Macedon (ancient kingdom)

Macedon, also known as Macedonia, was an ancient kingdom of the Macedonians bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south. For a brief period, after the conquests of Alexander III of Macedonia (Alexander the Great), it became the most powerful state in the world, controlling a territory that included the former Persian empire, stretching as far as the Indus River.The ancient Macedonians lived in the southern area of present-day Macedonia since ancient time. The first Macedonian state occurs in VIII or early VII century BC under the leadership of the Argeadi dynasty , when the Macedonians had migrated there from western areas. The first king who has written sources was Perdiccas . At the time of King Alexander I , Macedonian territory began to spread in countries inhabited by Thracian tribes Eordaja , Botiaja , Pieria , Mygdonia and Almopija . Near the modern city of Edessa , Perdiccas I built the first capital of capital Vergina.

## Early history[edit | edit source]

Map of the Macedonian Empire

After a short period of Persian rule under King Darius I , the country regained its independence under King Alexander I ( 495 - BC 450 BC). Before the IV century BC, the kingdom covered a region size equal to the current area of Macedonia in Greece . Amyntas III (around 393 - 370 BC) was first centralized government in Macedonia, although the contrast between the lowland livestock region and isolated zadgrbnina was great. These are tied to the king by family ties. Clan communities in the barbarian invasions came out controlled the passes through which the Illyrian armies to attack the north and northwest Macedonia. Amyntas had three sons: the first two, Alexander II and Perdiccas III reigned only briefly. Premladiot son of Perdiccas III was replaced with the third son of Amyntas, Philip II of Macedon who proclaimed himself king and ushered Greece.

## Decline of the Empire[edit | edit source]

Under the leadership of King Philip V ( 221 - 179 BC) and his son Perseus ( 179 - 168 BC) Macedonia faced the expansionism of the Roman republic . During the II century BC and I century BC Macedonia was in several wars with Rome. This resulted in the defeat of Macedonia Antigonid removal and dissolution of the Macedonian kingdom. Andrisk briefly managed to restore the monarchy in 149 BC but was defeated the next year and Macedonia fell under direct Roman rule as the Roman province of Macedonia.