First Macedonian War — Philip V Allies with Hannibal
The First Macedonian War grew out of Hannibal's devastating victories in Italy. Philip V of Macedon saw an opportunity: with Rome prostrate after Cannae he entered an alliance with Hannibal in 215 BCE, pledging to invade Italy from the Adriatic coast. Rome's response was minimal but effective. A small naval force in the Adriatic under Marcus Valerius Laevinus frustrated Philip's Adriatic ambitions. More effectively, Laevinus organised an alliance with the Aetolian League, which kept Philip occupied fighting in Greece itself and made any serious Adriatic crossing impossible. The war sputtered to a close with the Peace of Phoenice in 205 BCE — essentially the status quo ante. Nothing decisive had happened. But the war marked a permanent shift: Rome had intervened in Greek affairs and found Greek polities willing to be Roman clients against Macedon. The precedent was set.
- Year: 215 BCE
- Category: Military
