Macedonia (ancient kingdom)

Macedonia , also called Macedon (/ˈmæsɪdɒn/ MASS-ih-don), was an <a href="/facts/Classical_antiquity/JBq8vEX9">ancient</a> <a href="/facts/Monarchy/Kg1vY7tt">kingdom</a> on the periphery of <a href="/facts/Archaic_Greece/pWyHxf6H">Archaic</a> and <a href="/facts/Classical_Greece/WoUfexFx">Classical Greece</a>, which later became the dominant state of <a href="/facts/Hellenistic_Greece/45ye3dGC">Hellenistic Greece</a>. The <a href="/facts/History_of_Macedonia_(ancient_kingdom)/FgUY7PEV">kingdom was founded</a> and initially ruled by the royal <a href="/facts/Argead_dynasty/7AC6aH7H">Argead dynasty</a>, which was followed by the <a href="/facts/Antipatrid_dynasty/Y0gNbcvl">Antipatrid</a> and <a href="/facts/Antigonid_dynasty/cbwGYYbJ">Antigonid</a> dynasties. Home to the <a href="/facts/Ancient_Macedonians/9jEwboFN">ancient Macedonians</a>, the earliest kingdom was centered on the northeastern part of the <a href="/facts/Greek_peninsula/LFa0Xlxu">Greek peninsula</a>, and bordered by <a href="/facts/Epirus_(ancient_state)/jA5V77cL">Epirus</a> to the southwest, <a href="/facts/Illyria/ugbD1GVj">Illyria</a> to the northwest, <a href="/facts/Paeonia_(kingdom)/xsfbfobP">Paeonia</a> to the north, <a href="/facts/Thrace/26TVWCL0">Thrace</a> to the east and <a href="/facts/Ancient_Thessaly/AQmHh4M8">Thessaly</a> to the south.
Before the 4th century BC, Macedonia was a small kingdom outside of the area dominated by the great <a href="/facts/City-states/aj1EjbYy">city-states</a> of <a href="/facts/Classical_Athens/a3b6Hpbw">Athens</a>, <a href="/facts/Sparta/6V9o1DSz">Sparta</a> and <a href="/facts/Classical_Thebes/PBN0g5la">Thebes</a>, and <a href="/facts/Achaemenid_Macedonia/mwk57njz">briefly subordinate</a> to <a href="/facts/Achaemenid_Persia/avlzWxF0">Achaemenid Persia</a>. During the reign of the Argead king <a href="/facts/Philip_II_of_Macedon/8xV3hI8V">Philip II</a> (359–336 BC), Macedonia <a href="/facts/Rise_of_Macedon/316TnkTL">subdued</a> <a href="/facts/Mainland_Greece/LFa0Xlxu">mainland Greece</a> and the <a href="/facts/Thracians/JrSuD03j">Thracian</a> <a href="/facts/Odrysian_kingdom/7Co1RhQX">Odrysian kingdom</a> through conquest and diplomacy. With a reformed <a href="/facts/Ancient_Macedonian_army/rDPYXRHp">army</a> containing <a href="/facts/Macedonian_phalanx/n8Gx1bpf">phalanxes</a> wielding the <a href="/facts/Sarissa/jMny8GCJ">sarissa</a> pike, Philip II defeated the old powers of <a href="/facts/Second_Athenian_League/VjqtE4bT">Athens</a> and <a href="/facts/Theban_hegemony/enFJNYHH">Thebes</a> in the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Chaeronea_(338_BC)/CVy2jfS4">Battle of Chaeronea</a> in 338 BC. Philip II's son <a href="/facts/Alexander_the_Great/8N3gLElj">Alexander the Great</a>, leading a <a href="/facts/League_of_Corinth/Kvu3Tyk8">federation of Greek states</a>, accomplished his father's objective of commanding the whole of Greece when he <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Thebes/2k24S8FJ">destroyed Thebes</a> after the city revolted. During Alexander's subsequent <a href="/facts/Chronology_of_the_expedition_of_Alexander_the_Great_into_Asia/Bj391MJp">campaign of conquest</a>, he <a href="/facts/Wars_of_Alexander_the_Great/7T1VMgSr">overthrew</a> the <a href="/facts/Achaemenid_Empire/avlzWxF0">Achaemenid Empire</a> and conquered territory that stretched as far as the <a href="/facts/Indus_River/7vTRHA4t">Indus River</a>. For a brief period, his Macedonian Empire was the most powerful in the world – the definitive <a href="/facts/Hellenistic_period/q6BgQsaF">Hellenistic</a> state, inaugurating the transition to a new period of <a href="/facts/Culture_of_ancient_Greece/PTVBrWXq">Ancient Greek civilization</a>. <a href="/facts/Hellenistic_art/aLQDqjt0">Greek arts</a> and <a href="/facts/Hellenistic_literature/mAqmUXeF">literature</a> flourished in the new conquered lands and advances in <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek_philosophy/LWEkp8JX">philosophy</a>, <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek_engineering/kclQXMcc">engineering</a>, and <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek_science/PTVBrWXq">science</a> spread across the empire and beyond. Of particular importance were the contributions of <a href="/facts/Aristotle/U2bDlBFW">Aristotle</a>, tutor to Alexander, <a href="/facts/Aristotelianism/wEhHXC5B">whose writings</a> became a keystone of <a href="/facts/Western_philosophy/4m6EnYCI">Western philosophy</a>.
After <a href="/facts/Death_of_Alexander_the_Great/IhsKqgPL">Alexander's death</a> in 323 BC, the ensuing <a href="/facts/Wars_of_the_Diadochi/QKDGb3Jv">wars of the Diadochi</a>, and the partitioning of Alexander's short-lived empire, Macedonia remained a Greek cultural and political center in the Mediterranean region along with <a href="/facts/Ptolemaic_Egypt/sAg88Lvs">Ptolemaic Egypt</a>, the <a href="/facts/Seleucid_Empire/NSYMLBYa">Seleucid Empire</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Attalid_kingdom/ju7Q4EAo">Attalid kingdom</a>. Important cities such as <a href="/facts/Pella/xdak9cAr">Pella</a>, <a href="/facts/Pydna/2WFBkeG0">Pydna</a>, and <a href="/facts/Amphipolis/CH24XhhJ">Amphipolis</a> were involved in power struggles for control of the territory. New cities were founded, such as <a href="/facts/Thessalonica/o3BFhhPR">Thessalonica</a> by the usurper <a href="/facts/Cassander/rHgyFKo4">Cassander</a> (named after his wife <a href="/facts/Thessalonike_of_Macedon/1zURNHwo">Thessalonike of Macedon</a>). Macedonia's decline began with the <a href="/facts/Macedonian_Wars/WwIlGCou">Macedonian Wars</a> and <a href="/facts/Rise_of_Rome/Han0FRLT">the rise</a> of <a href="/facts/Ancient_Rome/cGqIuxPd">Rome</a> as the leading <a href="/facts/Mediterranean_region/azjFD5mW">Mediterranean</a> power. At the end of the <a href="/facts/Third_Macedonian_War/96jKmbMw">Third Macedonian War</a> in 168 BC, <a href="/facts/Greece_in_the_Roman_era/137eD11z">the Macedonian monarchy was abolished</a> and replaced by Roman <a href="/facts/Client_state/ClQprt0c">client states</a>. A short-lived revival of the monarchy during the <a href="/facts/Fourth_Macedonian_War/CLDXwnlx">Fourth Macedonian War</a> in 150–148 BC ended with the establishment of the <a href="/facts/Roman_province/lcMVp672">Roman province</a> of <a href="/facts/Macedonia_(Roman_province)/qMwQp7xd">Macedonia</a>.
The Macedonian kings, who wielded <a href="/facts/Absolute_monarchy/bw15yYtX">absolute power</a> and commanded <a href="/facts/State_ownership/Jr4dPDo3">state resources</a> such as gold and silver, facilitated mining operations to <a href="/facts/Mint_(facility)/PK30bY3m">mint</a> <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek_coinage/MpbvMVKN">currency</a>, finance <a href="/facts/Antigonid_Macedonian_army/KxselsP5">their armies</a> and, by the reign of Philip II, a Macedonian navy. Unlike the other <a href="/facts/Diadochi/yjXuwoyv">diadochi</a> <a href="/facts/Successor_state/WSEEnrmp">successor states</a>, the <a href="/facts/Imperial_cult/4rbedJWX">imperial cult</a> fostered by Alexander was never adopted in Macedonia, yet Macedonian rulers nevertheless assumed roles as <a href="/facts/High_priest/6WtNhfYK">high priests</a> of the kingdom and leading patrons of domestic and international <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek_religion/AtzMTqvS">cults</a> of the <a href="/facts/Hellenistic_religion/o5hFly3Q">Hellenistic religion</a>. The authority of Macedonian kings was theoretically limited by the institution of the army, while <a href="/facts/Government_of_Macedonia_(ancient_kingdom)/VCQCINra">a few municipalities</a> within the <a href="/facts/Koinon_of_Macedonians/wYnA6uPG">Macedonian commonwealth</a> enjoyed a high degree of autonomy and even had <a href="/facts/History_of_democracy/FUl2tKJ6">democratic governments</a> with <a href="/facts/Popular_assemblies/4erD0D8B">popular assemblies</a>.

Macedonia (ancient kingdom) open-in-new

Macedonia (ancient kingdom)