Abstract

The earthquake that struck Philippi at the turn from the 5th to 6th century is only known through the reconstruction work it caused. These works were first identified on the lower terrace of the forum, particularly on the porticoes, in the curia and in the room with five columns on the west side; they made possible the identification of the third architectural state. The earthquake also destroyed or severely damaged the temples on the upper forum terrace, setting the premices for the construction of Basilica A. To the south of the forum, it caused the – probably total – ruin of the palestra (apart from its latrines, which were buried sufficiently deep to be spared) and, to a lesser extent, of the market. Lastly, this earthquake was the cause of the disorders that led to the reconstruction of the Basilica of the Octagon, and probably of the “extra muros” Basilica as well. An examination of the damage caused to the curia by a construction accident, which was immediately repaired but had nothing to do with the earthquake, can be found in the appendix.