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    Philippi and the gold metals: from the Philip’s mines to veins of history.

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    A rich gold mine of matter and spirit

    By Theodoros An. Spanelis

     

    It is no coincidence that the ancient “mining – metallurgy”is characterized as the early phase of alchemy, long before it became a science. For the people of that era,the extraction of gold, that is of the light from the soil, had something magical in it and in order to comprehend it, master it and make it their own, they clothed it in myths and glories. Gold, this eternal, indelible light coming out of the earth and never losing its radiance, became the desire and the absolute symbol of power, as well as the cause for wars and commotions, that along with the great ideas, they rolled the wheel of history.

    The gold of the Macedonians, with its main source being Pangaion Hill and the Asylums of Philip,got mythical dimensions, not only on a level of power and authority but also on a metaphysical level. Besides, long before Philip, Pangaion Hill, has been a place of the solar worship by Orpheus, thus evolving the original Dionysian worship into a new Dionysian –Orphic worship with mysteries that formed the fertile field for the belief of post – mortem life and rebirth to thrive.

    When Philip II conquers the area, the mining of gold and silver in Pangaion hill has already been counting several centuries. Though, the big leap, that happens during that time, is that better mining and processing methods are in place, resulting in the growth of production. In addition, Philipopensupnewmines, fact that improves production, as according to sources now the gold exceeds the amount of 1.000 talents (talentum) a year, which is a mythical amount.

    Mines

    The mountainous area that extends to the east of Philippi, up to Old Kavala, Koryfes and Kokkala is dispersed withgold mines. The whole of auriferous area was named “Philip’s Asylums”.

    One of the largest and best preserved mine, with relatively easy access, is that of «Saint Helen» near Zygos. The area of Philip’s Asylums, up to our days, is perforated by open, surfacetrenches of small depth or lengthytunnels, with many ramifications and some of them –with the necessary precautions- can be visited. In fact, in the future, if theyare to be used, with the required interventions, they will offer a unique experience to the visitor.

    Walking around the Asylums of Philip, you have the feeling that a miracle occurred here, that of the birth of light through the darkness, of the gold through the soil and of the hope through the challenge. Maybe this is why, when Apostle Paul comes to Philippi to talk about the heavenly gold of the divine speech, he finds ears willing to listen.

    The land of Philippi in the passage of the centuries became a place of transformation, of the earth into gold and of the human life into victory over death, of the perishableinto the non–perishable, of which Apostle Paul very distinctively described in his epistle to the Philippians:

    “For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.”

     

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    Επιτρέπεται η αναδημοσίευση του περιεχομένου της ιστοσελίδας εφόσον αναφέρεται ευκρινώς η πηγή του. Νόμος 2121/1993 και κανόνες Διεθνούς Δικαίου που ισχύουν στην Ελλάδα.