THESSALONICA
City located on the gulf that in ancient times was called Thermaic, and currently the Gulf of Thessaloniki.
At first, the city was called Therme or Therma, hot spring. Caesar, one of the successors of Alexander the Great, made it his capital, and called it Thessalonica, in honor of Thessalonike, his wife, Alexander’s sister.
The Romans divided Macedonia into four districts, and made Thessalonica the capital of the second. The city, which became a free city in 42 BC, was a military and commercial center on the Ignatian Way.
Its magistrates received in gr. the name of politarchs (city heads); this term gr. of Acts. 17:6 is confirmed by an inscription on the arch of Thessalonica (see MAGISTRATE).
Paul preached in the synagogue. His converts formed a church (Acts 17: 1-13; cf. Phil. 4:16) to which the apostle addressed two letters.
Aristarchus and Second, Paul’s companions, were Thessalonians (Acts 20:4; 27:2). Currently the city is called Thessaloniki although officially the name Thessaloniki has been returned to it.