Polystylus (place)
ancient city in the Roman province of Macedonia
Polystylus is the name of an ancient town and bishopric in the late Roman province of Macedonia Secunda, whose metropolis was Philippi. Its name is given in this form in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees. A 1911 article by Sophrone Pétridès called it Polystylum.
Identity
John VI Kantakouzenos, who restored and fortified the city, stated that it was the ancient Abdera, a statement that also occurs in a Byzantine list of names of cities published by Parthey. Pétridès rejected this identification, saying that Polystylus/Polystylum was what in his time (1911) was called Bouloustra, a village situated 5 or 7 kilometres from the ruins of ancient Abdera, and which is now called Avdira.
History of the see
When Philippi was made a metropolitan see, Polystylum was one of its suffragans. It figures as such in: the Notitiæ episcopatuum of Leo VI the Wise about 901-7; the Nova Tactica of c. 940; "Notices" 3 and 10 of Parthey, which belong to the 13th century. In 1212 Pope Innocent III mentions it among the suffragans of the Latin Archdiocese of Philippi.
In 1363 the Greek bishop Peter became Metropolitan of Christopolis and the see was united to the Archdiocese of Maroneia, the metropolitan see of Rhodope.
“Polystylus (place)” enters the record as ancient city in the Roman province of Macedonia. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Polystylus, place and ancient can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Polystylus (place)” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Polystylus, place and ancient provides the most credible route into that argument.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2103129. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1911, 1212 and 1363.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Polystylus (place)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Polystylus (place) primary sources, Polystylus (place) archive and Polystylus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Polystylus (place)”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Polystylus (place)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.