MACEDONIA (MaKcSopla), a name onginally confined to the country lying northward of Thes sal', eastward of the Cardavian mountains (a pro longation of Mount Pindus), and westward of the river Axius ; but afterwards extended over the -whole country lying to the north of Greece Proper, and stretching from the YEgean Sea to the Adriatic, When conquered by the Romans (Lc. 168) it was at first divided into four districts (Liv. xlv. 29), of two, if not three of which, coins are still extant (Akerman, Numismatic Must. of the N. T., p. 43); but at a later period the whole of Macedonia, with Thessaly, was formed into one province under a proprxtor, with the title of proconsul (Smith, Diet. of Gr. and Rom. Geography). It thus divided, with Illyricum and Achaia, the entire country be tween Txnarus (Cape Matapan) on the south, and the valley of the Danube on the north. This is the Macedonia of the N. T.
Macedonia became familiarly known in the East through the conquests of Alexander. The rapid progress of his victories, and the formation of the Macedonian empire in the East on the ruins of the Medo-Persian monarchy, are prophetically set forth by Daniel under the symbol of a four-headed and four-winged leopard or panther (vii. 6); under the symbol of a he-goat that came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground' (viii. 5, 21) ; and the strength of the em pire is symbolised by the thighs of brass' in the image which was seen by Nebuchadnezzar (ii. 32, 39; comp. Havernick, in lace.) It has been thought by some that the representation in viii. 5 receives confirmation from the existence of Macedonian coins, on which that country is represented by a he-goat ; but it is not certain that such is the fact, and if it were, it would add nothing to the appro priateness of the prophet's symbol.
In the Apocryphal books there are frequent allusions to Macedonia. In the Apocr. Esther (vi. 10-14), Haman, who is described as not of Persian blood, is made a Macedonian, and is represented as plotting to transfer the kingdom from Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to the Macedonians ; a representation which is evidently due to the tradi tional hatred of the Jews to Haman, and belongs to a later age than that of Esther. The first book pf Maccabees opens with a reference to Alexander the son of Philip the Macedonian, who cane out of the land of the Chettiim' (i. I), which, though properly the designation of the island of Cyprus, seems to have been used vaguely by the Hebrews for the whole eastern coast of Europe, just as the Turks call all to the west of them Franks [CHIrPIII]. Of Alexander it is said there, that 'he
reigned the first over Greece' (comp. vi. 2) ; a statement which is not strictly correct, for in the only sense in which he could be said to reign over Greece, viz., as the generalissimo of her armies against the Persians, and by his superior might, he only succeeded to what his father Philip had pos sessed ; but as the father was, especially in the East, completely overshadowed by the son, this error is easily accounted for. So also we find Daniel describing Alexander as 'king of Javan' (viii. 21), and his kingdom as that of Javan (xi. a). In I Maccab. viii. 5 Perseus is described as king of the Citims,' in a reference to his defeat by the Romans ; and the term Macedonian' is used sub sequently to designate the soldiers of the Seleucid princes (2 Maccab. viii. 20). In the Arabic sum mary of Jewish history at this period inserted in the/ 4th vol. of the London Polyglott, and some times called the 5th book of Maccabees, the term Macedonians is applied to the Egyp tian as well as the Syrian successors of Alexander, and even their country is called Macedonia (see chaps. i. ii. iii. etc.) St. Paul, whilst at Troas, was summoned to preach the gospel in Macedonia by a vision, in which a man of Macedonia appeared to him, and • said, Come over and help us.' Immediately obeying what he recognised as a divine call, the apostle crossed over by Samothrace to Neapolis ; thence he proceeded to Philippi, where he founded a church ; and from that city he advanced by way of Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, the capital of the province, where also he founded a church. Driven thence by the fury of the Jews, he went to Berea, where he found his countrymen of a better spirit, and more disposed candidly to examine his doctrine (Acts xvi. 9–xvii. 12). St. Paul visited Macedonia a second time in his hasty passage from Ephesus to Troas (Acts xx. 1), and again on his return to Asia (ver. 6) ; but of these, visits no details are given by the historian. Whether he visited it a fourth time, as he desired to do (Phil. ii. 24), is matter of uncertainty [TIMOTHY, EPISTLES To]. Repeated allusions to Macedonia, or its inhabitants, occur in his writings (Rom. xv. 26 ; 2 Cor. i. 16 ; ix. 2 ; Phil. iv. 15 ; I Thess. i. 7, 8 ; I Tim. i. 3). The excellent Roman roads by which this part of Europe was intersected in the days of the apostles greatly facilitated the opera tions of those who sought to diffuse Christian truth among the people (comp. Acts xix. 21 ; I Thes. i. 8 ; 2 Cor. i. 16 ; Rom. xv. 19).—W. L. A.