The Borders of Ancient Makedonia I: To Perdikkas III

Περίληψη

At a time that cannot be closely determined, about 1,000 B.C., the Makedones began to establish themselves in a small area north of Mount Olympos. At a later date their kings were buried at Aigai (close to Vergina), which must have been the centre of the territory that they began to control. By the beginning of the 4th century B.C. they had expanded (with a few short periods of contraction) in a remarkable manner, ‘absorbing’ or expelling the neighbouring groups of people until their territory extended further to the north and west and to the sea (although not at first to Chalkidike, where there were many colonies established by southern Hellenic cities) and to the Axios river. However, it is clear that many of the groups that they had ‘absorbed’ still retained their identity and independence, even if they were in some way under the control of the rulers of Makedonia. For this reason, the ‘borders’ of Makedonia are difficult to define, at least before the time of Philippos II.

By 500 B.C. they were the leading power in the area. About 400 B.C. they moved their capital further north to Pella, which was near a river which was at that time navigable to the Thermaic Gulf. In the fourth century B.C. Philippos II (360/59-336 B.C.) again expanded the area under their control, annexing Chalkidike and land to the east. ‘Makedonia’ now be-came approximately the same as the modern Greek province of Makedonia. As neighbours the Makedonians now had the Illyrians to the west, the Paiones to the north, and the Dar-danoi beyond them, the Thessalians to the south and the Thrakes to the east. These were independent groups, although the Paionians may have had a ‘client kingdom’ relationship with the Makedonians (their kings issued coins independently, but they supplied cavalry to assist Alexander the Great in his eastward campaign).

This geographical area stayed the same until the Roman conquest of 168 B.C. After this the Romans tried to destroy the identity of the Makedonians by establishing a new province that was split into four different areas, with restrictions on some activities that might be conducted between one area and another. After two decades this proved to be unsuccessful, and after a revolt (which was quickly quelled), another approach was adopted. A new Roman province was created which was still called ‘Makedonia’, but now contained land which stretched as far as the Adriatic, and much further south than the original Makedonia. As a result, ‘Makedonia’ became a geographical rather than an ethnic name. In the following centuries, the borders of this province were modified again, but it still covered a much larger area than the Makedonia that had existed in the time of Philip II and his son Alexander the Great.