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Thessalonica or (; ) was founded approximately in 315 BC. by Cassandro, King of Macedonians. In 146 BC. was conquered by the Romans and was part of the Roman province of Macedonia.

The Greek city currently occupying the territory of Thessalonica is called in Italian Thessaloniki which derives from Turkish Selanik, but maintains in native language the original name officially resumed after the city returned Greek (early 20th century).

Hellenistic city (315-146 BC)

Foundation

The city was founded around 316/315 BC by Cassandro I, king of the Macedonians, near or on the place where the ancient city of Therma stood and several other villages. Cassandro gave her the name of his wife Thessalonica, who was also half-sister of Alexander the Great. She was thus called by her father, Philip II of Macedonia, to commemorate his birth on the day when he obtained a victory (nike) on the Thessales ( = Thessaly; = "Thessaly" + = "Vittoria").

It seems that the foundation of the city took place for sinecism through the gradual union of 26 villages of different status: it was the Greek cities of Enea, Dikaia, those of the hinterland of the Thermal Gulf, Kalindoia to the east, besides Rhamioi, Paraipioi, Eugeis Kisseitai, Osbaioi, Prasilioi, maybe Ardrolelos, Therma These villages thus became the kômai of the great metropolis that had been forming.

The Migdonia, of which Thessalonica was a member, was previously conquered by Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, and was administratively separated from the original territory of the Kingdom of Macedonia. The ruler and his successors may have installed a whole series of garrisons to guard the new occupied territories, although Cassandrea is from the beginning a Macedonian city, for its institutions and its people. This data is perhaps possible to recognize it in the later foundation of the city of Thessalonica which bears the name of Philip's daughter.

The kingdom of Macedonia at war with Rome (215-168 BC)

At the end of the war conducted by Rome against Antiochus III, he was sent to Macedonia, the Consular Quintus Cecilio Metello, who also went to the city of Thessalonica in 189 BC. The following year, after Cecilio and the other Roman ambassadors left Greece and reported to the Senate what they had concluded in Macedonia and Peloponnesus, Macedonian ambassadors reached Rome to refer to the agreements made. It was the representatives of Philip V of Macedonia and Eumene II of Pergamo, as well as the exiles of Aenus and Maronia. The Senate, after hearing the envoys of the two kings, decided to send new ambassadors to Philip to verify whether the same had maintained the pacts, which provided for the evacuation of the cities of Thessaly and Perrebia. This also meant withdrawing all Macedonian garrisons from Ae