Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 16:12

κἀκεῖθεν εἰς Φιλίππους, and from thence to Philippi. As there is no change of the verb (εὐθυδρομήσαμεν) for the whole description of the journey, we may conclude that it was all made by ship.

ἥτις ἐστὶν … κολωνία which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a colony. Philippi and the country round had long been famous by reason of the neighbouring gold-mines. At the time of St Paul’s visit it was held by the Romans, and a colony had been founded there by Augustus. The civil magistrates and the military authorities were Roman. Hence the fear (Acts 16:38) when they heard that prisoners whom they had scourged were Roman citizens. For a history of Philippi, see Dict. of the Bible.

It should be borne in mind that a Roman colony was not like what we now call a colony. The inhabitants did not settle as they pleased, but were sent out by authority from Rome, marching to their destination like an army with banners, and they reproduced, where they settled, a close resemblance of Roman rule and life. They were planted on the frontiers of the empire for protection, and as a check upon the provincial magistrates. The names of those who went were still enrolled in the lists of the tribes of Rome. Latin was their language, and they used the Roman coinage, and had their chief magistrates sent out or appointed from the mother city. Thus were they very closely united with Rome, and entirely free from any intrusion on the part of the governors of the provinces.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

Acts 16:12

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