History of Thessalonica
Thessalonica was made the capital of the new Roman provinceof Macedon in 148 BCE and benefitted from the construction of the via Egnatia in c. 130 BCE which was the Romans’ primary route to the east, linking the city to Byzantium. Exiled from Rome, the great orator Cicero stayed in Thessalonica during 58 BCE.May 1, 2016