"The flame is a message of peace in the world. The flame comes to the same place of Alexander the Great setting off to unite the world in the way of wars," said Tsaltaderidis.

"The flame spreads its spirit to unite the world in the way of peace."

At the beginning of the 4th century BC, the capital of the Macedonian kingdom was transferred to Pella.

Under Philip II and Alexander III, Pella became a metropolis with an impressive complex of palaces and luxurious private houses.

The city was founded by Archelaus (413-399 BC) as the capital of his kingdom, replacing the older palace-city of Aigai (Vergina). After this, it was the seat of the king Philip II and of Alexander, his son.

The flame reached Thessaloniki to stay overnight. Thessaloniki is the second major economic, industrial, commercial and political center in Greece, and a major transportation hub for the rest of southeastern Europe.

Thessaloniki retains several Ottoman and Jewish structures as well as a large number of Byzantine architectural monuments.

The city was founded around 315 BC by the King Cassander of Macedon, on or near the site of the ancient town of Therma and twenty-six other local villages. He named it after his wife Thessalonike, a half-sister of Alexander the Great.

On the fifth-day journey, the flame is set to go southwards, passing ancient site of Dion, Larissa, Volos and Lamia.

(Xinhua News Agency March 28, 2008)