Paroecopolis


Paroecopolis or Paroikopolis, Parthicopolis or Parthikopolis, or Parthenopolis, was an ancient city in Sintice region in ancient Thrace and later Macedon. During Byzantine times it was a bishopric seat. Its site is located near modern Sandanski, Bulgaria.

History

This see is not mentioned in any of the Greek Notitiae episcopatuum, so it probably was not an important city.
Parœcopolis is presented by Sophrone Petrides in a 1911 article in the Catholic Encyclopedia as a bishopric of uncertain name and situated either in Macedonia or in Thrace.
The town is mentioned by Ptolemy as being in Sintice, a part of Macedonia, and by Phlegon of Tralles.
Hierocles and Constantine Porphyrogenitus call it Parthicopolis, but the second locates it in Thrace.
Stephanus Byzantius calls it Parthenopolis and relates according to Theagenes the legend of its foundation by Grastus, son of Mygdon, said to have named the city in honour of his two daughters. Pliny has the same name, but also places it in Thrace.

Ecclesiastical history

Its bishop, Jonas or John, assisted at the Council of Sardica ; at the Council of Chalcedon there was present John "Parthicopolis primæ Macedoniae". That suggests it was in Macedonia Prima and hence a suffragan of its capital Thessalonica's Metropolitan Archbishopric.