The political consequences of the lost battle are severe.

The Senate's settlement includes the deportation of all the royal officials and the permanent house arrest of Perseus.

There follows a ruthless purge, with allegedly anti-Roman citizens being denounced by their compatriots and deported in large numbers (three hundred thousand).

To set an example, Paullus orders the killing of five hundred Macedonians known for opposition against Rome.

He also exiles many more to Italy and confiscates their belongings in the name of Rome but according to Plutarch, keeping too much to himself.

The Romans depose Perseus—who, taken back to Rome in chains, will spend the rest of his life in captivity—dissolve the Macedonian monarchy, and divide Macedon into four formally autonomous republics, which are forbidden to have relations with one another; their annual tribute to Rome is set at half the rate they had previously paid to the king.

As in 194 and 189, the Romans withdraw without annexations.