Who was Andriscus, the last King of Macedon?

Andriscus was a 2nd-century BCE Greek pretender who claimed to be the son of the last legitimate Macedonian king and briefly restored the independent kingdom as Philip VI. After gathering Thracian support and defeating Roman forces, his brief reign was crushed by the Roman Republic during the Fourth Macedonian War. His defeat led directly to the abolition of Macedonian independence and the creation of the permanent Roman province of Macedonia.

What we know

• Andriscus originally worked as a fuller from Adramyttium in western Anatolia before claiming royal descent. [2]
• He claimed to be Philip, a son of the last legitimate Macedonian king, Perseus, earning him the alternative moniker Pseudo-Philip. [1, 2, 4]
• After escaping exile in Italy, he gathered support primarily from Thrace and invaded Macedon to re-establish the kingdom. [2, 4]
• His brief reign ended after he was defeated by the Roman praetor Quintus Caecilius Metellus at the Battle of Pydna in 148 BC. [2, 3, 4]
• Following his capture and execution, Rome established direct control over the region by creating the Roman province of Macedonia. [2, 3, 4]

Where to go next

• what caused itHow did the Fourth Macedonian War unfold?
• how we knowWhat happened at the Battle of Pydna?
• whoWho was Perseus of Macedon?
• what followedHow did Rome transition Macedon into a province?
• whereWhere is Adramyttium located?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a humble fuller become a king?Ancient sources agree that the man who briefly resurrected the mighty Macedonian kingdom and challenged the Roman Republic started his career as an ordinary manual worker processing cloth.

Sources

• [1]Andriscus (Wikidata Q362068) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Andriscus · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Battle of Pydna (148 BC) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Fourth Macedonian War · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Timeline of Italian history · CC BY-SA 4.0