Our ancient sources will not provide for strong evidence concerning the original inhabitants of Pieria before existance of Pierian Thracians. As mythological tradition has it, the Pelasgic element would dominate pver continental Greece up to as long as River Strymon, being the first inhabitants in Pieria......
During the historic years, in about 700 BC, when the Macedonians conquered -the so called "Macedonia by the sea"- Pieria, they compelled a part of the Pierian Thracians to move off North, while those who remained were gradually integrated with the Macedonians........
The most crucial, perhaps, battle in antiquity between Greeks and Romans was destined to take place in Pieria, at the city of Dion for once again. The historical battle occured on June 22nd in 168 BC in between the Rivers Aison and Leukos in Pieria (today's "Mavroneri" and "Pelekas" respectively), where the Romans, under the Consul Emilius Paulus, defeated the Macedonians of the Macedonian king, Perseus, signposting thus the period of the Roman Occupatoion in Greece. Even more, Perseus was captured to serve as a "trophee" at the Emilius Paulus' triumph in Rome later on. Emilius Paulus would exhibit, besides Perseus, 250 carriages full of statues stolen from Macedonia mainly, many of which certainly came from Pieria, such as the 25 statues representing Dion's "Associates", which were made after Alexander the Great's order.
In order that they might acquire prestige and glamour, the Romans converted Pieria into a Roman province, nominating Pella -the once capital of the almighty Macedonian State- as its capital. Being under status-quo of the "Pax Romana", the Pierian cities whould not be any more exposed to external dangers and were not threatened by practically anyone either. As a result, theey throve by playing a, nevertheless, limited historic role. Anyhow, the passing of Christianism through Pieria by means of Apostole Paul's visit to Methoni in 50-51 AD, on his way to Athens to teach the new religion there, stood an event of historical value.
During the first Christian ages, Pieria experienced a significant development despite the face that it was placed at the periphery of the Eastern Roman State. This fact is ascertained by the evidence that the Bishop of Kitros (that is, the ancient Pydna, which was renamed to "Kitros" at the time) was the firth in rank among the bishops of the Arch Diocese in Thessaloniki, the Bishop of Veria being the second one. Christian churces discovered or spotted in Pieria during the above period convince that an alteration in religious habits had been brought about there, signaling the transmission from idolatry to Christianism......
During the years of the Turkish occupation in Greece, Pieria would comprise a seperate administrative region and the small village of Katerini in the center of this region began to develop, to become, later on, the capital of the province. Nevertheless, the oppression of the population by the conquerors was severe and thus Greeks assumed a disobedient attitude against the tyrant during the early 16th century, taking to the mountains the rebels, the village Milia serving as their headquarters......
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