republic · Greece and the Aegean

Four Macedonian Republics

167 BCE – 146 BCE · capital Amphipolis

The four self-governing districts into which Rome split the old kingdom of Macedon after Pydna, a short-lived experiment that ended in revolt and annexation.

Origins

After defeating Perseus at Pydna in 168 BCE, Rome abolished the Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia. In 167 BCE Lucius Aemilius Paullus announced the settlement at Amphipolis: Macedon was to be 'free' but divided into four republics (merides) with capitals at Amphipolis, Thessalonica, Pella and Pelagonia.

Rule and society

Each republic had elected magistrates and a council, but contact between them was restricted: citizens could not marry or own land across the borders. The Macedonians paid Rome half the taxes they had paid their kings, the royal gold and silver mines were closed until 158 BCE and timber from the royal forests was banned. The first meris struck silver coins showing Artemis.

Decline and legacy

Resentment and disorder grew. In 149 BCE Andriscus, claiming to be a son of Perseus, reunited Macedon briefly as king. Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated him in 148 BCE, and Macedonia became a Roman province in 146 BCE, with the Via Egnatia later binding it together.

Lineage

Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia 306 BCE – 168 BCEFour Macedonian Republics

Connections (2)

Four Macedonian Republics was a protectorate of Roman Republic167 BCE – 148 BCE
Four Macedonian Republics was conquered by Roman Republic146 BCE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Four Macedonian Republics. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/four-macedonian-republics
MLA: “Four Macedonian Republics.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/four-macedonian-republics. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Four Macedonian Republics.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/four-macedonian-republics.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Four Macedonian Republics’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/four-macedonian-republics (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻