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Battle of Pydna (148 BC) 148 BC

Battle of Pydna (148 BC): Pydna (without text)
Image: No machine-readable author provided. DieBuche assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.

Key facts

Year148 BCWikidata P585 (point in time)
EraAncient (before 500)derived from year
LocationGreeceNatural Earth (modern borders)
ContinentEuropeNatural Earth
War / conflictFourth Macedonian WarWikidata P361
ParticipantsMacedonia, Roman RepublicWikidata P710
Coordinates40.3667, 22.5833Wikidata P625

About the battle

The Battle of Pydna was fought in 148 BC between Rome and the forces of the Macedonian leader Andriscus. The Roman force was led by Quintus Caecilius Metellus, and was victorious. The battle played an important role in deciding the outcome of the Fourth Macedonian War, and saw the annihilation of the last military-political force of Macedon.

The war had begun when the pretender Andriscus defeated Rome's clients in Macedon and crowned himself king, defeating a Roman force sent to stop him and invading parts of Greece. The senate then sent Quintus Caecilius Metellus with another, larger army to stop the pretender; the Roman commander chose to undertake both a land and sea offensive, forcing Andriscus to take a defensive position near Pydna, where Metellus engaged and soundly defeated him.

The battle decided the outcome of the war; Andriscus was forced to flee Macedon, and was pursued and captured by the Romans before he could raise a strong army. Rome now took direct control of Macedon, making it a Roman province.

Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Pydna (148 BC) (revision 1370272386), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.

Location

40.3667, 22.5833 · Greece

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Nearby battles

Browse more: battles in Greece · Europe · Ancient battles

Further reading