MACEDONIA, mris'•-dry'lf-S, or MACEDON (Lat., from Gk. MaKebovla, llakedonia). Ancient ly, the name of the district lying north of Tines saly on the northwestern shore of the ..Egean. Originally its territory was confined to the region of Mount Olympus and the Cambunian Moun tains, east of the ridge which forms the boundary of Epirus and Illyria, and west of the Axing. a river emptying into the Thermaie Gulf. Later under Philip U. it was extended as far east as the Strymon. The country was on the whole mountainous, but where it touched the sea. on the shores of the Thermaic Gulf, was a fertile plain, watered by the Haliaemon and Axius. and the valley of the Strymon was also productive. Macedonia was famous among the ancients for its gold and silver mines. and its productiveness in oil and wine. It contained a number of flour ishing cities, particularly Pella, the capital; Pydna, Thessalmica (Thertna ) . Potid:ra ( hater re built as Cassandria ), Olynthus, Philippi and Ann phipolis. These cities. with the exception of Pella and Philippi, were colonized by Greeks—Ionian Greeks, except in the ease of Potid:ra, which represented Dorian colonization. The Macedo nians seem to have been a Grecian tribe. which had remained behind during the earlier migra tions, and so been cut ofr from the later develop ment of the Hellenes. Their language was almost certainly a Greek dialect, and their government bears a striking resemblance to the Homeric State. At the same time they were not recognized by the Greeks as entitled to the Hellenic name, though their kings claimed descent from Hercules, and were allowed, as Greeks, to compete in the Olympic games. The tribes that inhabited the region are said to have been first brought under a common rule about B.C. 700, when the supremacy was acquired by the family of the Argeathe. Their first capital was at but later they established them selves at Pella. The history of Macedonia is in volved in much obscurity till about B.C. 490, when the Persians subdued the country, so that the 'Macedonian King, Alexander I., was compelled to take part with Xerxes in Ids invasion of Greece. On the retreat of the Persians after the battle of PiaLea in B.C. 479. Macedonia again recovered its independence. The development of the coun try was hampered by the chain of Greek colonies along the coast, and especially by the power ful cities of Chalcidice, with INynthus at their head. Under the vigorous reign of Arehelaus, who died n.c. 399, it greatly increased in pros perity and power; but after his death a period of civil wars and contests for the throne ensued, which ended in the accession of Philip II. (p.c. 359), who not only seated himself firmly on the throne, but knew bow to develop the resources of his kingdom, and so to direct the warlike spirit of his subjects as greatly to extend his dominions. Before his death he was recognized as the leader of Greece, while he had brought the Illyrians and Thracians under subjection, and completely de stroyed the independence of the Greek cities on the coast. His son, Alexander the Great (q.v.), brought half the then known world under his sway. hut after his death the Macedonian Empire way divided among his generals. (See Gramet.) Macedonia itself fell to the lot of Antipater, after whose death (n.c. 319) ensued another period of civil wars which ended in the accession of Anti gonus Gonatas. His successors were involved in
constant wars with the -Finnan and Achaam Leagues, and finally with the Romans, who broke the power of Philip V. at CynoscephaLe in n.c. 197. after which they proclaimed the indepen dence of Greece. and later overthrew Perseus. Ids successor, at Pydna (n.c. 168). A renewed at tempt at a rising in n.c. I-18 was followed in B.C. 146 by the organization of the country as a Ho man province. in which Thessaly and part of Illyria were included. In the New Testament. Macedonia always means the Roman province. It was one of the most important fields of the missionary labors of Paul. who founded churches in its cities on his second journey t Acts xxii. 15) and visited the province several Ones. The epistles to the Thessalonians and Philippians were addressed to Macedonian churches. and the loyalty and devotion of Macedonian Christians are often commended in Paul's letters. After the final division of the Roman Empire (A.n. 395) Macedonia formed part of the Eastern or Byzan tine Empire. Tt was OVerl'Iln by barbarous hordes, and by the seventh century the old semi Greek Maeedonians were extinct. For a consider able period the Bulgarians held sway in Mace donia. Early in the eleventh century- the Byzan tine rule was rei;stablished. ID the fourteenth century the country was included in the great Servian realm, and after another period of By zantine rule it came, in the fifteenth century, under the dominion of the Turks.
There is no official division known as Macedonia, but the name has recently come into wide use in connection with the strife of nation alities in the Turkish dominions. The ancient region corresponds nearly to the modern Vilayet of Saloniki, with the eastern part of that of Monastir. The population consists mainly of Slays (made up of Bulgarian and Serh elements, the Ifulgarian element predominating in the lan guage). Turks. Greeks. Albanians. and Zinzars IMacedn-Eumansf. The agitation of the Chris tian subjects of the Porte in this portion of the Turkish Empire, and the ambition of Greece and Bulgaria to annex part of the territory, have created the so-called Macedonian question in Eastern European polities. At the Congress of Berlin. in B378, certain stipulations were made for autonomous institutions for the Macedonian Christians. In 1895 the Bulgarians tried to foment a revolt of the Christians against Turkish rule. This was unsuccessful, owing chiefly to the influence of Russia. The Bulgarian Govern ment proposed a plan of reform to the Porte. but in 1396 the Greeks started a movement in Ma cedonia, and throughout the country bands of guerrillas attacked the Turkish regulars. The Greek agitators in Macedonia claimed that their movement was not directed against the Turks, but against the pretensions of Bulgaria. The situation in the region reached an acute stage in 1903, bloody encounters between the inimical nationalities taking place.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Abel. Makedonicn var Konig Bibliography. Abel. Makedonicn var Konig Philip ( Leipzig, 1847) ; Ileuzey and Daumet, _Mission archt'ologique de Macedoine (Paris, 1876) ; Voyage dans la Macedoine (Paris. 1531) Leake. Travels in 'Northern Greece (London, 1S:35) D511. Studien zur Geo graphic des alien Makedoniens (Stadtamhof, 1891) ; Nikolaides, La Macedoine (Berlin. 1899) ; GopleviC, Makedonien end Alt-Rerbien (Vienna, 1339).