was finally abandoned around the middle of the 6th century. A.D. and its population was transferred to the Castle of Volos. The Hellenistic fortification of the city with gates and square towers is well preserved. The city is built with a unified system and consists of organized building blocks with wide streets between, sometimes with stairs. The palace of the Macedonian kings (beginning of the 3rd century BC, repair at the beginning of the 2nd century BC ) dominates the city center. It has a square plan and is surrounded by a strong wall with towers at the corners. The so-called "sacred market" is located between the palace and the southeast wall. The sanctuary of Artemis Iolkia (early 3rd century BC) was excavated in its center. Further north there was another "commercial" market. In the western part of the city is the theater, from which part of the two-story stage and rows of porcelain and marble seats are preserved, dating from the beginning of the 3rd century BC and was in use until the middle of the 4th century A.D. The acropolis (Palace) was located in the northwestern part of the city and its fortifications included 182 towers. The aqueduct pillars of the late Roman period (3rd century AD) are also preserved. The extensive cemeteries of the city (areas of Prophet Elias, Paleon Kalyviion Aliki and Bourboulithra) yielded rich findings, among which stand out the painted tombstones with well-preserved colors found embedded in the wall of the southern cemetery (in the Archaeological Museum of Volos). The city was an important port in early Byzantine times, in competition with Phthiotides Thebes and Almyros. It was fortified by Justinian (6th century) and declined from the end of the same century. Near the northern port are the ruins of the large three-aisled basilica of the Demokratia (three building phases between the 4th and 5th centuries), so called by the name of the donor on the mosaic floor in the narthex. Baptistry attached to the north of the atrium. Remains of an early Christian aqueduct that was renovated in Middle Byzantine times. Outside the Byzantine city, at the feet of Prophet Elias hill, ruins of a three-aisled burial basilica, the oldest temple of Thessaly (end of 4th century)
Editor: Fotini Anastasopoulou