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.


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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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