Macedon

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A country in northern Greece, Macedon (or Macedonia) was first inhabited by the Mackednoi tribe who, according to Herodotus, were the first to call themselves 'Hellenes’ (later applied to all Greeks) and who gave the land their name. For centuries the Mackednoi had little to do with southern Greece. Even after the Persian invasion of 480 (during which Macedonia was under Persian rule) Macedon preferred to remain aloof from the rest of Greece and the squabbles and fighting which constantly took place between the Greek city-states. All of this changed under the rule of King Phillip II (382-336 BCE) who accomplished the seemingly impossible goal of Greek unity by conquering the southern city-states and bringing them under Macedonian dominion.

After Philip’s assassination in 336 his throne passed to his son, Alexander the Great, who would spread Greek culture and civilization across the known world of antiquity. Macedon fell out of favor with southern Greece after the death of Alexander with many Greeks resenting Macedonian rule and virulent antagonism expressed toward anything even remotely Macedonian. Macedon continued as an autonomous and powerful kingdom until it was annexed by Rome, along with the rest of Greece, around 148 BCE.

Written by Joshua J. Mark, published 02 September 2009.

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Map of the Expansion of Macedon Hypaspist Satrapies in the Macedonian Empire The Empire of Alexander the Great Map of the Tribes in Thrace Map of 2nd Century Roman Expansion Macedonia under Philip II
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