hills, running easterly from Pindus to Olympus and the iEgaean ; and that it is divided on the east from Thrace by a less definite mountain boundary running south- wards from HiBmus. Of the space thus inclosed, t^vo of the most remarkable physical features are two great plains, one watered by the Axius, which comes to the sea at the Thermaic Gulf, not far from Thessalonica ; the other by the Strymon, which, after passing near Philippi, flows out below Amphipolis. Between the mouths of these two rivers a remarkable peninsula pro- jects, dividing itself into three points, on the farthest of which Mount Athos rises nearly into the region of perpetual snow." The whole region was intersected by mountains (among these were the famous Olympus and Athos), which supplied numerous streams (especially the Strymon and Axius), rendering the intervening vallej's and plains highly fruitful (Pliny, iv, 17 ; Mela, ii, 3 ; Ptol. iii, 13). The natives were celebrated from the earliest times for their hardy independence and mil- itary discipline. The country is supposed to have been first peopled by Chittim or Kittim, a son of Javan (Gen. X, 4), and in that case it is probable that the jNIacedo- nians are sometimes intended when the word Chittim occurs in the Old Testament. jNIacedonia was the orig- inal kingdom of Philip and Alexander, by means of whose victories the name of the jMacedonians became celebrated throughout the East. The rise of the great empire formed by Alexander is described by the prophet Daniel imder the emblem of a goat with one horn (Dan. viii, 3-8). As the horn was a general symbol of power, the oneness of the horn implies merely the unity of that power. It is, however, curious and interesting to know that Daniel did describe Macedonia mider its usual symbol, as gems and other antique objects still exist in which that country is represented under the figure of a one-horned goat. (See Murray's Truth of Reveluiion Illustrated, and the art. Macedonia, in Taylor's Calmet.) See Goat. Monuments are still extant in which this symbol occurs, as one of the pilasters of Persepolis, where a goat is depicted with one immense horn on his forehead, and a Persian holding the horn, by which is
Persepolitau emblem of Macedou.
intended the sultjection of INIacedon by Persia. In Esth. xvi, 10, Haman is described as a Macedonian,
IMACEDONIA
618
MACEDONIUS
and in xvi, 14 he is said to have contrived his plot for tlie purpose of transferring the kingdom of the Persians to tlie Macedonians. This sufticiently betrays the late date and spurious character of these apocryphal chap- ters; but it is curious thus to have our attention turned to the early struggle of Persia and Greece. Macedonia played a great part in this struggle, and there is little doubt that Ahasuerus is Xerxes. The history of the JNIaccabees opens with vivid allusions to Alexander, the son of Philip, the Macedonian king (AXt^avSpog 6 rov 4>i\i-!7irov 6 f3a<n\ei's o MaKtccji^'), who came out of the land of Chettiim and smote Darius, king of the Persians and Medes (1 Mace, i, 1), and who reigned first among the Grecians (ib. vi, 2). A little later we have the Koman conquest of Perseus, "king of the Citims," recorded (ib. viii, 5). Subsequently in these Jewish annals we find the term "Macedonians" used for the soldiers of the Seleucid successors of Alexander (2 Mace, viii, 20). In what is called the Fifth Book of Macca- bees this usage of the word is very frequent, and is ap- plied not only to the Seleucid princes at Antioch, but to the Ptolemies at Alexandria (see Cotton's Five Books of Maccabees, Oxf. 1832). When subdued by the Ro- mans (Livy, xliv) inider Paidus yEmilius (B.C. 168), Blacedonia was divided into four provinces (Livy, xlv, 29). ^Macedonia Prima was on the east of the Strymon, and had Amphipolis for the capital. INIacedonia Se- cunda stretched between the Strymon and the Axius,
Coins of Macedonia.
with Thessalonica for its metropolis. The third and fourth districts lay to the south and the west. Of two, if not tliree of these districts, coins are still extant ( Akerraan, Numismatic Jllust. of the X. T. p. 43). Af- terwards (B.C. 142) the whole of Greece was divided into two great provinces, Macedonia and Achaia. See Aciiaia; GiiEECE. Macedonia therefore constituted a Koman province, governed by a jirojirA'tor. with the title of proconsul (provincia procousiildris;- Tacit. -4 ?i- mil. i, 76 ; Sueton. Claud. 26), in the tinie of Christ and his apostles. (See fully in Smith's Diet, of Class. Geoff. s. v.) The apostle Paul being summoned in a vision, while at Troas, to preach the (iospel in Macedonia, pro- ceeded thither, and founded the churches of Thessalo-
nica and Philippi (Acts xvn, 9), A.D. 48. This occasions repeated mention of the name, either alone (Acts xviii, 5 ; xix, 21 ; Kom. xv, 26 ; 2 Cor. i, 16 ; xi, 9 ; Phil, iv, 15), or along with Achaia (2 Cor. ix, 2; 1 Thess. i, 8). The principal cities of Macedonia were Amphipolis, Thessalonica, Pella, and Pelagonia (Livy, xlv, 29) ; the towns of the province named in the New Testament are Philippi, Amphipolis, Thessalonica, Neapolis* Apol- lonia, and Beroea. When the Roman empire was di- vided, Macedonia fell to the share of the emperor of the East, but in the 15th century it fell into the hands of the Turks. It now forms a part of Turkey in Europe, and is called Makdonia. It is mhabited by Walla- chians, Turks, Greeks, and Albanians. The south-eastern part is under the pasha of Salonika; the northern under beys or agas, or forms free communities. The capital, Salonika, the ancient Thessalonica, is a commercial town, and the only one of any consequence, containing about 70,000 inhabitants. (See Cellarii Not it. ii, 828 sq.; Man- nert, vii, 420 sq. ; Conybeare and Howson, i. 315.) On the question whether Luke includes Thrace in Jlace- donia, see Thuace. " Nothing can exceed the interest and impressiveness of the occasion (Acts xvi, 9) when a new and religious meaning was given to the well-known dvrjp MaKtCiov of Demosthenes {Phil, i, p. 43), and when this part of Europe was designated as the first to be trodden by an apostle. The account of St. Paul's first journey through Macedonia (Acts xvi, 10-xvii, 15) is marked by copious detail and well-defined inci- dents. At the close of this journey he returned from Corinth to SjTia by sea. On the next oc- casion of visiting Europe, though he both went and returned through Macedonia (Acts xx, 1- 6), the narrative is a very slight sketch, and the route is left uncertain except as regards Philippi. Many j^ears elapsed before St. Paul visited this province again ; but from 1 Tim. i, 3, it is evident that he did accomplish the wish expressed during his first imprisonment (PhU. ii, 24). The character of the Macedonian Chris- tians is set before ns in Scripture in a very favor- able light. The candor of the Bera?ans is highly com- mended (Acts xvii, 11); the Thessalonians were evi- dently objects of St. Paul's peculiar affection (1 Thess. ii, 8, 17-20 ; iii, 10) ; and the Philippians, besides their general freedom from blame, are noted as remarkable for their liberality and self-denial (Phil, iv, 10, 14-19; see 2 Cor. ix, 2; xi, 9). It is worth notichig, as a fact almost typical of the change which Christianity has produced in the social life of Europe, that the fe- male element is conspicuous in the records of its intro- duction into jMacedonia. The Gospel was first preached there to a small congregation of women (Acts xvi, 13) ; the first convert was a woman (ib. ver. 14) ; and, at least at Philippi, women were prominent as active workers in the cause of religion (Phil, iv, 2, 3). It should be observed that, in St. Paul's time, Macedonia was well intersected by Roman roads, especially by the great Via Egnatia, which connected Phdippi and Thessalonica, and also led towards Illyricum (Rom. xv, 19)." For the antiquities of this region, see Cousinery, Voyaf/e dam le Macedoine (Paris, 1831); 'Litake, Travels in Northei-n Greece (London, 1835) ; compare also Holland, Travels in the Ionian Jsles, etc. (Lond. 1812-13).