Rome versus Hellas: the conquest of Greece. Roman-Macedonian Wars War between Rome and Macedonia

Macedonian wars 3-2 centuries. BC e., three wars between Macedonia and Rome for hegemony in Greece and the Hellenistic countries, ending with the defeat of Macedonia. After the victory of the Carthaginians over the Romans at Cannes King Philip V of Macedonia entered into an alliance with Hannibal against Rome. Macedonia sought to establish its dominance in Illyria, gain access to the Adriatic Sea, and expand its possessions in Asia.

The 1st Macedonian War began (215-205). Since the main Roman forces fought against Hannibal in Italy; a small army was allocated for operations in the Balkans. However, Macedon. troops with numbers. superiority, acted indecisively; The Romans, not having sufficient strength, supported the anti-Macedon in every possible way. performances in the Hellenistic world. In 205 the war ended in peace, but relations between Macedonia and Rome were not resolved. Nevertheless, Rome managed to expand its influence in Greece. After the victory in the 2nd Punic War 218-201 over Carthage, Rome intensified its aggressiveness. policy in the Balkans and accused Macedonia of violating the treaty (on establishing contacts with Carthage, attacking the allies of Rome, etc.).

The 2nd Macedonian War began (200 - 197). By that time, Macedonia's material resources were depleted, opposition against the king was growing within the country, and the war with Rome was unpopular. Philip V's attempts to make peace with Rome were unsuccessful. The decisive battle took place in July 197 in Thessaly at Cynoscephalae, where the Romans under the command of Titus Quinctius Flamininus defeated Philip's troops. Under the terms of the peace, Macedonia lost Thessaly and Corinth, gave the entire fleet to the winner, except for 6 ships, was obliged to pay an indemnity of 1000 talents, return all prisoners of war, reduce the army to 5 thousand soldiers, not wage war without the knowledge of Rome, recognized the freedom of Greek cities. Greece was declared “free”, but in fact found itself under the rule of Rome. After the death of Philip V (179), his son Perseus began to prepare for a new war with Rome. He suppressed Macedonian opposition. nobility, strengthened the country's economy, created 40 thousand.

army and established connections with countries hostile to Rome, including Carthage. (171 - 168). 30 thousand Rome. army landed in Greece. First military. actions proceeded with varying success, but on June 22, 168 Rome. Legions under the command of the commander Lucius Aemilius Paulus near Pidna completely defeated the troops of Perseus.

Perseus fled and was later captured. Rome. the army occupied and plundered the country. Rome. The Senate abolished royal power and divided the country into 4 artificially separate districts, dependent on Rome. In 149, a revolt against the Romans broke out in Macedonia. After suppressing this uprising (148), the Romans turned Macedonia, along with Illyria and Epirus, into their province. In M. century. The more developed economy won. and powerful in the military. regarding the Roman state. Rome. the army was the best military. The organization of that time in the structure and command of troops was strong in its military. and Eng. art.

In the battles of Kinoscephalae and Pydna, Rome. manipulative tactics (see Manipula) showed their advantage over Macedonian tactics. phalanx.

The manipulative formation of the legion ensured high maneuverability of the Roman battle formation. army both on flat and rough terrain, allowing the combination of frontal and flank attacks with an attack from the rear, made it possible to wedge into the gaps of the phalanx and destroy it piece by piece (Pidna). Construction of Rome. troops in three lines allowed them to build up their offensive attack. Rome played an important role in the outcome of the wars. diplomacy, which showed great skill in creating anti-Macedon. coalitions and winning over the princes of Philip and Perseus within their kingdom.

P. N. Tarasov.

Materials from the Soviet Military Encyclopedia in 8 volumes, volume 5 were used.

Literature:

The World History. T. 2. M., 1956, p. 311-320;

Razin E. A. History of military art. T. 1. M., 1955, p.

331-338; History of Ancient Rome. M., 1971; Mashkin N.A. History of Ancient Rome. M., 1956; Sh o fman A. S. History of ancient Macedonia. Part 2. Kazan, 1963.

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The Romans, however, managed to provoke a war against Macedonia from a union of Aetolian states. As a result, Philip was unable to take possession of Illyria or help the Carthaginians in Italy. In 205, the war ended without changing the status quo.

The Second Roman-Macedonian War was started in 200 by the Romans. Philip's troops were defeated at the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197. At the same time, a peace was concluded, according to which Macedonia handed over the vast majority of its fleet to Rome, pledged to reduce the size of the army to 5 thousand people and not wage war against Roman allies. In subsequent years, Philip tried to restore the country's military potential. In order not to violate the agreement, he annually recruited 4 thousand soldiers, trained them in military craft for a year, then sent them home and recruited new ones. Arms stocks were intensively accumulated in Macedonia. The country also increased its gold production to finance a future war.

In 179 Philip died. The Romans tried to elevate his son Demetrius, who lived in Rome for many years, to the throne. However, Philip's other son, Perseus, won the struggle for the throne and executed Demetrius. The new Macedonian king gained great popularity not only in his country, but throughout Greece.

Perseus began to form an army of 40 thousand and declared that all those expelled from Rome and the cities of Greece for political crimes and those escaping from debt would find shelter in Macedonia.

The Roman Senate accused Perseus of violating previous treaties and in the spring of 71 declared war on Macedonia. The Roman fleet appeared off the Macedonian coast and landed the legions at Apollinia. With their appearance in Greece, Epirus and Illyria, allies of Macedonia, went over to the side of Rome. Perseus managed to defeat part of the Roman army. He tried to start peace negotiations, but the Romans rejected his proposals.

In 168, the Roman legions in the Balkans were led by the consul Lucius Aemilius Paulus, whose father died at the Battle of Cannae. He managed to oust the Macedonians from the mountain gorges. Perseus retreated to the plain to the city of Pydna. Here on June 22, 168, a decisive battle took place. The day before there was a lunar eclipse, which was interpreted as a harbinger of the death of the Macedonian king. This lifted the spirit of Paul's army and disheartened the army of Perseus.

The Roman army numbered 26 thousand people, and the Macedonian army - 40 thousand. The battle began almost by accident - with a clash between Roman foragers and a Macedonian cavalry patrol. Reinforcements began to arrive from both sides, and eventually the main forces entered the battle. The Macedonian army crossed the Levkoe River and advanced to meet the Romans. On the right bank of Levkos, she lined up in a phalanx and went on the offensive. The first line was made up of allies - the Thracians, the second - Greek and Illyrian mercenaries, the third - the Macedonians themselves, who made up the most combat-ready part of the army. The Roman legions could not withstand the onslaught of the closed formation of the phalanx and retreated to Mount Olcor. However, as we moved up the foothills, the formation of the phalanx was disrupted, and gaps formed in it. Paul ordered those centuries of the legions that found themselves in front of the gaps of the enemy front to enter these gaps and attack the scattered parts of the phalanx from the flanks. In close combat, the long spears of the Macedonians were useless, and the longer and heavier swords of the Romans were superior to the short and lighter Macedonian swords. The position of Perseus's army was aggravated by the fact that at that moment the Macedonian cavalry was defeated by Roman horsemen and left the battlefield. Following the cavalry, the Macedonian infantry also fled in disarray.

According to Roman historians, the waters of Levkos were red with the blood of the fallen Macedonians even the day after the battle, and the entire plain and foothills were strewn with the bodies of the dead. The losses of the Macedonian army allegedly amounted to 20 thousand killed and 11 thousand wounded. However, the figures given in the sources regarding the Battle of Pydna do not inspire any confidence. It is absolutely incredible that Rome, which at that time was not waging any other major wars except the war with Perseus, could not send an army to the Balkans that would outnumber the Macedonian one. After all, Rome had at its disposal the enormous human resources of Italy, Sicily, Africa and a large part of Spain, while Macedonia, having a much smaller population, could only count on Illyria, Thrace and a few Greek allies. There is no doubt that against Perseus the Romans were able to send an army no smaller in number than the one that was once fielded against Hannibal. Therefore, a significant numerical superiority in the Battle of Pydna was probably on the side of Paul’s army. If the figure relating to the Roman army - 26 thousand people - is close to reality (which is quite plausible), then the data about the 40 thousand-strong army of Perseus seems greatly exaggerated. It is possible that at the beginning of the campaign the Macedonian army actually numbered 40 thousand soldiers, but by the time of the Battle of Pydna it had significantly thinned out due to disease and battles and skirmishes with the Romans, and in 168 it is unlikely that Perseus had more than 15–20 thousand soldiers.

Most likely, the myth of the Macedonian phalanx at Pydna was needed by Roman historiography in order to explain the victory of the Romans over the supposedly much more numerous Macedonian army. In fact, it is likely that at the Battle of Pydna, both the Romans and the Macedonians used a dismembered infantry formation with a checkerboard arrangement of units. Paul's army was victorious, probably due to the numerical superiority and success of the Roman cavalry, which defeated the Macedonian cavalry.

After the defeat, Perseus fled to Pydna, but was overtaken there and captured by the Romans. His life was spared in order to be carried through Rome during the triumph of Lucius Aemilius Paulus. After the victory at Pydna, the consul devastated Illyria and Epirus, allies of Macedonia, selling 150 thousand people into slavery. All three countries were annexed to Rome. In Greece, the Romans repressed those who supported Perseus. More than a thousand Achaeans were sent to Rome as hostages. Among them was the future historian Polybius.

As a result of the Roman-Macedonian wars, the Romans strengthened themselves in the Balkans and created the preconditions for the subsequent conquest of Greece.

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Perseus began to form an army of 40 thousand and declared that all those expelled from Rome and the cities of Greece for political crimes and those escaping from debt would find shelter in Macedonia.

Also absolutely fantastic is the description of the Battle of Pydna by Polybius and other Roman authors. It is impossible to admit that Perseus and other Macedonian military leaders were so stupid as not to know about the Roman manipulative tactics, which 30-40 years before the Third Macedonian War were already used by both sides during the Second Punic War. Most likely, the myth of the Macedonian phalanx at Pydna was needed by Roman historiography in order to explain the victory of the Romans over the supposedly much more numerous Macedonian army. In fact, it is likely that at the Battle of Pydna, both the Romans and the Macedonians used a dismembered infantry formation with a checkerboard arrangement of units. Paul's army was victorious, probably due to the numerical superiority and success of the Roman cavalry, which defeated the Macedonian cavalry.

In the 3rd-2nd centuries. BC e. for hegemony in Greece and the Hellenistic countries. In the First Macedonian War (215-205 BC), the Macedonian king Philip V, acting in alliance with Carthage against Rome and learning about Hannibal's convincing victory at Lake Trasimene, tried to take possession of Illyria and expand his possessions in Asia Minor. For this, Philip V was forced to stop hostilities with Aetolia and make peace with it. The Romans fought with their main forces against Hannibal in Italy (see Punic Wars), therefore they allocated insignificant forces for actions in the Balkans. In 214 BC. e. Philip made two attempts to capture Illyria by sea, and in 213-212. BC e. He tried twice to capture it from land, but all his attempts were unsuccessful. Roman troops under the command of Mark Valery Levin managed to maintain their positions in Illyria. By this time, Rome had managed to win over Philip's Greek enemies to its side, from 211 BC. e. The allies of the Romans were the Aetolian League, Elis, Sparta, Messenia, as well as the Pergamon king Attalus I. Since all the forces of Rome were thrown at Carthage at that time, the campaign in Greece took place without active hostilities. As a result, the First Macedonian War did not lead to significant territorial changes in the Balkans, although Rome managed to expand its influence in Greece. Philip V, concluding in 205 BC. e. peace with Rome, continued military operations against Rhodes, Pergamum, and Caria.

After the victory in the 2nd Punic War 218-201. BC e. over Carthage, Rome intensified its policy in the Balkans and accused Macedonia of violating Treaty 205 (establishing contacts with Carthage, attacking Rome’s allies). This became the reason for the start of the second Macedonian War (200-197 BC). Rome managed to strengthen its influence in Greece; Rhodes and the Kingdom of Pergamon became its main allies. Macedonia's material resources were depleted, opposition against the king grew within the country, and the war with Rome was unpopular. Philip V's attempts to make peace with Rome were unsuccessful. In July 197, the Battle of Cynoscephalae took place, in which the advantages of the Roman army organization and the manipular structure of the legion over the Macedonian phalanx were perfectly demonstrated. Philip's Macedonian forces were defeated by Roman legions under the command of Titus Flaminius, and the Romans finally consolidated their influence in Greece. After the liberation of Greece from Macedonian troops, at the Isthmian Games of 196 BC. e. near Corinth, Greece was declared “free” by Flaminius, but in fact found itself under the protectorate of Rome. At the conclusion of peace, Philip V renounced all possessions outside Macedonia, gave Rome the entire fleet, except for 6 ships, pledged to reduce the army to 5 thousand people and not fight with Rome’s allies.

After the death of Philip V (179 BC), his son Perseus began to prepare for war with Rome. He suppressed the opposition of the Macedonian nobility, strengthened the country's economy, created a 40,000-strong army and established connections with countries hostile to Rome (including Carthage). The Roman Senate accused Perseus of violating previous treaties and began the Third Macedonian War (171-168 BC). In 171 BC. e. Roman legions landed in Greece - 30 thousand Italian legionnaires and over 10 thousand auxiliary troops deployed by states dependent on Rome. In addition, the Romans in the Aegean Sea had a fleet of 40 decked ships with a landing force of 10,000. At first, military operations proceeded with varying success, but in 168 BC. e. Consul Lucius Aemilius Paulus took command of the Roman troops in Thessaly, and on June 22, 168 BC. e. near the city of Pidna defeated the Macedonian troops, despite the numerical superiority of the Macedonian troops and the battlefield convenient for the phalanx. The Macedonian king Perseus fled and was later captured. The Roman army occupied and plundered Macedonia. The Roman Senate abolished royal power and divided the country into 4 districts, deprived of political and economic ties with each other. After the suppression of the anti-Roman uprising of Andriska in 148 BC. e. The Roman province of Macedonia was created on the territory of Macedonia, Illyria and Epirus.

King Philip V of Macedonia entered into an alliance with Hannibal. Fearing Hannibal's possible reinforcement with Macedonian troops, Rome sent troops across the Adriatic Sea, starting the First Macedonian War. Roman legions (replenished by allies from the Aetolian League, Sparta, Messenia, Athens and Pergamon after 211 BC) captured minor territory along the Adriatic coast. In this war, the Roman goal was not to conquer new territories, but to keep Macedonia and the Greek city-states away from the Punic War. The war ended in 205 BC. e. peace agreement Treaty of Phoenix). This small conflict opened the way for Rome to military expansion into Greece.

Second Macedonian War (200-196 BC)

The defeat of Macedonia in the wars with Rome is explained not so much by the greater combat effectiveness of the Roman legions compared to the clumsy phalanx, but by the systemic crisis of the slave-owning economy of Macedonia. Significantly depopulated as a result of the outflow of population to the east during the Greco-Macedonian conquest of Asia, as well as the wars of the Diadochi, Celtic invasions and continuous wars, Macedonia had little to oppose Rome. The defeat on the battlefield was also preceded by a diplomatic defeat in the tangled politics of the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. Weakened Macedonia could no longer be the force that could protect the interests of the ruling class against the backdrop of growing social struggle, and therefore the eyes of slave owners in both the cities of Greece and Asia Minor, and even in Macedonia itself, turned to a new force - Rome. Surrounded on all sides by enemies, exhausted by wars and exhausted, Macedonia suffered a natural defeat.

The Macedonian Wars ended with the loss of Greece's independence.

Battles

209 BC e. - First Battle of Lamia
209 BC e. - Second Battle of Lamia
197 BC e. - Battle of Cynoscephalae
171 BC e. - Battle of Kallinikos
168 BC e. - Battle of Pydna
148 BC e. - Battle of Pydna (148 BC)

Illyrian and Macedonian wars. Roman conquest of Greece

Illyrian Wars

Macedonian Wars

Roman conquest of Greece

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Excerpt characterizing the Macedonian Wars

Rostov stopped and, clenching his fists, suddenly moved menacingly towards Alpatych.
- Solution? What's the solution? Old bastard! - he shouted at him. -What were you watching? A? Men are rebelling, but you can’t cope? You yourself are a traitor. I know you, I’ll skin you all... - And, as if afraid to waste his reserve of ardor in vain, he left Alpatych and quickly walked forward. Alpatych, suppressing the feeling of insult, kept up with Rostov at a floating pace and continued to communicate his thoughts to him. He said that the men were stubborn, that at the moment it was unwise to oppose them without having a military command, that it would not be better to send for a command first.
“I’ll give them a military command... I’ll fight them,” Nikolai said senselessly, suffocating from unreasonable animal anger and the need to vent this anger. Not realizing what he would do, unconsciously, with a quick, decisive step, he moved towards the crowd. And the closer he moved to her, the more Alpatych felt that his unreasonable act could produce good results. The men of the crowd felt the same, looking at his fast and firm gait and decisive, frowning face.
After the hussars entered the village and Rostov went to the princess, there was confusion and discord in the crowd. Some men began to say that these newcomers were Russians and how they would not be offended by the fact that they did not let the young lady out. Drone was of the same opinion; but as soon as he expressed it, Karp and other men attacked the former headman.
– How many years have you been eating the world? - Karp shouted at him. - It’s all the same to you! You dig up the little jar, take it away, do you want to destroy our houses or not?
- It was said that there should be order, no one should leave the house, so as not to take out any blue gunpowder - that’s all it is! - shouted another.
“There was a line for your son, and you probably regretted your hunger,” the little old man suddenly spoke quickly, attacking Dron, “and you shaved my Vanka.” Oh, we're going to die!
- Then we’ll die!
“I am not a refuser from the world,” said Dron.
- He’s not a refusenik, he’s grown a belly!..
Two long men had their say. As soon as Rostov, accompanied by Ilyin, Lavrushka and Alpatych, approached the crowd, Karp, putting his fingers behind his sash, slightly smiling, came forward. The drone, on the contrary, entered the back rows, and the crowd moved closer together.
- Hey! Who is your headman here? - Rostov shouted, quickly approaching the crowd.
- The headman then? What do you need?.. – asked Karp. But before he could finish speaking, his hat flew off and his head snapped to the side from a strong blow.
- Hats off, traitors! - Rostov’s full-blooded voice shouted. -Where is the headman? – he shouted in a frantic voice.
“The headman, the headman is calling... Dron Zakharych, you,” submissive voices were heard here and there, and hats began to be taken off their heads.
“We can’t rebel, we keep order,” said Karp, and several voices from behind at the same moment suddenly spoke:
- How the old people grumbled, there are a lot of you bosses...
- Talk?.. Riot!.. Robbers! Traitors! - Rostov screamed senselessly, in a voice that was not his own, grabbing Karp by the yurot. - Knit him, knit him! - he shouted, although there was no one to knit him except Lavrushka and Alpatych.
Lavrushka, however, ran up to Karp and grabbed his hands from behind.
– Will you order our people to call from under the mountain? - he shouted.
Alpatych turned to the men, calling two of them by name to mate Karp. The men obediently emerged from the crowd and began to loosen their belts.
- Where is the headman? - Rostov shouted.
The drone, with a frowning and pale face, emerged from the crowd.
-Are you the headman? Knit, Lavrushka! - Rostov shouted, as if this order could not meet with obstacles. And indeed, two more men began to tie Dron, who, as if helping them, took off the kushan and gave it to them.
“And you all listen to me,” Rostov turned to the men: “Now march home, and so that I don’t hear your voice.”
“Well, we didn’t do any harm.” That means we are just being stupid. They just made nonsense... I told you there was a mess,” voices were heard reproaching each other.
“I told you so,” said Alpatych, coming into his own. - This is not good, guys!
“Our stupidity, Yakov Alpatych,” answered the voices, and the crowd immediately began to disperse and scatter throughout the village.
The two tied men were taken to the manor's courtyard. Two drunk men followed them.
- Oh, I’ll look at you! - said one of them, turning to Karp.
“Is it possible to talk to gentlemen like that?” What did you think?
“Fool,” confirmed the other, “really, a fool!”
Two hours later the carts stood in the courtyard of Bogucharov’s house. The men were briskly carrying out and placing the master's things on the carts, and Dron, at the request of Princess Marya, was released from the locker where he had been locked, standing in the courtyard, giving orders to the men.
“Don’t put it in such a bad way,” said one of the men, a tall man with a round, smiling face, taking the box from the maid’s hands. - It also costs money. Why do you throw it like that or half a rope - and it will rub. I don't like it that way. And so that everything is fair, according to the law. Just like that, under the matting and covering it with hay, that’s what’s important. Love!
“Look for books, books,” said another man, who was taking out Prince Andrei’s library cabinets. - Don't cling! It's heavy, guys, the books are great!
- Yes, they wrote, they didn’t walk! – the tall, round-faced man said with a significant wink, pointing to the thick lexicons lying on top.

Rostov, not wanting to impose his acquaintance on the princess, did not go to her, but remained in the village, waiting for her to leave. Having waited for Princess Marya's carriages to leave the house, Rostov sat on horseback and accompanied her on horseback to the path occupied by our troops, twelve miles from Bogucharov. In Yankov, at the inn, he said goodbye to her respectfully, allowing himself to kiss her hand for the first time.

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