Beroea

(Later, Berrhoea, Beroie, and Beroe).

A titular see of Macedonia, at the foot of Mount Bermios, now Doxa; it still preserves its ancient name, pronounced Veria by the Greeks (Turkish Kara-Feria, Slav Ber). The Romans captured it after the battle of Pydna (168 b.c.) and from 49 to 48 Pompey took up his winter quarters there (Plutarch, Pomp. 64). In its Jewish synagogue St. Paul preached successfully (Acts, xvii, 10, 13); on withdrawing he left at Beroea his disciples Silas and Timothy. Onesiums, formerly Philemon's slave, was its first bishop according to the Apostolic Constitutions (VII, 46). At the time of the last partition of the empire, it was allotted to Macedonia Prima (Hierocles, Synecdemos, 638), and its see made suffragan to Thessalonica. Amongst its bishops, Gerontius was present at Sardica in 344, Luke at the Latrocinium of Ephesus in 449, Timothy at the Council of Constantinople under the Patriarch Menas in 536, Joseph at the Eighth Oecumenical Council in 869. Under Andronicus II (1283-1328) Beroea was made a metropolis. The actual Greek metropolitans add the title of Naoussa, a neighbouring city. It has now about 10,000 inhabitants.

Besides this Beroea, there was in Thracia a Beroe, or Augusta Trajana (Hierocles, 635), whither Pope Liberius (355-358) was exiled (Sozomen, IV, 11). It is called Berrhoea, or Beroe, in episcopal lists (Georgius Cyprius, 53; Parthey, Notit. episc., VI, 57; VII, 53; VIII, 57). Its Turkish name was Eski-Zagra, for which the present Bulgarian substitute is Stara-Zagora. For its episcopal list see Lequien, I, 1165-68; Gams, 427. Beroea is also an ancient name of Aleppo.

Lequien, Or. Christ., II, 71-74; Gams, Series episcop., 429; Leake, Northern Greece, III, 290 sqq.; Cousinery, Voyage en Macedoine, I, 57 sqq.

L. Petit.