The castle
Anastasioupoli is located
near
the top of Lake
Vistonida, on
the fertile
plain
at the
foot
of the Rhodope
Mountains. From Roman times it was a staging post
on the Via Egnatia known
as
Stabulo Diomedis (=Diomedes’ Stables); tradition held it to be
the pastures of the wild and
bloodthirsty
horses
of Diomedes,
which only Hercules managed to
capture.
The
name
Anastasioupoli
is first attested by the
historian
Procopius, and is probably derived from Emperor
Anastasius
I
(491-518), who fortified it
for
the first
time.
After being destroyed by
Ivan Asan
in 1206,
and
re-founded
in 1341
by
Andronicus
III
Palaeologus, the city was
named
Peritheorio.
Anastasioupoli
Castle is polygonal in shape,
reinforced at intervals
with round
and
square
towers.
The city grew up in the 53 acres enclosed by the walls. The reign of Justinian
(527-565)
saw
two major construction projects at
Anastasioupoli. The
first was a cross wall built to
protect
the shore
zone
against
barbarian
raids
from the sea. The
second was a 4km long wall that served a dual purpose: on the one hand
it blocked off the crossing between the walls and the mountain, controlling
movement on the Via Egnatia,
and on the
other it served as an aqueduct, thus securing a supply of precious water from
the Rhodope Mountains.
In the castle’s
final phase the
three
towers and central
arched
city gate were decorated
with
Palaeologus monograms in brickwork and
stone carving. The
interior of
the castle
now lies buried under
accumulated
earth
and lush
vegetation.
Glossary (0)
Information Texts (3)
Procopius:
Prolific Byzantine
historian. Born in Caesarea Palestinae,
he studied rhetoric, sophistry and law. He moved to Constantinople
at an early age, where he practiced as an orator and lawyer. He soon entered
the circle of General Belisarius as secretary and advisor, and followed him on
many campaigns. Procopius survived the great plague of Constantinople
(541-542), which he described in detail. His writings are considered the most
important source for the Justinian period, although admittedly he is not
impartial towards the emperor; from a certain point onwards he seems to be unfavourably
biased against both Justinian and Theodora. From 549 onwards Procopius lived permanently
in Constantinople, though no information has
survived on the final years of his life.
Anastasius I :
Byzantine Emperor
from 491 to 518. Born c. 430 in Durres, to parents of humble origin. He was also
known as Dikoros (“the two-pupilled”) because the irises of his eyes were
different colours. When he was young he went to Constantinople, where he
entered palace service and gained a reputation for his administrative skills.
He won the sympathy and favour of Ariadne, daughter of Emperor Leo I, whom he
married following the death of her husband Zeno. One of his first acts as
emperor was to reform the tax and monetary system, and then build a new wall
around the capital, which surrounded all the buildings outside the Theodosian
wall. He was one of the few emperors to leave the public coffers full. During
his reign a controversy erupted between the Orthodox and the Monophysites
(followers of a widespread sect which Anastasius himself had embraced), leading
to major riots in Constantinople and Alexandria. Anastasius I died childless in
518, without having named a successor.
Justinian I:
Byzantine Emperor
(527-565), nephew and successor of Justin I. One of his first acts was to
reform the tax system and recode Theodosius’ laws. He was personally involved
in religious conflicts and convened the 5th Ecumenical Council
(553). Justinian considered himself primarily an orthodox emperor and took
harsh measures against the remaining pagans. Many of his political and fiscal
actions provoked strong reactions on the part of the senate and the factions
and led to the Nika Riots. Justinian instigated numerous building projects,
erecting approximately 30 churches in Constantinople,
including the famous church
of Agia Sophia.
Regarding foreign policy, he successfully confronted the Persians and the
Vandals in the East and focused on the recovery of the West. This he temporarily
achieved, but at such cost that the Empire was left exhausted; the barbarians in
the Balkans plundered the Greek peninsula as far as the Isthmus and barbarian
tribes settled at the borders. His military operations exhausted Byzantium financially and
militarily and had no real effect, as Italy and other areas he conquered
were soon lost again. After his death, the weakened empire had to face new
attacks, culminating in the Arab conquests, which negated the majority of
Justinian’s conquests beyond the borders.
Bibliography (2)
1. Ευγενίδου Δ., Κάστρα Μακεδονίας και Θράκης, Βυζαντινή Καστροκτισία, Athens, 1997
2. Μπρίκας Α., ‘Νεάπολις- Χριστούπολις – Καβάλα. Διορθώσεις- Προσθήκες – Παρατηρήσεις στην οχύρωση και την ύδρευση’ in Μέρος Α’, Μελέτες, 1998
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