http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki

315 BC: Foundation of the city by Kassandros, King of Macedonians. The city is
baptized Thessaloniki after the name of the sister of Alexander the Great.
The name means in Greek, “Victory against the Thessalians”

146-120 BC: Construction of “Via Egnatia”, from Roman rulers, the road from Adriatic Sea to Thrace.

50 AD: Apostle Paul chooses Thessaloniki to introduce Christianism in Europe. His
first“Letter” in Europe

253,262,269 AD: Goths attack the city

4th century AD: The Roman Galerious Valerious Maximinianos builds Palace, Hippodrome
and Arch

305 AD, 26 October: St. Demetrious dies as a Martyr of Christianism. Since then he is
the City’s Saint

390 AD: Rebellion of the citizens against the Gothic Guard of the city. After the .
order of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius A’, 7,000 citizens were slaughtered
inside Hippodrome

412 AD: The Basilica of St Demetrious. A Church to honor St Demetrious

620 AD: Earthquake

9th century AD: The Thessalonikian brothers Methodios and Cyrilous teach Christianism to
the Slavic population in Balkans. Also they create a Slavic dictionary so as
to help them in communicating with Byzantines.

904 AD: Saracen pirates enter and destroy the city.

9th-10th century AD: Continuous attacks to the city by Bulgarians. Failure to capture the
city.

1185 AD: Attacks and capture of the city by Normans.

1204-1224 AD: Attacks and capture of the city by Francs.

1224 AD: Thessaloniki is recaptured by Theodoros Dukas Komninos the Prince of Epirus
and gives the rule back to its Greek citizens.

1342-1349 AD: Rebellion of Zealots. Rulers of the city.

1430 AD, 29 March: Attack and capture of the city by Ottomans.

1821-1823 AD: Terror and death in the city by the Ottoman rulers due to the Greek rebellion
in South Greece and Halkidiki peninsula. Population falls from 50,000 to 7,000

1850-1900 AD: Jew population from Spain arrives in the city.

1904-1908 AD: Macedonian Struggle begins. Greek consultants in Thessaloniki help the
rebels.

1908 AD: NeoTourks are the new rulers of Thessaloniki. Ottoman Empire does not exist any
more as a term.

1912-1913 AD: Balkan wars

1912 AD, 26 Oct: Greek army enters the city. Turkish army surrenders and the city goes back
to the Macedonian citizens.

1915 AD: English and French troops “arrive” in the city. The same year they live the city.

1943 AD: Extermination of the Jew population of the city from Nazi occupation troops.

1985 AD: City’s birthday- 2,300 years!

1997 AD: Thessaloniki becomes the European Capital of Culture.
Population reaches 1 million people.

ZEALOTS:


From the beginning of 14th century the Byzantine Empire went into dramatic decline. There were two major civil wars accompanied with invasions from almost all sides. As the Empire became weaker and more impoverished, the misery of the great masses in the countryside and in the cities became almost unbearable. Both in the country and in the towns all the wealth was concentrated in the hands of a small aristocratic class, and against them was directed the bitterness of the destitute masses. The leader of all powerful aristocratic class was pretender to the throne John Cantacuzenus.


Ascending to power
The Zealots seized power in 1342 and after driving out the supporters of Cantacuzenus, they setup their own government in the city. The possessions of the aristocracy were confiscated. The Zealots, who were regarded in conservative ecclesiastical circles as disciples of Barlaam of Calabria and Acindynus, were also violently opposed to the hesychasts, who supported Cantacuzenus . The political Zealots were therefore enemies of the church Zealots.

Cantacuzenus wrote: They roused up the people against the aristocracy, and for two or three days, Thessalonica was like a city under enemy occupation and suffered all the corresponding disasters. The victors went shouting and looting through the streets by day and by night, while the vanquished hid in churches and counted themselves lucky to be still alive. When order returned, the Zealots, suddenly raised from penury and dishonour to wealth and influence, took control of everything and won over the middle class of citizens, forcing them to acquiesce and characterizing every form of moderation and prudence as "Cantacuzenism".

Although the Zealots recognized the legitimate Emperor John V Palaeologus and the most important members of the party were also members of the house of Palaeologus, the city was effectively acting as independent republic. The role of the imperial governor sent from Constantinople was largely symbolic.


Reaction and Terror
Early attempts of Cantacuzenus to capture the city with the aid of his ally, the Seljuk Emir Omur failed as the resistance was fierce. In 1345 there was a plot by the imperial governor to surrender the city to Cantacuzenus. He had the leader of the Zealots, Michael Palaeologus killed. But this caused even greater violence : Led by Andrew Palaeologus, the Zealots overpowered the reaction, as described in Demetrius Cydones, PG 109 :

..one after another the prisoners were hurled from the walls of the citadel and hacked to pieces by the mob of the Zealots assembled below. Then followed a hunt for all the members of the upper classes: they were driven through the streets like slaves, with ropes round their necks-here a servant dragged his master, there a slave his purchaser, while the peasant struck the strategus and the labourer beat the soldier(i.e. the pronoiar)..



In 1349 Cantacuzenus and the emperor John V reconciled, but the Zealots ignored the orders from the capitol. Aware that their downfall was only question of time they started to negotiate surrender to Serbian Emperor Stefan Dušan, preferring foreign rule to that of Cantacuzenus. But by the end of 1349 their rule collapsed, Andrew Palaeologus fled to Serbia while Cantacuzenus, accompanied by John Palaeologus, made a triumphal entry into the city and Gregory Palamas, protagonist of the hesychasts, who had been appointed Archbishop of Thessalonica, but previously refused entry by the Zealots, was now received.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zealots%2C_Thessalonica>"

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So.. we can say that Thessaloniki was the first city in the western world that Anarchists of that time, took the rule of the city. Barcelona in Spain was the second city in the western world.

"146-120 BC: Construction of “Via Egnatia”, from Roman rulers, the road from Adriatic Sea to Thrace."
------------------------------------------------
2008 AD: Egnatia Odos will be a brand new Highway connecting Italy with Turkey through Greece. Additional in 2010, vertical Highways will connect Albania, Fyrom and Bulgaria with Egnatia Odos.

A huge project is taking place to connect all Balkan peninsula and South Europe to Asia.

Thessaloniki is becoming the powerhouse of the Balkans!

Its innevitable.

The only natural sea-port leading in the heart of Balkans.. and silmutaneously a cross-road to Asia (Turkey)

Already 1,5 million and heading for 5 million (immigrants from Bulgaria, Fyrom, Romania included) the next 10 years.

Its just innevitable.... and lets not forget that is 30' distance from the living paradise.. Halkidiki

Its a place blessed by God.

ps. ...bye land now

"""Its innevitable.

The only natural sea-port leading in the heart of Balkans.. and silmutaneously a cross-road to Asia (Turkey)"""

I agree.

"""Its just innevitable.... and lets not forget that is 30' distance from the living paradise.. Halkidiki

Its a place blessed by God."""

You know I have not been there not even to Dion and other historical places near me in Macedonia when I was there a few times "shame on me" I will next time.

Poso kanoun ta spitia stin Thessaloniki? Konta stin thalasa, konta ton Mega Alexandro agalma.?

Arxilea...forget the seafront!! Its unbelievable expensive. It costs around 12-13000 euros/sq2 in a new bulding and 6-7000 euros/sq2 for a 30-40 years old building.. which is the majority. Its better to choose suburbs.. near seafront,20' distance from the city.
I did that. An brand new appartment in the suburbs, around 130sq costs around 170-200000 euros... and you have your peace outside the noise of the city.

...and I forgot to mention... the eastern suburbs are 20' from Halkidiki.. ...and that means... no trafic jams in the weekends..

Efharisto Basilh ! Thelo na ertho palh piso stin patrida mou...Emena eine h Thessaloniki mas...Tin Halkidiki yia na dw. Akou eine omorph tora? !!!

An einai omorfi tora? Pote den stamatise na einai omorfi. Like Carebean Sea without the risks of sharks etc.. Clear, green and warm.

Opote erxonte h alvanoi, voulgari ola xhalia yinonete. Afto eithela na po.

Makari na eine panta omorfi H Ellarada mas.

No problem with them. They are getting assimilated day by day and they are adopting the Greek way of life and behavior. They understund what is good and what is bad... and they are choosing the right thing. Believe me... the next 10-15 years you will not understand who is who. Its the Greek culture mate.... and they cannot escape from it. Its good... they understood it... and they adopt it.

How much do you believe a peaceant from a village of the mountains of Albania with so much violence in his culture.... will resist in the open minded, free, cultural and having good time, life of Thessalonikians? We do what we always did Arxileas; We embrace the ones who come in our land either as conquerers, as immigrants or like tourists. There is no solution for them the moment they get contact with out way of life.

I had a talk with an Albanian immigrant the day before... and he was telling me... how much he and his children cant go back in Albania! He said... "only the freedom I have to walk me and my children late at night in the streets with out any fear... is enough for me to love this culture!"

Its a matter of time Arxileas. We always prevail with our culture.

As far as it concerns Bulgarians... they are already like Greeks the last 10 years. It will take them 10 seconds to adjust. They have adopted our way of living from the first moments after commounism collapsed and Greek enterprises entered massively in Bulgaria. They know too what is good and what is not.

Yiasou Basili.

And that's the way it out to be, here in Australia we have almost perfect harmony " just a few incidents from time to time, very rare " My friends have been from all nationalities in my life living in Australia. From Jewish, Italians, Turkish, Palestinian, Lebanese, Slavs, Croatian, Serb and Maltese and many more nationalities. The Turks and Greeks were once the best of friends here. Don't know now ? No time for get together's now for me !

It's just a few bad apples who cause trouble from the desporia.

Oute ksero yiati mou ekane mods edw =) Ala xeroume

Welcome! More are better!