Apollonia
Apollonia is an ancient city mentioned in the New Testament, located in the region of Greece in modern-day Greece. It appears across 1 verse in Scripture.
Biblical History
Apollonia enters the biblical narrative in Acts 17:1, where it is named as one of the cities Paul and Silas passed through on their second missionary journey as they traveled the Via Egnatia westward from Philippi toward Thessalonica. The text notes simply that the missionaries passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia before arriving at Thessalonica, where Paul established a congregation and engaged the Jewish synagogue in debate over the messianic identity of Jesus. The brief mention of Apollonia suggests that the city served primarily as a waypoint, a day's journey along the famous Roman road, rather than a destination where Paul conducted extended ministry. Nevertheless, its inclusion in Luke's precise itinerary reflects his careful geographical accuracy and his concern to show how the gospel advanced systematically along the major communication arteries of the Roman Empire, moving ever westward from Jerusalem toward Rome. The city's name honored the Greek god Apollo, reflecting the Hellenistic cultural milieu through which the apostles traveled.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Apollonia was a Hellenistic and Roman city located along the Via Egnatia in Macedonia, in the region of modern northern Greece near present-day Pollina. The city occupied a position roughly equidistant between Amphipolis and Thessalonica, placing it approximately one day's travel by foot from each, a detail consistent with Luke's account of Paul's journey. Archaeological surveys of the area have identified Hellenistic and Roman-era remains, though the ancient city lies largely beneath modern habitation and has not been systematically excavated. The Via Egnatia itself has been traced through this region, confirming the route Luke describes in Acts 17.
Verse Appearances (1)
Acts
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- OpenBible.info (n.d.) Bible Geocoding. Available at: https://www.openbible.info/geo/. [CC BY 4.0]
- Bagnall, R. et al. (eds.) (n.d.) Pleiades: A Gazetteer of Past Places. Available at: https://pleiades.stoa.org. [CC BY 3.0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]