Macedonian Wars

The Macedonian Wars (214–148 BC) were a series of conflicts fought by the Roman Republic and its Greek allies in the eastern Mediterranean against several major Greek kingdoms. These wars led to Roman control over Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, increasing Rome's power.

Traditionally, the Macedonian Wars include four wars with Macedonia and one war with the Seleucid Empire, ending with a minor war with the Achaean League. The war against the Seleucid Empire was the most important, ending the power of both empires. Although these wars did not immediately make Rome the full ruler, they slowly reduced Macedonian independence and added it to the Roman empire. The war with the Seleucid Empire also weakened it, though other powers like Pontus stopped further conflicts with Rome.

After the Macedonian Wars, the eastern Mediterranean had many different groups with varying levels of independence from or dependence on Rome. According to the historian Polybius, Rome got involved when several Greek city-states asked for protection against the Macedonian Kingdom and the Seleucid Empire, because of instability from the weakening of Ptolemaic Egypt.

Unlike in the west, the Greek east had long been ruled by large empires. Rome’s influence and alliances led to wars that weakened these empires, creating an unstable power vacuum that only Rome could settle. This process was similar to what happened in Italy centuries earlier, but on a much larger scale. Historians see Rome’s growing influence not as planned empire-building, but as handling crises with short-term goals within a complex network of alliances. Until the time of the Roman Empire, the eastern Mediterranean remained a mix of independent city-states and kingdoms, only later becoming organized into Roman provinces.

First Macedonian War (214 to 205 BC)

Main article: First Macedonian War

Further information: History of Macedonia (ancient kingdom)

During a big fight called the Second Punic War, Philip V of Macedon worked with Hannibal, a leader Rome did not like. Rome sent soldiers led by Marcus Valerius Laevinus across the Adriatic sea to stop Philip V from helping Hannibal. These soldiers, helped by friends from the Aetolian League and Pergamon, mostly moved along the Adriatic coast and took small pieces of land. Rome did not try to take over Macedon; they just wanted to keep Philip V busy while fighting Hannibal. The fight ended in 205 BC with the Treaty of Phoenice, and even though it did not decide a clear winner, it let Rome start getting involved in Macedon later on.

Second Macedonian War (200 to 196 BC)

Main article: Second Macedonian War

In the years before the Second Macedonian War, three big kingdoms ruled the Greek world: the Ptolemaic kingdom, Antigonid Macedon, and the Seleucid Empire. These kingdoms often fought, which made smaller Greek states worried.

When Ptolemy V became king of Egypt as a young boy, some parts of Egypt rebelled. The leaders of Macedon and the Seleucid Empire saw their chance and made a secret plan to take over Egypt.

The smaller Greek states, afraid of this plan, asked Rome for help. Rome had not paid much attention to Greece before, but they agreed to listen. Envoys from Pergamon and Rhodes told the Roman Senate about the secret deal. Rome sent a message to Philip V of Macedon telling him to stop attacking Rome’s new Greek friends. But Philip ignored Rome.

Because Philip did not listen, Rome decided to fight. They sent an army led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus to Greece. In 197 BC, Rome’s army defeated Philip at the Battle of Cynoscephalae. After this loss, Philip had to make peace. He agreed to the Treaty of Tempea, which stopped him from interfering outside his own borders and made him give up lands he had taken from Greece. In 196 BC, at the Olympiad, Rome announced that the Greeks were now free, hoping this would keep the peace.

Seleucid War (192 to 188 BC)

Main article: Roman-Seleucid War

After Egypt and Macedonia became weaker, the Seleucid Empire grew stronger and wanted to control all of Greece. Rome had left Greece after the Second Macedonian War, hoping for peace. But without strong forces, tensions rose. Even Hannibal, a famous commander, joined the Seleucid leader. The Seleucids were powerful because they ruled much of the old Persian Empire.

Rome worried about being attacked, so they gathered a big army led by Scipio Africanus. They fought the Seleucids in Greece. The Seleucids tried to stop the Romans at a narrow path called the Battle of Thermopylae, but they lost. The Romans then crossed into Asia for the first time and won a big battle at the Battle of Magnesia. The Seleucids had to give up the lands they took in Greece. Though they kept some areas, this loss began to weaken the Seleucid Empire, which later faced problems from other groups like the Parthians.

Third Macedonian War (172 to 168 BC)

Main article: Third Macedonian War

After King Philip of Macedon died in 179 BC, his son, Perseus of Macedon, wanted to make Macedon strong again. He acted boldly toward nearby lands. When Perseus was linked to a plan that worried Rome, Rome started the third Macedonian War. At first, Rome had a hard time fighting the Macedonian army. But in 168 BC, Roman forces won against the Macedonian phalanx at the Battle of Pydna. After that, Rome stayed in Greece to help keep peace. They divided the Kingdom of Macedonia into four smaller areas under Roman control, but problems still happened there.

Fourth Macedonian War (150 to 148 BC)

Main article: Fourth Macedonian War

The Fourth Macedonian War happened from 150 BC to 148 BC. A man named Andriscus wanted to be king of Macedonia again. The Romans defeated him quickly at the Second battle of Pydna.

At the same time, in 146 BC, the Achaean League also decided to fight Rome. This short conflict is called the Achaean War. The leaders of the Achaean League knew it would be difficult, but they wanted to try.

Rome won fast. They destroyed the city of Corinth in 146 BC, along with Carthage. After this, Rome split Macedonia into new areas named Achaea and Epirus to help keep peace.