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The only clue of the name town founded by Philip II in Paeonia that
existed in the past is a note preserved in a fragment written by the
geographer Strabo (64 BC - 24 AD). He tells us that alongside the
country of Agrianes lies Parorbelia, a district of Macedonia, which has
in its interior, along the valley that begins at Eidomene, the cities
Callipolis, Orthopolis, Philippoupolis, Garescus. We are notified by
Diod. Sic., active writer during 60-30 BC, that Paeonians, after the
death of Agis, king of the Paeonians, troubled the kingdom of Macedon
with distress and harass. Consequently, Philip II entered Paeonia with
the choice of all his forces and the enemy who marched out to meet him,
were utterly defeated, and the whole nation of Paeonia obliged to submit
implicity to the conqueror, and to acknowledge an absolute dependence
on Macedon. However, shortly after that in full secrecy, the king of
Illyria, of Paeonia and Thrace joined in a strict confederacy, and
mediated an invasion of Macedonia with all their powers. Then, Philip II
surprised the Paeonians and reduced them to a state of subjection, as
appears to have rendered them incapable of giving him any further
opposition. After that, we assume that Paeonians must have been
commanded by a strategem with seat in the citadel Psaphara, then renamed
to Philippoupolis, known as a city in Parorbelia. The most evident
proof of the Macedonians presence on the site of Kneže is the unearthed
ruins of a Doric-style building, possibly a temple that must have been
erected by order of the king Philip II for ceremonial purpose and the
long lasting rule of Paeonia. Later, in 279-278 BC Paeonia was invaded
and thoroughly destroyed by the Celts on their way to plunder the Balkan
penisula. Psaphara, i.e. Philippoupolis in Parorbelia was not spared
since the city was abandoned and the temple cut to pieces.
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