Philip V – 221-179 BC

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Monetary History of
Macedonia

Silver Tetradrachm (Portrait of Philip V)

Philip V

221-179 BC

Philip V was the son of Demetrios II (239-229 BC) who had ruled Macedonia during a very troubled period. Demetrios II fell in battled against the Dardanians in 229 BC. as the Barbarian invasions from the North had resumed.

Philip V was still too young to take the throne at the time of his father’s death. Thus, the Macedonian throne was controlled by his older cousin Antigonos Doson (229-221 BC), who restored the Kingdom and stabilized thr power of the throne. Upon his death, the throne indeed passed to Philip V in 221 BC. While Philip V showed great ability, he had to face an enemy who was simply too powerful – Rome. Despite a valant attempt at holding his kingdom, Philip V was defeated at the Battle of Kynoskephalai by the Roman general T. Quinctius Flamininus in 197 BC, but Philip V was still allowed to rule Macedonia until his death in 179 BC albeit as a subserviant state of Rome. Philip V was succeeded by his son Perseus (179-168 BC) who attempted to restore the glory of Macedonia once again. At the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC, Perseus was defeated and sent into exile in Italy where he died 2 years later – the last of the Macedonian kings.