Upper Macedonia

Upper Macedonia (Greek Ano Makedonía ἄνω Μακεδονία, also upper Macedonia ) is a geographical term that summarizes the mountainous landscapes of ancient Macedonia are described. This term was BC by Herodotus used already in the 5th century, for his description of the founding legend of the Macedonian Kingdom ago Strabo. The room in question was congruent with the current Greek region of Western Macedonia in about and included some tracts of land in the south of present-day Macedonia.

The southern boundary of Upper Macedonia formed the river Aliakmona where beyond in southeastern Thessaly and Epirus were adjacent to the southwest. To the west and northwest marginalized in antiquity to the tribes of Illyrians, and in the north the land of Paionians. The slopes of the Bermion ( Vermio ) Bled joined to the east the lowlands to niedermakedonische.

Upper Macedonia included the landscapes Elimiotis, Orestis, Lynkestis, Pelagonia and Eordaia. Furthermore, Tymphaia, Parauaia, Perrhaibia and Dessaretia be added that were not Macedonian settlements, however, and have been conquered by Philip II for the Kingdom. According to Thucydides, the people of the Macedonians had from where it expanded its Ursitze in the mountains of Elimiotis and Lynkestis, from about the 12th century BC in the east, situated near the Thermaic Golf fertile Netherlands. While there established a monarchical political system under the leadership of Argeaden that sought to connect to the Hellenic culture, retained the remaining in the mountain regions populations for some time an archaic tribal structure in, with a low degree of urban culture. Dominated the landscapes of their own royal families who either were in a loose dependence on the Macedonian kingdom or fought against this for their independence. They were often threatened by invasions of the north-west adjacent Illyrians.

It was not until King Philip II could Upper Macedonia subject in the middle of the 4th century BC, the direct rule of the monarchy. Under his rule began here a fuller urbanization one, with towns founded as Heraclea Lynkestis. Members of the royal houses have now been brought up at the court in Pella, where they had to bail at the same time as hostages for the loyalty of their families. Some of them were well-known companions of Alexander the Great. In its three battalions of the army of warriors Pezhetairoi the upper Macedonia were collected, which were led by members of their tribe.