Philippopolis

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

Atitularmetropolitansee of Thracia Secunda. The city was founded by Philip of Macedon in 342 on the site of the legendary Eumolpins. As he sent thither 2000 culprits in addition to the colony of veterans, the town was for some time known as Poniropolis as well as by its official designation. During Alexander's expedition, the entire country fell again under the sway of Seuthes III, King of the Odrysians, and it was only in 313 that the Hellenic supremacy was re-established by Lysimachus. In 200 the Thracians, for a brief interval it istrue, drove back the Macedonian garrisons; later they passed under the protectorate and afterwards the domination ofRome in the time ofTiberius, The city was now called Trimontium, but only for a very short time (Pliny, "Hist. Nat.", IV, xviii). From the reign ofSeptimius Severus, Philippopolis bears the title ofmetropolis oncoins and in inscriptions. It was there that theconventus of Thrace assembled. In 172Marcus Aurelius fortified the city with walls; in 248 Philip granted it the title of colony, two years before its destruction by theGoths, who slaughtered 100,000 men there (Ammianus Marcellinus, XXVI, x). Restored again, it became themetropolis of Thracia Secunda.

The exactdate of the establishment ofChristianity in this town is unknown; the oldest testimony, quite open to criticism, however, is in connexion with thirty-sevenmartyrs, whosefeast is celebrated on 20 August, and who are said to have been natives of Philippopolis, though other towns of Thrace are frequently given as their native place. In 344 was held at Philippopolis theconciliabulum of the Eusebians, which brought together 76bishops separated from their colleagues ofSardica, or Sofia, and adversaries ofSt. Athanasius and his friends. Among its most celebrated ancientmetropolitans is Silvanus, who asked the Patriarch Proclus to transfer him to Troas on account of the severity of the climate, and whose name was inserted byBaronius in the Roman Martyrology for 2 December. Philippopolis, which from the fifth century at the latest was theecclesiasticalmetropolis of Thracia Secunda and dependent on the Patriarchate of Constantinople, had three suffraganbishoprics in the middle of the seventh century (Gelzer, "Ungedruckte . . . Texte der Notitiæ episcopatuum", 542); in the tenth century it had ten (ibid., 577); towards the end of the fifteenth century it had none (ibid.). The Greekmetropolitansee has continued to exist, in spite of the occupation of theBulgarians. The latter, however, have erected there anorthodoxmetropolitansee of their own. Though generally held by theByzantines Philippopolis was often captured by other peoples — Huns, Avars,Slavs,Bulgarians, and theFranks who retained it from 1204 till 1235. It was taken by theTurks in 1370 and finally came under the sway of theBulgarians in 1885. By transporting thither on several occasionsArmenian and Syrian colonists, theByzantines made it an advanced fortress to oppose theBulgarians; unfortunately these colonists were nearly allMonophysites and especiallyPaulicians, so the city became the great centre ofManichæism in theMiddle Ages. Theseheretics converted by theCapuchins in the seventeenth century have become ferventCatholics of the Latin rite. The city called Plovdif inBulgarian contains at present 47,000 inhabitants, of whom about 4000 areCatholics. The Greeks andTurks are fairly numerous; theCatholicparish is in charge ofsecular priests; there is aseminary, which however has only from 20 to 25 students. TheAssumptionists, who number about 30, have had since 1884 acollege with a commercial department, attended by 250 pupils; the primaryschool for boys was established in 1863 by the Assumptionist Sisters; theSisters of St. Joseph have a boarding-school and a primaryschool for girls; the Sisters of Charity ofAgram have anhospital.

CONTACT US |ADVERTISE WITH NEW ADVENT