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Macedonian Wars
Second Macedonian War
Second Macedonian War
Philip V of Macedon was again, the reason why Rome launched the second Macedonian war. In 201 BC, political ambassadors from the Greek cities, Pergamon and Rhodes, brought evidence in the Roman Senate that Philip V and Antiochus III, 6th ruler of the Seleucid Empire, actually signed a secret non-aggression pact. Some scholars view that this treaty didn’t really exist and that Pergamon and Rhodes only made it up, attempting to get Rome’s sentiments to help them with their aims of overthrowing Philip V. Although clouded with controversies, the treaty still resulted to Rome sending forces against Macedon with aids from its Greek allies.
The Second Macedonian War was greatly indecisive until Rome formally won in 196 BC. The victory gave Rome the power to impose the Treaty of Tempea which forbade Philip V to interfere with affairs outside his borders and therefore, led him to abandon all his possessions in Greece. Philip V didn’t try to fight his rights back, in fact, he adhered to this condition to the rest of his life.
Aside from limiting Philip V’s power, the treaty of Tempea also declared Greece “free”. It should be noted, however ,that the war marked a significant stage in increasing Roman intervention in the affairs of the eastern Mediterranean which would eventually lead to their conquest of the entire region.