Andriscus
Pretender to the Macedonian Throne
Biography
Andriscus, often called Pseudo-Philip, was a man of humble origins, reportedly a fuller from Adramyttium in Aeolis. However, he bore a striking resemblance to King Perseus of Macedon and claimed to be his son, Philip, who had died in Roman captivity. Based on this claim, he sought to restore the Antigonid dynasty.
Initially, his claims were dismissed, and he wandered through Syria and Thrace. However, he eventually gathered support from Thracian chieftains and invaded Macedon. To the surprise of Rome, he defeated the Roman praetor Publius Juventius Thalna in 149 BC and declared himself King Philip VI. For a brief moment, he united Macedon and threatened Roman control in Greece.
His success was short-lived. In 148 BC, the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus arrived with a larger army. Andriscus was defeated at the Second Battle of Pydna. He fled to Thrace but was betrayed and handed over to the Romans. He was paraded in Metellus's triumph in Rome and subsequently executed. His revolt led directly to the formal annexation of Macedon as a Roman province.