Archaeological Park of Dion: The sacred city of the Macedonians

With its distinct natural habitat and rich flora embracing the scattered architectural remains of the ancient city and its sanctuaries, Dion is constantly changing and deserves multiple visits all year round. Rich in waters and shrouded in an almost metaphysical silence, it justifiably demands a significant share of the visitor’s time, offering the opportunity to explore successive layers of history, from the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD.

According to ancient sources, the kings of Macedonia frequently visited Dion to offer sacrifices to Olympian Zeus, to perform the ritual purification of the army, to swear oaths of alliance and to celebrate with the army and the people. This is where Philip II of Macedon celebrated his glorious victories, and where Alexander the Great began his campaign in Asia, after holding games and making his own sacrifices to Zeus.

During the Roman period, Emperor Octavian Augustus founded a colony at Dion with settlers from the Italian peninsula, mainly veterans of the Roman army. Thus began a new era of prosperity and development for Dion, which is evident in many of the city’s public and private buildings, such as the Roman agora (forum), the public bath complexes (thermae), the odeon, the Roman theatre, luxurious residences with rich mosaic floors and the later Early Christian basilicas (episcopal and funerary). This is the period mostly reflected in the architectural remains surviving today at the archaeological site.