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In antiquity, most of the territory that is now the Republic of Macedonia was included in the kingdom of Paeonia, which was populated by the Paeonians, a people of Thracian origins,^[1] but also parts of ancient Illyria^[2][3] and Dardania,^[4] inhabited by various Illyrian peoples,^[5][6] and Lyncestis and Pelagonia populated by the ancient Greek Molossian^[7] tribes. None of these had fixed boundaries; they were sometimes subject to the Kings of Macedon, and sometimes broke away. In 336 BC Philip II of Macedon conquered Upper Macedonia, including its northern part and southern Paeonia, which both now lie within the Republic of Macedonia.^[8] Philip's son Alexander the Great conquered most of the remainder of the region, incorporating it in his empire, with exclusion of Dardania. The Romans included most of the Republic in their province of Macedonia, but the northernmost parts (Dardania) lay in Moesia; by the time of Diocletian, they had been subdivided, and the Republic was split between Macedonia Salutaris and Moesia prima.^[9]

Victory Day, 8 September, is a national holiday in Malta. It is locally known as il-Vitorja (the Victory) and il-Bambina (Baby Mary). It marks the following events:

The day is also connected to the Nativity of Mary, and in fact feasts are celebrated in Xagħra, Naxxar, Senglea, and Mellieħa on the day.