MACEDONIAN WARS

Four conflicts between the ancient Roman Republic and the kingdom of Macedonia which led to Rome´s final domination of the Hellenic states.

The First War (214-205 BC) occurred in the context of the Second Punic War when Hannibal of Carthage and Philip V of Macedon made an alliance against Rome. The conflict in which the Greeks participated as allies on either side ended with terms favourable to Philip.

The Second War (200-196) was unpopular at Rome since it followed so soon after the exhausting conflict with Carthage. It was launched by the Roman Senate against Philip after he refused to guarantee to make no hostile moves against the states of Greece or Ptolemaic Egypt (along with the Seleucid king, Antiochus III). Philip was defeated and the terms of peace icluded the loss of most of his navy, payment of a large indemnity to Rome and the extension of Roman influence over Greece.

The Third War (171-168) which arose from Roman efforts to curtail Greek and Macedonian autonomy resulted in the defeat of Perseus, the son and successor of Philip, and the reduction of Macedonia to four formally autonomous republics that had to pay an annual tribute to Rome.

In the Fourth War (149-148) the Roman praetor Metellus Macedonicus ended a Macedonian rebellion under the royal pretender Andriscus. Macedonia was then made a Roman province.

These wars caused increasing involvement by Rome in Hellenic affairs and led to its domination of the whole eastern Mediterranean area.