First Macedonian-Roman War

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The First Macedonian-Roman War was a clash between King Philip V of Macedon and the Roman Empire .

The Mediterranean basin 218 BC Chr.

After Rome in 217 BC After suffering heavy defeats against Hannibal during the Second Punic War , Philip saw a favorable opportunity to seize the coastal cities of Illyria , which were under Roman patronage . He therefore ended the alliance war against the Aitolians and turned to the north of his empire. At first Philip took action against the Illyrian prince Skerdilaidas , who had stood against him in the war of allies. In addition, the Macedonian king launched a fleet with which he threatened the Illyrian coastal cities, but ultimately did not dare to confront the maritime power of Rome.

The actual beginning of the First Macedonian-Roman War is considered to be the year 215 BC. Chr. , A contract with in the Philipp Hannibal intended to coordinate graduated in which both their action against Rome. In fact, there was never any joint action between Macedonia and Carthage . But Philip was able to seize the Illyrian city of Lissos in 213 and thus gain a permanent place on the Adriatic coast . He was also involved in battles in the Peloponnese , in which the Achaeans, allied with him, as well as Sparta , Elis and Messene faced each other. Philip's successes in Thrace worried King Attalus I of Pergamon . The hitherto extremely passive Romans finally concluded a treaty in 212 with Philip's old enemies, the Aitolians, which Phillip's other opponents soon joined.

The union of the Roman and Pergamene navies had made the coalition's maritime preponderance even greater, but Philip was able to assert himself on land. An invasion of the Dardans in 209 put him in distress, but an alliance with Bithynia got the enemy of Attalus off his neck. After successes over the Aitolians, these 206 concluded a preliminary peace with Philip due to the lack of Roman support. In 205 BC Finally the general peace of Phoinike was concluded in which the respective status quo was recognized. So Philip kept his hegemonic position in Greece and was also allowed to keep Lissos.

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