The First Family of Cappadocia Saints Neocaesarea/Niksar

The “First Family of Cappadocian Saints” originated with the Christian parents of Macrina the Elder, who lived on their property near Neocaesarea, in the region of Pontus and today’s Tokat province. Until recently the location of their property was unknown, but the British Academy Black Sea Initiative concludes that it was located in the gorge down river from the junction of the Iris River (Yeşilırmak River) and its major tributary, the Lycus River (Kelkit River), nortwest of Neocaesarea.