The Roman route of Thessaloniki through time begins in 168 BC when the Roman general Lucius Aemilius Paul defeats the king of Macedonia Perseus. As the Capital of the second Roman administrative region of Macedonia, Thessaloniki is geostrategically upgraded with the construction of the Egnatia road (Via Egnatia) which connects the Adriatic with the Dardanelles and Asia Minor and becomes a commercial, political and military center.