NT Military: Acts, NT Military: Pauline Epistles
see also Lydia ☧, Dez the MP ☧, letter to the ‣
https://www.wisdomwordsppf.org/2020/08/14/the-women-artisans-of-philippi.
Φίλιπποι (philippoi, G5375) Acts 16:12, 20:6; Philippians; 1 Thessalonians 2:2
It was a "miniature Rome," under the municipal law of Rome and governed by two military officers, the duumviri, who were appointed directly from Rome
In 42 BCE Mark Antony and Octavian confronted the assassins of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus ("the liberators"), at the Battle of Philippi on the plain to the west of the city during October. Horace fought on losing side, later wrote dulce et decorum est pro patria mori. [see GruntGod, p.132]
Antony and Octavian were victorious and released some of their veteran soldiers, colonizing them in the city under the leadership of legatus coloniae deducendae Quintus Paquius Rufus. When the colony was founded, four coin types were minted in commemoration. Sources cite veterans of many legions who participated in the colony settlement: III, VI, VII, VIII, X Equestris, XII, XXVI, XXVIII, XXIX, and XXX.
42-30 BCE: Colonia Victrix Philippensium. Octavian **added some Italian settlers and preators. At this time the old coins were changed.
30-27: Colonia Iulia Philippensis (centuriated during this time)
27- : Colonia Augusta Iulia Philippensis
Emperor Claudius (41–54 AD) began construction of the forum, which Psaul would have witnessed during his second missionary journey to the city in 49 or 50 CE. He visits again in 56 and 57, and his canonical letter is dated to no later than 61 or 62 from Rome.
Polycarp of Smyrna addressed an epistle to Christians in Philippi about 160 CE.
One of the legions that Caesar constituted in the summer of 49; it fought in Hispania and participated in Caesar's African war (46 BCE) against Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus and may have been present at Munda (45 BCE). In 42, it fought for Octavian and Mark Antony at Philippi.
Legio XXVIII remained under the supreme command of Mark Antony in the east of the empire until it was dissolved after Actium, no later than 31 BCE based on an inscription found near Philippi: Sex(to) Volcasio / L(uci) f(ilio) Vol(tinia) leg(ionis) / XXVIII domo / Pisis.
