After the battle of Pydna (168 BC), the Romans did not immediately proceed to impose their authority . Having stripped the Antigonid kingdom of its possessions abroad, they divided it into four administrative territories, called 'merides' (portions), whose inhabitants were prohibited from carrying out property transactions or even marrying across boundaries. Rome, by declaring the Macedonians "free", offered "freedom" from monarchy, and Roman tutelage in its stead.
The four 'merides'
The administrative partition of Macedonia (168-148 BC)
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The administrative partition into 'merides' and the weakening of the Macedonian army --whose only role was henceforth to repel barbarian incursions -- led to internal anti-Roman disturbances culminating in the rebellion of Andriskos (149-148 BC). The Roman occupation had widened the gap between the upper pro-Roman classes and the poor lower classes, and thus helped bring about the proclamation by the latter of Andriskos as king (under the name Philip) at Pella in 149 BC.
A fresh intervention of Rome put an end to the rebellion, but also to Macedonia's independence. Macedonia was incorporated into the Roman State as a province ('provincia Macedonia') which extended to the Ionian Sea and included southern Illyria.
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