The territory of Ancient Macedonia, in the pre-historic period had been settled by many tribes. It extended in the south-western part of the actual ethnic and geographical border of Macedonia, in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. The name "Macedon" for the first time was mentioned in the 8th century B.C. and it defined the eponym of the Macedonians. The region north-east of the mountain Pindus to the Prespa Lake, was determined primarily by the name "Macedonia". From this space the Macedonian tribes moved south-eastwards and created a nucleus of the future Macedonian state (the region between the rivers Ludias, Moglenitsa nowadays, and Axius, Vardar nowadays).
Autochthonous ancient Macedonian tribes had lived in tribal communities being led by their leaders till the middle of the 6th century B.C. Herodotus considered king Perdiccas I (650 - 630 B.C.) a founder of the Macedonian kingdom. During the following centuries the Macedonian tribes gradually united themselves into a unique centralized state which ascent was noted in the reign of the Alexander I Philhellene (498/495 - 452 B.C.). In the 5th century B.C. a gold coin-stather was introduced and the capital of the kingdom was transferred from the city of Aegeae into the city of Pella.
Under the leadership of Philip II (357/355 - 336 B.C.), the kingdom of Macedonia had a great political and economic boom. A regular army (the Macedonian phalanx), a unique coin and a centralized machinery of government were established on the whole territory of Macedonia. Thus were created conditions for a complete formation of the antique Macedonian people. Under the leadership of Philip II Macedonia developed into a mighty kingdom establishing its hegemony over the Balkans. After the victory at Chaeronea (338 B.C.), Philip II imposed the Macedonian hegemony over the Greek polises (Athens, Thebes, Corint etc.). His son Alexander III the Great, in the history known as Alexander of Macedon (336 - 323 B.C.) destroyed the Persian Empire after the famous victories at Granikos, Issus and Gaugamela, expanding the hegemony of Macedonia till Egypt and India, proclaiming himself a czar (331 B.C.). After the death of Alexander the Great his multiethnic empire disintegrated into a few independent states (Macedonia, Thrace, Egypt, Asia and Pergamon).
After the long lasting wars Macedonia was conquered and became a Roman province (148 B.C.). The antique Macedonian people were subjected to Romanization, but they preserved their ethnic features (customs, religion and language).
During the Roman rule the Macedonian trade considerably developed. The important main road "Via Egnatia" connected the cities Dirahon (Drach nowadays), Lychnidus (Ohrid nowadays), Heraclea (Bitola nowadays) and Thessalonica (Salonica nowadays) with the capital Bysantion (Constantinople, Istanbul nowadays). During that period the Macedonian cities Stobi, Scupi, Salonica etc. had been completely developed.
After the Roman Empire division into Eastern and Western one in 395, Macedonia was included into the Eastern Roman Empire (Bysantium) till the first half of the 7th century when it was settled by the Slaves.