the capital of Macedonia, was situated on a hill in the midst of an impassable marsh which was connected with the River Lydias. Its strong and secure position, and its easy communication with the sea, did not fail, in course of time, to make it a place of importance. Philip made it the metropolis of the kingdom and the seat of the royal palace. It continued to retain this dignity, and to be a prosperous city, until Macedonia was subjugated by the Romans, and ceased to be a kingdom. From that time Pella seems to have gradually declined. Its name, applied to a fountain which rises on the site of the ancient town, is almost the only record which remains of the birthplace of Alexander the Great.