This fertile land was inhabited since the ancient years. Since the time the Thermaic Gulf reached almost up to the foot of the mountains Vermio, Pieria and Paiko the first information referring to the geographical area of southern Aliakmonas is that it was a sandy region between the mountains Vermio and Pieria and therefore it was named Imathia.

HISTORICAL SITES GREEK MACEDONIA
4000 YEARS OF GREEK HISTORY AND CULTURE
ATHENS PUBLISHING
ATHENS 1982 PAGE 24

A very important factor in the creation of the plain that exists today was the Aliakmonas River which used to empty into the southwest edge of the gulf, near the foot of the mountains Vermio and Pieria. Layers of mud were transferred and deposited incessantly at the bottom of the shallow waters and caused the gradual rising of the ground and eventually the creation of land.

In the course of time the alluviums of the Aliakmonas River reached those of the Axios River and caused the obstruction of the western cove of the Thermaic Gulf. At that point there was created a lagoon (The lake of Giannitsa) which communicated with the gulf through a channel that later became the Loudias River.

The first signs of the region’s habitation during the prehistoric era were detected in Nea Nikomideia and in Kypseli.

The fertile plain attracted the Bottiaeans. The region was named Bottiaea after its inhabitants, a name that was used till the Byzantine era. At the same time the plain was also inhabited by the Vryges and we can find one of their cemeteries in Vergina. .

In 650 B.C. the nations Macedonia under the leadership of the dynasty of Timenides forced the Bottiaeans out of this region and kept it as their own colony. They built their capital, Aigae, at the position where Vergina is located today. At the same time the cities Veria and Aloros (Kypseli) started developing by exploiting the fertile land. The plain of Aliakmonas was shared out to people who breed horses apart from doing agricultural jobs. The Macedonian land became the cradle of the Macedonian kingdom. King Ptolemy Aloritis came from this region.

MACEDONIA
FROM FILIPPOS B’
TO THE ROMAN CONQUEST
ATHENS PUBLISHING
ATHENS 1993 PAGE 18

By the time Archelaos transferred the state’s capital to Pella, Aigae remained of ritual importance for the Macedonians and according to tradition their kings should be buried there in order to keep their kingdom powerful. It is remarkable that Phillipos the 2nd performed his daughter’s wedding at Aigae and that he was murdered during that ceremony. Furthermore, Alexander the Great was pronounced there king of the Macedonians in 336 B.C.

Alexander fulfilled the greatest ambitions of the Macedonians by conquering a very large part of the known world and by turning Macedonia into the centre of a huge empire that reached down to India. After his death this great man became a legend with his rumor still alive until today. The Macedonians used to mention that Alexander was their ancestor, a fact that led to national consciousness, homogeneity and helped this nation with the great history, the descendant of Alexander, hold together. Even today, the inhabitants of Roumlouki like to relate every ancient building or archeological find to Alexander the Great.

In June of 168 B.C. the Roman legions invaded the plain and conquered the cities Aloros, Aigae and Veria. During the Roman occupation an excellent road network was built that connected the plain to Thessaloniki. It was then when Veria started to develop fast in contrast to Aigae and Aloros that fell into decline.

Apostle Pavlos visited this region too during his trip from Thessaloniki to Veria and his escape to the port of Methoni and then to Piraeus.


The Romans shared large parts of land to veteran soldiers who gave the plain its next name, Kampania (plain). Their farms gave to many of the plain’s villages the opportunity to grow. The first references about these villages are those of Loukianos’ (2nd century).

The archeological finds confirm the fact that the region was inhabited during ancient times. We assume that the village of Palatitsia was built at the same position where Archelaos’ palace and the ancient city of Aigae were. Furthermore, taking into consideration the road network as well as the position of many ancient settlements we come to the conclusion that the lake of Loudia was probably not very big.

Great changes were caused when the barbaric invasions started. Many wealthy villages were destroyed and those who withstood the attacks turned into real fortresses. Most of the inhabitants seek safety inside the walls of Veria and only the farmers remained at the villages of the plain. During the early Byzantine era we have the transition from idolatry to christianism and as a result the appearance of the first churches in south Kampania (Neokastro, Vergina) as well as the Episcopate of Veria which belonged to the Metropolis of Thessaloniki.

Alexandreia of Imathia

Ioannis D. Moschopoulos

Lawyer

Researcher of History and Folklore