The conquest of Greece by the Roman Republic was a gradual process primarily carried out through a series of four conflicts known as the Macedonian Wars. This expansion into the eastern Mediterranean began during the 3rd century BC and culminated with Rome's establishment of complete dominance by the middle of the following century.
At the time, Greece was organized into leagues and independent city-states, but was largely under the military and political influence of the Hellenistic Kingdom of Macedonia, one of the successor states to the empire of Alexander the Great.
1. The First Macedonian War (215–205 BC)
The initial conflict was a peripheral struggle connected to the Second Punic War against Carthage.
Trigger: In 215 BC, King Philip V of Macedon formed an alliance with the Carthaginian general Hannibal, hoping to gain territory in Illyria (the western Balkans) while Rome was preoccupied fighting in Italy.
Roman Reaction: Rome immediately sought to contain Philip's expansionism, primarily by inciting Greek allies like the Aetolian League to fight Macedon.
Outcome: The war ended with the Peace of Phoenice in 205 BC. Rome successfully prevented Philip from aiding Hannibal, but neither side gained significant territory, effectively ending the conflict in a stalemate.
2. The Second Macedonian War (200–197 BC)
Rome returned its full attention to the East after defeating Carthage, fearing Philip V's aggressive expansion into the Aegean and the Levant.
Trigger: Philip V's attempts to conquer territories in Asia Minor and challenge the influence of Roman allies (Rhodes and Pergamum) led Rome to declare war.
Key Event: Rome allied with several major Greek poleis (like Athens) and defeated Philip V decisively at the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 BC. The Roman legions, under the command of General Titus Quinctius Flamininus, proved the superiority of the maniple system over the Macedonian phalanx.
Outcome: Philip V was forced to abandon all his Greek holdings. Flamininus famously proclaimed the "Freedom of Greece" at the Isthmian Games in 196 BC, marking the formal end of Macedonian hegemony. Rome, however, remained the dominant power in the region.
3. The Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC)
The final true challenge from the Macedonian monarchy came under Philip V’s successor.
Trigger: King Perseus, Philip’s son, pursued policies that were perceived as aggressive and anti-Roman, attempting to build alliances with Greek cities and challenging Roman influence.
Key Event: After a period of initial indecisive fighting, the Roman consul Lucius Aemilius Paulus decisively defeated Perseus at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC.
Outcome: The Macedonian monarchy was abolished. Macedonia was divided into four separate, autonomous, but severely restricted republics (merides), effectively dismantling the kingdom as a unified political entity. Rome now exerted direct, though still indirect, control over the region.
4. The Fourth Macedonian War and Final Subjection (150–146 BC)
This brief conflict led to the full annexation of Greece.
Trigger: In 150 BC, a pretender named Andriscus (who claimed to be a son of Perseus) attempted to restore the Macedonian monarchy and unite the four republics.
Outcome: Andriscus was quickly defeated by the Roman consul Quintus Caecilius Metellus around 148 BC. As a result of this final rebellion, Macedonia was organized as the first Roman province in the East, the Province of Macedonia.
The Subjugation of Greece: In the same year, 146 BC, Rome responded to a rebellion by the Achaean League (a coalition of Greek cities). General Lucius Mummius crushed the revolt and ordered the total destruction of the ancient polis of Corinth. The destruction of this major city served as a brutal lesson and marked the definitive end of Greek autonomy. The rest of Greece (Achaea) was then placed under the jurisdiction of the governor of the new Province of Macedonia.
