Editing Skopje (section)

=== Roman Scupi ===
[[File:Shy venus statue skopje.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|A "Venus Pudica" found in Scupi, dated from the 2nd century AD<ref>{{cite journal |journal=Folia Archaeologica Balkanica |volume=II |year=2011 |first=Marina Ončevska |last=Todorovska |title=The Status of Venus from Skupi |url=http://periodica.fzf.ukim.edu.mk/fab/FAB_02_(2012)/FAB%2002.22.%20On%C4%8Devska%20Todorovska,%20M.%20-%20The%20Statue%20of%20Venus%20Pudica%20from%20Scupi.pdf |page=355}}</ref>]]

Roman expansion east brought Scupi under Roman rule as a colony of [[legionaries]], mainly veterans of the [[Legio VII Claudia]] during the reign of Emperor [[Domitian]] (AD 81–96). However, several legions from the [[Roman province of Macedonia]] of [[Crassus]]' army may already have been stationed there around 29–28 BC before the official imperial command was instituted.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1OTgAAAAMAAJ&q=scupi%20dardania |title=The Cambridge Ancient History: The Augustan Empire, 43 B.C.-A.D. 69, 2nd ed., 1996 |last2=Cook |first2=Stanley Arthur |date=1 January 1996 |publisher=University Press |last3=Adcock |first3=Frank Ezra |first1=John Bagnell |last1=Bury |isbn=9780521264303 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Nv6SPRKqs8C&q=scupi |title=The Illyrians |last=Wilkes |first=John |date=9 January 1996 |publisher=Wiley |via=Google Books |isbn=9780631198079}}</ref> The first mention of the city was made at that period by [[Livy]], who died in AD 17.<ref name="history"/> Scupi first served as a military base to maintain peace in the region<ref name="provincial"/> and was officially named "{{Lang|la|Colonia Flavia Scupinorum}}", ''{{Lang|la|Flavia}}'' being the name of the [[Flavian dynasty|emperor's dynasty]].<ref name="archeology">{{cite web |url=http://www.archaeology.org/1209/features/scupi_macedonia_roman_colony_bronze_age.html |title=Burial Customs, Death on the Roman Empire's eastern frontier |author=Matthew Brunwasser |publisher=Archaeological Institute of America |year=2012 |access-date=6 October 2012 |archive-date=15 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015185034/http://www.archaeology.org/1209/features/scupi_macedonia_roman_colony_bronze_age.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shortly afterwards it became part of the province of [[Moesia]] during [[Augustus]]'s rule. After the division of the province by Domitian in AD 86, Scupi was elevated to colonial status and became a seat of government within the new province of [[Moesia Superior]]. The district called [[Dardania (Roman province)|Dardania]] (within Moesia Superior) was formed into a special province by Emperor [[Diocletian]], with the capital at [[Naissus]]. In Roman times the eastern part of Dardania, from Scupi to Naissus, remained inhabited mostly by a local population, mainly of [[Thracian]] origin.{{sfn|Papazoglu|1978|p=242}}

The city's population was very diverse. Engravings on tombstones suggest that only a minority of the population came from [[Italia (ancient history)|Italia]], whilst many veterans were from [[Dalmatia]], southern [[Gaul]] and [[Syria]]. Because of the ethnic diversity of the population, [[Latin language|Latin]] maintained itself as the main language in the city at the expense of [[Ancient Greek|Greek]], which was spoken in most of the Moesian and Macedonian cities.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Pannonia and Upper Moesia |volume=4 |author=András Mócsy |publisher=Routledge |year=1974 |isbn=9780710077141 |page=117}}</ref> During the following centuries, Scupi experienced prosperity. The period from the end of the 3rd century to the end of the 4th century was particularly flourishing.<ref name="archeology"/> The first church was founded under the reign of Emperor [[Constantine the Great]] and Scupi became the seat of a [[diocese]]. In 395, following the division of the [[Roman Empire]] into two, Scupi became part of the [[Eastern Roman Empire]].<ref name="history"/>

An ancient funeral inscription of the [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] tribe [[Albanoi]] was found in [[Scupi]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=z0lmAAAAMAAJ Dragojević-Josifovska 1982] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221111171931/https://books.google.no/books?id=z0lmAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y |date=11 November 2022 }}, p. 32</ref>

In its zenith, Scupi covered 40 hectares and was closed by a {{cvt|3.5|m|ft|adj=on}} wide wall.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.novamakedonija.com.mk/NewsDetal.asp?vest=5231293251&id=9&prilog=0&setIzdanie=22587 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525200751/http://www.novamakedonija.com.mk/NewsDetal.asp?vest=5231293251&id=9&prilog=0&setIzdanie=22587 |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 May 2012 |title=Жителите на Скупи уживале во спа-центри |publisher=[[Nova Makedonija]] |author=Mimoza Petrevska Georgieva |access-date=6 October 2012}}</ref> It had many monuments, including four [[necropoles]], a theatre, [[thermae]],<ref name="archeology"/> and a large Christian [[basilica]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnevnik.com.mk/default.asp?ItemID=91D0ED79D1994545B51D56D4677B3F81 |title=Откриена ранохристијанска базилика во Скупи |date=30 July 2008 |publisher=Dnevnik |author=Vesna Ivanovsa |access-date=6 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428173510/http://www.dnevnik.com.mk/default.asp?ItemID=91D0ED79D1994545B51D56D4677B3F81 |archive-date=28 April 2014}}</ref>