Dion seems to have been founded by the Perravians of Thessaly in honor of Zeus (Dias), from whom it took its name. The first written reference to the city is made by Thucydides, who mentions it as the first city through which the general of Sparta Brasidas passed in 424 BC. Then it becomes part of the Macedonian kingdom and meets a huge prosperity. After the subjugation of Macedonia and Greece in general to the Romans, the city was a semi-independent colony of Rome, with its own currency and self-government. During this period, Dion showed remarkable commercial growth but the monuments and statues were transported to Rome. During the 4th century AD, the Pierians embraced Christianity, as evidenced by the two basilicas built on the ruins of the ancient city and a third outside its walls. The floods of the river Vafyras, the earthquakes and the time will cover with oblivion the city that was abandoned during the 5th c. A.D. In the 14th century it was completely destroyed by the Turks and gradually disappeared under the dense forest and vegetation.