How did the Roman province of Macedonia come to be?

The Roman province of Macedonia was established in 146 BC following the Roman defeat of Andriscus in the Fourth Macedonian War. It incorporated the former ancient Greek kingdom along with Epirus, Thessaly, and parts of Illyria, Paeonia, and Thrace. Throughout the Republican and Imperial periods, it served as a vital strategic, military, and economic hub connecting Rome to the Eastern Mediterranean via the Via Egnatia.

What we know

• The territory of Antigonid Macedonia was conquered by the Roman Republic in 168 BC at the conclusion of the Third Macedonian War. [2, 3]
• The official province was created in 146 BC after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon. [2]
• The province incorporated the former kingdom of Macedonia alongside Epirus, Thessaly, and parts of Illyria, Paeonia, and Thrace. [1, 2]
• The Via Egnatia crossed the province from west to east, providing the main overland link between Rome and its Eastern Mediterranean domains. [2]

Where to go next

• how it workedWhat was the strategic role of the Via Egnatia?
• what followedHow did the civil wars impact Macedonia?
• what caused itWhat happened during the Fourth Macedonian War?
• the bigger pictureHow was Greece governed during the Roman era?
• a case in pointWhat cities flourished in Roman Macedonia?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a Roman provincial capital briefly serve as an imperial capital?The old provincial capital of Macedonia, Thessalonica, briefly served as an imperial capital under Emperor Licinius during late antiquity.

Sources

• [1]Macedonia (Wikidata Q207497) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Macedonia (Roman province) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Greece in the Roman era · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]History of Macedonia · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Dardania (Roman province) · CC BY-SA 4.0