TIIESSAIONYCA (Saloniki), an ancient city of Macedonia, in the district of Mygdonia, was formerly called Thermo or Therma : it is in 40' 33' N. lat., 22' 57' E. long., about ten miles east of the ancient river Echedoras, at the head of the modern Gulf of Saloniki, formerly called the Thermaic Bay, from the ancient name of the city. Thermo was at first an inconsiderable place. Xerxes made some stay here on his march into Greece (Herod., vii. 123). A short time previous to the commencement of the Peloponnesian war (n.e. 432) it was taken and occupied by the Athenians, but it was Boon afterwards restored to Perdiccas, the king of Macedonia. Tho name of Thessalonic.a was given to it by Caasander, the son of Antipater, in honour of his wife Thessaloniea, who was sister of Alexander the Great. With a view to its aggrandisement, Cassander collected together (about D.C. 315) the population of several adjacent towns, so as to make it one of the most important cities of northern Greece. (Strabo, 1. c., p. 330.) After the battle of Pydna (lac. 163), in which the Humans defeated Perseus, the then king of Macedonia, Thessalonica, with the other Macedonian towns, surrendered to the Romans, and was made the capital of the second of the four regions into which Macedonia was divided by them. (Livy, lib. xliv., C. 10 and 45; lib. xlv., e. 29.) Livy speaks of it as being then a very celebrated city. It possessed an excellent harbour, land had the additional advantage of lying on the great Roman military road, the Via Egnatia, which, commencing at Dyrrachiutu, on the western side of Greece, and extending to Byzantium, afforded the easiest land communication with Thrace, Asia Minor, and the shores of the Euxine. In St. Paul's time it was much frequented by people of differeut nations; the Jews had a synagogue in it; and it was also the seat of the Roman government. Under the empire, it continued to be so flourishing and important a city, that it was selected as the residence of the prefect of lllyricum, and the metropolis of the Illyrian provinces. In the reign of the emperor Theodosius, Botheric, com
mander of tho garrison, with his principal officers, was murdered by the people of the town for having impriaoued one of the popular characters of the circus (an. 390). The emperor Theodosius gave orders for the punishment of the people, and no less than 7000 persona were massacred by barbarian soldiers in a promiscuous carnage, which lasted fur three hours (Gibbon, 'Roman Empire,' c. xxxvii).
Saloniki is a large walled commercial town, imposingly built on the elope of a bill, and commauded by a strong castle called Ileptapyrgium, or the 'Seven Towers,' and has about 75,000 inhabitants. Part of the walla are of polygonal architecture ; the gate of Vardar was built in honour of Augustus, after the battle of Philippi. There are two other ancient triumphal arches in the town. The hippodrome is a vast area iu the centre of the town, entered by a propylaeum, formed by five magnificent Corinthian pillars supporting an entablature In Attic, with figures in high relief. The rotunda is built after the model of the Pantheon in 'tome; Its interior Is covered with mosaics. The church of Santa Sophia is now a mosque. The metropolitan church of SL Demetrius has been also converted into a mosque. An ancient temple of Venus has been likewise appropriated to Mohammedan worship. The town has handsome and large bazaars, and important silk factories. It has a good trade in British produce, and exports corn, cotton, wool, raw silk, wine, tobacco, beeswax, sponges, sesamum, timber, and staves. Foreign consuls reside in Saloniki. It is the capital of an eyelet, which comprises ancient Macedonia and Thessaly.