Paeonia (kingdom)

In antiquity, Paeonia or Paionia (Ancient Greek: Παιονία, romanized: Paionía) was the land and kingdom of the Paeonians (or Paionians; Ancient Greek: Παίονες, romanized: Paíones). The exact original boundaries of Paeonia, like the early history of its inhabitants, are obscure, but it is known that it roughly corresponds to present-day North Macedonia, and also to some parts of northern Greece, western Bulgaria and southeasternmost Serbia.

Ancient authors placed Paeonia south of Dardania, north of Macedon, west of the Thracian mountains, and east of the southernmost Illyrians of the Ohrid-Prespa basin. It was separated from Dardania by the mountains through which the Vardar river passes from the field of Scupi (modern Skopje) to the valley of Bylazora (near modern Sveti Nikole). In the Iliad, the Paeonians are portrayed as allies of the Trojans. During the Persian invasion of Greece, the conquered Paeonians from as far as the Lake Prasias, including the Paeoplae and Siropaiones, were deported from Paeonia to Asia. In 356 BC Paeonia was made a Macedonian vassal by Philip II, who took advantage of the death of king Agis and campaigned against its northern neighbor. Down to 227 BC, at least seven Paeonian kings reigned, and during that period, Paeonia remained a distinct entity, either subject to Macedonia or independent. In 227 BC, Antigonus Doson conquered the southern part of Paeonia ('Macedonian Paeonia') and ten years after Philip V of Macedon conquered the rest by capturing Bylazora.