- Paul was called to Macedonia in a vision. Acts 16 tells us a “man of Macedonia” pleaded with him to come over and help them. Paul and his companions immediately headed for Philippi.
Meadow and mountains with snow in Macedonia
- Macedonia (or Macedon) was an ancient kingdom located in the north of the Greek peninsula. The kingdom was first inhabited by the Mackedoni tribe, named after the god Makedon, son of Zeus.
- Macedonia and southern Greece (called Achaia in the Bible) were at odds. They didn’t speak the same language, and the Greeks looked down on the Macedonians as unsophisticated barbarians.
- Macedonia was a land of vast natural resources. The crops from the lowlands and timber from the highlands became Macedonia’s chief exports, along with silver and gold from the mines in the mountains.
- Philip II unified Greece under Macedonian rule after he came to power in 359 BCE. He allied with some to conquer others and then conquered those.
- Philip II brought Aristotle from Greece to tutor his young son Alexander as well as Alexander’s companions.
- After Philip II’s death the throne went to his son Alexander III, who became known as Alexander the Great. He defeated every nation from Europe to India in the 300s BC, creating one of the ancient world’s biggest empires.
- Alexander named no successor and so his empire was divided between his four generals. Even though each had enough land and riches to satisfy anyone, they all wanted more.
- The region was annexed by the Roman Republic in 146 BC following the sack of Corinth. It became part of the Roman province of Macedonia, which included the whole of mainland Greece.
Sunset view of the White Tower in Thessaloniki
- Ancient Macedonia is a bit tricky to point out on a modern map. Today, there is a region in Northern Greece called Macedonia, where you’ll find the Thessaloniki and Philippi. Just over the northern Greek border, you’ll find the Republic of Northern Macedonia. Both claim Ancient Macedonian heritage.
- Macedonia was a hereditary monarchy, unlike the Greek city-states that had a kind of democratic government. The kingship was handed down to another member of the family. Succession was often hotly contested.
- Macedonian women had limited rights, but they were a little better off than women in Greek city-states like Athens, who were almost always secluded at home. Macedonians also tended to own fewer slaves than the Greeks.
