Philip V of Macedon

The son of king Demetrios II, Philip V (238–179 bce) was king of Macedonia for forty-two years. During his reign he expanded Macedonian power in the Balkans and increased its influence in Greece and Asia Minor. He also built a navy and trained Macedonians to conduct raids by sea. The inscriptions from his reign show that Philip was intensely involved in administrative reform and the implementation of his kingship. The king's interests in the Balkans clashed with those of Rome, leading to the First and Second Macedonian Wars. After the Roman victory at Kynoskephalai in 197, Philip's realm was severely diminished but the king preserved Macedonia's importance in eastern Europe. When he died, he left his son a kingdom that was one of the great Mediterranean powers.