The Macedonians were supported by Cotys IV, the king of the Odrysian kingdom (the largest state in Thrace) and his forces, Cretan mercenaries, and auxiliaries of mixed nationalities.

Although the battle was actually inconclusive because Perseus withdrew before it came to a conclusion, it was considered a Macedonian victory because the Romans suffered heavy casualties.

[3] The deployment of the Roman and Macedonian forces was described by Livy, who said that the two armies were almost equally matched in cavalry numbers.

Livy tells us that the main part of the Macedonian line consisted of mixed groups of cavalry and light infantry: Perseus' Agema (a detachment of elite troops with both heavy and light infantry) and the "sacred" (elite) cavalry who held the centre with 400 slingers and javelin throwers in front of them.

The centre had a selected body of volunteer cavalry and 200 Gauls and 300 Crytians brought by Eumenes II in front of it.

Perseus charged with the centre, dislodged the Greek allies of Rome and pushed them back.

The intensity of the Macedonian attack began to slacken off, and the Thessalians ventured forward to protect the fleeing Roman foot soldiers.

Perseus's troops had become spread out in their pursuit of fugitives, and thus did not try to come close to the enemy which was advancing in compact formation.

The Macedonian phalanx now advanced without having been ordered to do so by Perseus, and the Roman heavy infantry came out of the camp.

On seeing it advancing, Euander, the commander of the Cretans, advised Perseus that continuing the battle was an unnecessary risk.

[7] Eumenes II urged the consul to move the camp of the other bank of the river to get the protection of that watercourse.

After Perseus left, Publius Licinius tried to take a town in the Vale of Tempe, a gorge between Thessaly and Macedon which was the passage between the two states.

[11] The Thessalians established a bull-fighting competition called the Stenaia in commemoration of the battle, which was still being celebrated in the Roman Imperial period.