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First Macedonian War

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Pre 1900 Military

   First Macedonian War
   Part of the Macedonian Wars

      Date     214 BC - 205 BC
    Location   Macedon and Illyria
     Result    Stalemate; Peace of Phoenice
   Casus belli Demetrius of Pharos's incitement; Rome distracted by Second
               Punic War
   Combatants
   Roman Republic,
   Aetolian League,
   Pergamon Macedon
   Commanders
   Marcus Valerius Laevinus,
   Attalus I Philip V of Macedon
      First Macedonian War
   First Lamia - Second Lamia
          Illyrian and Macedonian Wars
   Illyrian - First - Second - Third - Fourth

   The First Macedonian War ( 214 BC - 205 BC) was fought by Rome, allied
   (after 211 BC) with the Aetolian League and Attalus I of Pergamon,
   against Philip V of Macedon, contemporaneously with the Second Punic
   War against Carthage. There were no decisive engagements, and the war
   ended in a stalemate.

   During the war Macedon attempted to gain control over parts of Illyria
   and Greece, but without success. It is commonly thought that these
   skirmishes with Philip in the east prevented Macedon from aiding the
   Carthaginian general Hannibal in the war with Rome.

   The " Peace of Phoenice", a treaty drawn up at Phoenice, in 205 BC,
   formally ended the war.

Demetrius urges war against Rome

   Rome's preoccupation with its war with Carthage provided an opportunity
   for Philip V of Macedon, to attempt to extend his power westward.
   According to the ancient Greek historian Polybius, an important factor
   in Philip's decision to take advantage of this opportunity was the
   influence of Demetrius of Pharos.

   Demetrius had been, after the First Illyrian War in 229 BC, ruler of
   most of coastal Illyria. However, in 219 BC, during the Second Illyrian
   War he was defeated by the Romans and fled to the court of Philip.

   Involved in a war with the Aetolians, Philip learned by messenger of
   the victory of Hannibal, over the Romans, at Lake Trasimene in June of
   217 BC. Philip at first showed the letter only to Demetrius. Perhaps
   seeing a chance to recover his kingdom, Demetrius immediately advised
   the young king to make peace with the Aetolians, and turn his
   attentions toward Illyria and Italy. Polybius quotes Demetrius as
   saying:

          For Greece is already entirely obedient to you, and will remain
          so: the Achaeans from genuine affection; the Aetolians from the
          terror which their disasters in the present war have inspired
          them. Italy, and your crossing into it, is the first step in the
          acquirement of universal empire, to which no one has a better
          claim than yourself. And now is the moment to act when the
          Romans have suffered a reverse.

   Philip was easily persuaded.

Philip makes peace with Aetolia

   Philip, at once began negotiations with the Aetolians. At a conference
   on the coast near Naupactus, Philip met the Aetolian leaders, and a
   peace treaty was concluded. Polybius quotes the Aetolian Agelaus of
   Naupactus as having given the following speech in favour of peace:
   The ancient Region of Aetolia, Greece
   Enlarge
   The ancient Region of Aetolia, Greece

          The best thing of all is that the Greeks should not go to war
          with each other at all, but give the gods hearty thanks if by
          all speaking with one voice, and joining hands like people
          crossing a stream, they may be able to repel the attacks of
          barbarians and save themselves and their cities. But if this is
          altogether impossible, in the present juncture at least we ought
          to be unanimous and on our guard, when we see the bloated
          armaments and the vast proportions assumed by the war in the
          west. For even now it is evident to any one who pays even a
          moderate attention to public affairs, that whether the
          Carthaginians conquer the Romans, or the Romans the
          Carthaginians, it is in every way improbable that the victors
          will remain contented with the empire of Sicily and Italy. They
          will move forward: and will extend their forces and their
          designs farther than we could wish. Wherefore, I beseech you all
          to be on your guard against the danger of the crisis, and above
          all you, O King. You will do this, if you abandon the policy of
          weakening the Greeks, and thus rendering them an easy prey to
          the invader; and consult on the contrary for their good as you
          would for your own person, and have a care for all parts of
          Greece alike, as part and parcel of your own domains. If you act
          in this spirit, the Greeks will be your warm friends and
          faithful coadjutors in all your undertakings; while foreigners
          will be less ready to form designs against you, seeing with
          dismay the firm loyalty of the Greeks. If you are eager for
          action, turn your eyes to the west, and let your thoughts dwell
          upon the wars in Italy. Wait with coolness the turn of events
          there, and seize the opportunity to strike for universal
          dominion. Nor is the present crisis unfavourable for such a
          hope. But I intreat of you to postpone your controversies and
          wars with the Greeks to a time of greater tranquillity; and make
          it your supreme aim to retain the power of making peace or war
          with them at your own will. For if once you allow the clouds now
          gathering in the west to settle upon Greece, I fear exceedingly
          that the power of making peace or war, and in a word all these
          games which we are now playing against each other, will be so
          completely knocked out of the hands of us all, that we shall be
          praying heaven to grant us only this power of making war or
          peace with each other at our own will and pleasure, and of
          settling our own disputes.

Philip builds a fleet

   Philip spent the winter of 217– 216 BC building a fleet of 100
   warships, according to Polybius, a thing "hardly any Macedonian king
   had ever done before", and training men to row them.

   Macedon probably lacked the resources to build and maintain the kind of
   fleet necessary to match the Romans. Polybius says that Philip had no
   "hope of fighting the Romans at sea", perhaps referring to a lack of
   experience and training.

   At any rate, Philip chose to build lembi. These were the small fast
   galleys used by the Illyrians. They had a single bank of oars and were
   able to carry 50 soldiers in addition to the rowers. With these, Philip
   could hope to avoid or evade the Roman fleet, preoccupied as he hoped
   it would be with Hannibal, and based, as it was, at Lilybaeum in
   western Sicily.

   Philip had in the meantime expanded his territories west along the
   Apsus and Genusus river valleys, right up to the borders with Illyria.
   Philips' plan was it seems, to first take the Illyrian coasts, conquer
   the area between the coasts and Macedon, and use the new land link to
   provide a route for reinforcements for a rapid crossing of the straits
   to Italy.

   At the beginning of summer, Philip and his fleet left Macedon, sailed
   through the Euripus Strait, between the island of Euboea and Boeotia on
   the Greek mainland, and then rounded Cape Malea, before dropping anchor
   off the Islands of Cephalenia and Leucas, to await word of the location
   of the Roman fleet. Informed that it was still at Lilybaeum, he sailed
   north to Apollonia in Illyria.

   However as the Macedonia fleet neared the island of Sazon, Philip heard
   a report that some Roman quinqueremes had been seen headed for
   Apollonia. Convinced that the entire Roman fleet was sailing to
   apprehend him, Philip ordered an immediate return to Cephalenia.
   Polybius speaks of "panic" and "disorder" to describe the fleet's hasty
   retreat, and says that in fact the Roman's had sent only a squadron of
   ten ships, and that because of "inconsiderate alarm", Philip had missed
   his best chance to achieve his aims in Illyria, returning to Macedon,
   "without loss indeed, but with considerable dishonour".

Philip allies with Carthage

   Bust of Hannibal
   Enlarge
   Bust of Hannibal

   After hearing of Rome's nearly disastrous defeat at the hands of
   Hannibal at Cannae in 216 BC, Philip sent ambassadors to Hannibal's
   camp in Italy, to negotiate an alliance. There they concluded in the
   summer of 215 BC a treaty, the text of which is given by Polybius. In
   it they pledge in general terms, mutual support and defense and to be
   enemies to each other's enemies (excepting current allies).
   Specifically they promise support against Rome, and that Hannibal shall
   have the right to make peace with Rome, but that any peace would
   include Philip and that Rome would be forced to give up control of
   Corcyra, Apollonia, Epidamnus, Pharos, Dimale, Parthini, and Atitania
   and "to restore to Demetrius of Pharos all those of his friends now in
   the dominion of Rome."

   The treaty as set down by Polybius, makes no mention of an invasion of
   Italy by Philip, the debacle at Sazon perhaps having soured Philip on
   such a venture — something which in any case Hannibal may not have
   desired.

   On their way back to Macedon, Philips' emissaries along with emissaries
   from Hannibal were captured, by Publius Valerius Flaccus, commander of
   the Roman fleet patrolling the southern Apulian coast. A letter from
   Hannibal to Philip, and the terms of their agreement were discovered.

   Philips' alliance with Carthage caused immediate dismay in Rome,
   hard-pressed as they already were. An additional twenty-five warships
   were at once outfitted and sent to join Flaccus' fleet of twenty-five
   warships already at Tarentum, with orders to guard the Italian Adriatic
   coast, and to try to determine Philips' intent and if necessary cross
   over to Macedonia, keeping Philip confined there.

War breaks out in Illyria

   In the late summer of 214 BC, Philip again attempted an Illyrian
   invasion by sea, with a fleet of 120 lembi. He captured Oricum which
   was lightly defended, and sailing up the Aous (modern Vjosë) river he
   besieged Apollonia.

   Meanwhile the Romans had moved the fleet from Tarentum to Brundisium to
   continue the watch on the movements of Philip and a legion had been
   sent in support, all under the command of the Roman propraetor Marcus
   Valerius Laevinus. Upon receiving word from Oricum of events in
   Illyria, Laevinus crossed over with his fleet and army. Landing at
   Oricum, Laevinus was able to retake the town with little fighting.

   In the account given by Livy, Laevinus, hearing that Apollonia was
   under siege, sent 2000 men under the command of Quintus Naevius Crista,
   to the mouth of the river. Avoiding Philips' army, Crista was able to
   enter the city by night unobserved. The following night, catching
   Philips' forces by surprise, he attacked and routed their camp. Philip,
   escaping to his ships in the river, made his way over the mountains and
   back to Macedonia, having burned his fleet and left many thousands of
   men dead or prisoner, along with all of his armies possessions, behind.
   Laevinus and his fleet wintered at Oricum.

   Twice thwarted in attempts at invasion of Illyria by sea, and now
   constrained by Laevinus' fleet in the Adriatic, Philip spent the next
   two years 213– 212 BC making advances in Illyria by land. Keeping clear
   of the coast, he took the inland towns of Atintania, and Dimale, and
   subdued the Illyrian tribes of the Dassaretae and the Parthini and at
   least the southern Ardiaei.

   He was finally able to gain access to the Adriatic by capturing Lissus
   and its seemingly impregnable citadel, after which the surrounding
   territories surrendered. Perhaps the capture of Lissus rekindled in
   Philip hopes of an Italian invasion. However the loss of his fleet,
   meant that Philip would be dependent on Carthage for passage to and
   from Italy, making the prospect of invasion considerably less
   appealing.

Rome seeks allies in Greece

   Desiring to prevent Philip from aiding Carthage in Italy and elsewhere,
   Rome sought out land allies in Greece.

   Laevinus had begun exploring the possibility of an alliance with the
   Aetolian League, as early as 212 BC. The Aetolians, war weary, had made
   peace with Philip at Naupactus in 217 BC. However five years later the
   pendulum had swung in the other direction, the war faction was on the
   ascendency, and the Aetolians were once again ready to consider taking
   up arms against their traditional enemy of Macedon.

   In 211 BC an Aetolian assembly was convened for discussions with Rome.
   Laevinus pointed out the recent capture of Syracuse and Capua in the
   war against Carthage, as evidence of Rome's rising fortunes, and
   offered to ally with them against the Macedonians. A treaty was signed.
   The Aetolians would conduct operations on land, the Romans at sea. Rome
   would keep any slaves and other booty taken and Aetolia would receive
   control of any territory acquired.

   Another provision of the treaty allowed for the inclusion of certain
   allies of the League: Elis, Sparta, Messenia and Attalus I of Pergamon,
   as well as two Roman clients, the Illyrians Pleuratus and Scerdilaidas.

Campaign in Greece

   Later that summer Laevinus seized the main town of Zacynthus, except
   for its citadel, and the Acarnanian town of Oeniadae and the island of
   Nasos which he handed over to the Aetolians. He then withdrew his fleet
   to Corcyra for the winter.

   Upon hearing of the Roman alliance with Aetolia, Philip's first action
   was to secure his northern borders. He conducted raids in Illyria at
   Oricum and Apollonia and seized the frontier town of Sintia in Dardania
   or perhaps Paionia. He marched rapidly south through Pelagonia,
   Lyncestis and Bottiaea and on to Tempe which he garrisoned with 4000
   men. He turned north again into Thrace, attacking the Maedi and their
   chief city Iamphorynna before returning to Macedon.

   No sooner had Philip arrived there, when he received an urgent plea for
   help from his ally the Acarnanians. Scopas the Aetolian strategos
   (general), had mobilized the Aetolians army and was preparing to invade
   Acarnania. Desperate and overmatched, but determined to resist, the
   Arcanians sent their women, children and old men to seek refuge in
   Epirus, and the rest marched to the frontier, having sworn an oath to
   fight to the death, "invoking a terrible curse" upon any who were
   forsworn. Hearing of the Acarnanians' grim determination, the Aetolians
   hesitated. Then learning of Philip's approach they finally abandoned
   their invasion. After which Philip retired to Pella for the winter.

   In the spring of 210 BC, Laevinus again sailed from Corcyra with his
   fleet, and with the Aetolians, captured Phocian Anticyra. Rome enslaved
   the inhabitants and Aetolia took possession of the town.

   Although there was some fear of Rome and concern with her methods, the
   coalition arrayed against Philip continued to grow. As allowed for by
   the treaty, Pergamon, Elis and Messenia, followed by Sparta, all agreed
   to join the alliance against Macedon. The Roman fleet together with the
   Pergamon fleet controlled the sea, and Macedon and her allies were
   threatened on land by the rest of the coalition. The Roman strategy of
   encumbering Philip with a war among Greeks in Greece was succeeding, so
   much so that when Laevinus went to Rome to take up his consulship, he
   was able to report that the legion deployed against Philip could be
   safely withdrawn.

   However the Eleans, Messenians and Spartans remained passive throughout
   210 BC, and Philip continued to make advances. He invested and took
   Echinus, using extensive siegeworks, having beaten back an attempt to
   relieve the town by the Aetolian strategos Dorimachus and the Roman
   fleet, now commanded by the proconsul Publius Sulpicius Galba. Moving
   west Philip probably also took Phalara the port city of Lamia, in the
   Maliac Gulf.

   Sulpicius and Dorimachus took Aegina, an island in the Saronic Gulf,
   which the Aetolians sold to Attalus, the Pergamene king, for thirty
   talents, and which he was to use as his base of operations against
   Macedon in the Aegean Sea.

   In the spring of ( 209 BC), Philip received requests for help from his
   ally the Achaean League in the Peloponnesus who were being attacked by
   Sparta and the Aetolians. He also heard that Attalus, had been elected
   one of the two supreme commanders of the Aetolian League, and rumors
   that he intended to crossover the Aegean from Asia Minor. Philip
   marched south into Greece. At Lamia he was met by an Aetolian force,
   supported by Roman and Pergamene auxiliaries, under the command of the
   Attalus' colleague as strategos, the Aetolian Phyrrhias. Philip won two
   battles at Lamia, inflicting heavy casualties on Phyrrhias' troops. The
   Aetolians and their allies were forced to retreat inside the city
   walls, where they remained, unwilling anymore to give battle.

Attempt at Peace fails

   From Lamia, Philip went to Phalara. There he met representatives from
   the neutral states of Egypt, Rhodes, Athens and Chios who were trying
   to end the war—they were trading states and the war was probably
   hurting trade. Livy says that they were concerned "not so much for the
   Aetolians, who were more warlike than the rest of the Greeks, as for
   the liberty of Greece, which would be seriously endangered if Philip
   and his kingdom took an active part in Greek politics." With them was
   Amynandor of Athamania, representing the Aetolians. A truce of thirty
   days and a peace conference at Achaea were arranged.

   Philip marched to Chalcis in Euboea, which he garrisoned to block
   Attalus' landing there, then continued on to Aegium for the conference.
   The conference was interrupted by a report that Attalus had arrived at
   Aegina, and the Roman fleet was at Naupactus. The Aetolian
   representatives, emboldened by these events, at once demanded that
   Philip return Pylos to the Messenians, Atintania to Rome and the
   Ardiaei to Scerdilaidas and Pleuratus. "Indignant", Philip quit the
   negotiations telling the assembly that they "might bear him witness
   that whilst he was seeking a basis for peace, the other side were
   determined to find a pretext for war".

Hostilities resume

   From Naupactus, Sulpicius sailed east to Corinth and Sicyon, conducting
   raids there. Philip, with his cavalry caught the Romans ashore and was
   able to drive them back to their ships, with the Romans returning to
   Naupactus.

   Philip then joined Cycliadas the Achaean general, near Dyme for a joint
   attack on the city of Elis, the main Aetolian base of operations
   against Achaea. However, Sulpicius had sailed into Cyllene and
   reinforced Elis with 4000 Romans. Leading a charge, Philip was thrown
   from his horse. Fighting on foot Philip became the object of a fierce
   battle, finally escaping on another horse. The next day Philip captured
   the stronghold of Phyricus, taking 4000 prisoners and 20,000 animals.
   Hearing news of Illyrian incursions in the north Philip abandoned
   Aetolia and returned to Demetrias in Thessaly.

   Meanwhile Sulpicius sailed round into the Aegean and joined Attalus on
   Aegina for the winter. In ( 208 BC) the combined fleet of thirty-five
   Pergamene and twenty-five Roman ships failed to take Lemnos, but
   occupied and plundered the countryside of the island of Peparethos
   (Skopelos), both Macedonian possessions.

   Attalus and Sulpicius then attended a meeting in Heraclea of the
   Council of the Aetolians which included representatives from Egypt and
   Rhodes, who were continuing to try to arrange a peace. Learning of the
   conference and the presence of Attalus, Philip marched rapidly south in
   an attempt to breakup the conference and catch the enemy leaders, but
   arrived too late.

   Surrounded by foes, Philip was forced to adopt a defensive policy. He
   distributed his commanders and forces and setup a system of beacon
   fires at various high places to communicate instantly any enemy
   movements.

   After leaving Heraclea, Attalus and Sulpicius sacked both Oreus, on the
   northern coast of Euboea and Opus, the chief city of eastern Locris.
   The spoils from Oreus had been reserved for Sulpicius, who returned
   there, while Attalus stayed to collect the spoils from Opus. However,
   with their forces divided, Philip, alerted by signal fire, attacked and
   took Opus. Attalus caught by surprise was barely able to escape to his
   ships.

The war ends

   Although Philip considered Attalus' escape a bitter defeat it proved to
   be the turning-point of the war. Attalus was forced to return to
   Pergamon, when he learned at Opus that, perhaps at the urging of
   Philip, Prusias I, king of Bithynia and related to Philip by marriage,
   was moving against Pergamon. Sulpicius returned to Aegina. Free from
   the pressure of the combined Roman and Pergamon fleets, Philip was able
   to resume the offensive against the Aetolians. He captured Thronium,
   followed by the towns Tithronium and Drymaea north of the Cephisus,
   controlling all of Epicnemidian Locris, and took back control of Oreus.

   The neutral trading powers were ever trying to arrange a peace. At
   Elateia, Philip had met with the same would be peacemakers from Egypt
   and Rhodes, who had been at the meeting in Heraclea, and again in the
   spring of 207 BC, but to no avail. Representatives of Egypt, Rhodes,
   Byzantium, Chios, Mytilene and perhaps Athens also met again with the
   Aetolians that spring. The war was going Philips way, but the
   Aetolians, although now abandoned by both Pergamon and Rome, were not
   yet ready to make peace on Philip's terms. However, after another
   season's fighting, they finally were. In 206 BC, the Aetolians, without
   Rome's consent, sued for a separate peace on conditions imposed by
   Philip.

   The following spring the Romans sent Puplius Sempronius Tuditanus with
   35 ships and 11,000 men to Dyrrachium in Illiria, where he incited the
   Parthini to revolt and laid siege to Dimale. However when Philip
   arrived Sempronius broke off the siege and withdrew inside the walls of
   Apollonia. Sempronius tried unsuccessfully to entice the Aetolians to
   break their peace with Philip. With no more allies in Greece, but
   having achieved their objective of preventing Philip from aiding
   Hannibal, the Romans were ready to make peace. A treaty was drawn up at
   Phoenice in 205 BC, the so-called " Peace of Phoenice", formally ended
   the First Macedonian War.
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