Editing Roman Republic (section)

====Conquest of Greece====
{{Main|Achaean War}}
[[File:Tony robert-fleury, l'ultimo giorno di corinto, ante 1870.JPG|thumb|upright=1.35|Scene of the [[Battle of Corinth (146&nbsp;BC)]]: last day before the Roman legions looted and burned the Greek city of [[Corinth]]. ''The last day on Corinth'', [[Tony Robert-Fleury]], 1870.]]
[[File:RomaTempioRotondoForoBoarioJPG.JPG|thumb|The [[Temple of Hercules Victor]], Rome, built in the mid-2nd century&nbsp;BC, most likely by [[Lucius Mummius Achaicus]], victor of the [[Achaean War]]{{sfn|Ziolkowski|1988|pp=314ff, 316ff}}]]

In 179, Philip died.{{sfn|Derow|1989|p=301}} His talented and ambitious son, [[Perseus of Macedon|Perseus]], took the throne and showed a renewed interest in conquering Greece.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2016|p=84}} With its Greek allies facing a major new threat, Rome declared war on Macedonia again, starting the [[Third Macedonian War]]. Perseus initially had some success against the Romans, but Rome responded by sending a stronger army which decisively defeated the Macedonians at the [[Battle of Pydna]] in 168.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2016|pp=90 et seq}} The Macedonians capitulated, ending the war.{{sfn|Matyszak|2004|p=53}}

Convinced now that the Greeks (and therefore the rest of the region) would not have peace if left alone, Rome decided to establish its first permanent foothold in the Greek world, and divided Macedonia into four client republics.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2016|p=105}} Yet Macedonian agitation continued. The [[Fourth Macedonian War]], 150 to 148&nbsp;BC, was fought against a Macedonian pretender to the throne who was again destabilising Greece by trying to reestablish the old kingdom. The Romans swiftly defeated the Macedonians at the [[Battle of Pydna (148 BC)|second battle of Pydna]].

The [[Achaean League]], seeing the direction of Roman policy trending towards direct administration, met at [[Corinth]] and declared war "nominally against Sparta but in reality, against Rome".{{sfn|Derow|1989|loc=p. 323, citing {{harvnb|Polyb.|loc=38.12.5}}.}} It was swiftly defeated: in 146, the same year as the destruction of [[Carthage]], [[Roman Corinth|Corinth]] was [[Battle of Corinth (146 BC)|besieged and destroyed]], forcing the league's surrender. Rome decided to divide the Greek territories into two new, directly administered Roman provinces, [[Achaea (Roman province)|Achaea]] and [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia]].{{sfn|Derow|1989|p=323}}