Macedonia, also called Macedon, was ruled continuously by kings from its inception around the middle of the seventh century BC until its conquest by the Roman Republic in 168 BC. Kingship in Macedonia, its earliest attested political institution, was hereditary, exclusively male, and characterized by dynastic politics.[2][3][4]
Information regarding the origins of the Argeads, Macedonia's founding dynasty, is very scarce and often contradictory. The Argeads themselves claimed descent from the royal house of Argos, the Temenids, but this story is viewed with skepticism by some scholars as a fifth century BC fiction invented by the Argead court "to 'prove' Greek lineage".[5][6][7][8] It is more likely that the Argeads first surfaced either as part of a tribe living near Mount Bermion who, possibly under the authority of Perdiccas, subjugated neighboring lands,[9][10] or, according to Herodotus, were of a Doric race that originally resided in Pindus.[11] During their reign, Macedonia would not only come to dominate Greece, but also emerge as one of the most powerful states in the ancient world with the conquest of the Persian Empire under Alexander the Great. However, Alexander's untimely death in 323 BC triggered a series of civil wars and regents for his young son Alexander IV, ultimately leading to the Argead dynasty's demise.
Cassander, the ostensible regent of Macedonia, murdered Alexander IV in 310 and installed the Antipatrids as the ruling house. His dynasty was short-lived, however, as his death in 297 triggered a civil war between his sons that further destabilized the kingdom. The following decades saw a rapid and violent succession of Diadochi from various dynasties, each vying for the Macedonian throne. This chaos continued until the death of Pyrrhus in 272 and the accession of the Antigonids under Antigonus II Gonatas.
Following decades of continuous conflict, the Antigonids saw the temporary renewal of the kingdom's fortunes, but were destroyed by Rome after Perseus' defeat at the battle of Pydna in 168 BC.
There are two separate historical traditions relating the foundation of Macedonia and the Argead dynasty. The earlier, documented by Herodotus and Thucydides in the fifth century BC, records Perdiccas as the first king of Macedonia.[12][13] The later tradition first emerged around the beginning of the fourth century BC and claimed that Caranus, rather than Perdiccas, was the founder.[14] Aside from Satyrus, who adds Coenus and Tyrimmas to the list, Marsyas of Pella, Theopompos, and Justin all agree that Caranus was Perdiccas' father.[15] Furthermore, Plutarch claimed in his biography of Alexander the Great that all of his sources agreed that Caranus was the founder.[16] This unhistorical assertion, like the Argive connection, is rejected by modern scholarship as court propaganda, possibly intended to diminish the significance of the name 'Perdiccas' in rival family branches following Amyntas III accession.[14][15][17]
Herodotus mentions the names of the five kings preceding Amyntas I, but provides no other information.[18][19] Consequently, the reign dates and activities of the early Argead kings can only be guessed at. By allowing thirty years for the span of an average generation and counting backwards from the beginning of Archelaus' reign in 413 BC, British historian Nicholas Hammond estimated that the dynasty began around 650 BC.[17]Amyntas I and his son Alexander I are the earliest kings for which we have any reliable historical information, and even then, only in the context of their relationships with Achaemenid Persia and Greeks.[18]
Unknown – 399 Moved center of kingdom from Aegae to Pella; either murdered in a personal revenge plot or killed in a hunting accident by his lover Craterus.[25]
Unknown – 394/3 Probably ruled at the same time as Pausanias; sources for reign are few, but likely murdered by the ruler of Elimiotis, Derdas.[26][29]
c. 358 – 317 (aged 41)[49]Owing to his diminished mental capacity, Philip never ruled in his own right and instead went through a series of regents; executed by the mother of Alexander III, Olympias.[50]
323 – 310 (aged 13)Due to his age, Alexander never ruled in his own right. Alexander III's mother, Olympias, guarded him until her execution in 316; murdered by Cassander.[50]
Proclaimed king by army in Larissa following Alexander V's assassination; son of the diadochos Antigonus and brother-in-law of Cassander through Phila[54]
January/February 336 – 282 (aged 54)Surrendered to Seleucus I Nicator in 285, died of illness in captivity a few years later.[55]
Chosen by "leading Macedonians" to rule first as regent for Philip and, then later, as king; grandson of Demetrius I and cousin of Demetrius II[64]
c. 263 – 221 (aged approx. 42)Suffering from tuberculosis, Antigonus burst a blood vessel following a battle with the Illyrians and died some months later.[65]
^There is some confusion among the sources about the name of Orestes' successor: Eusebias and Syncellus mention an 'Archelaos' while Diodorus records an 'Aeropus'. However, it is likely that Aeropus simply adopted the name 'Archelaos' after Orestes' death.[28]
^Theopompus of Chios wrote that "they call both Argaios and Pausanias Archelaos [sic]" which historian Nicholas Hammond emends to read, "they call both Argaeus and Pausanias the son of Archelaus."[32] However, not all historians are in agreement and the claim remains largely unverifiable.[33][34]
^Modern scholars disagree on whether Ptolemy should be considered a king in his own right or simply regent for Perdiccas III.[38] The confusion stems from contradictory comments by our primary sources: Plutarch refers to Ptolemy as a regent in Pelopidas, yet Diodorus refers to him as king.[39] As noted by Hammond, all coins from this period bear the name Perdiccas rather than Ptolemy, suggesting a non-royal status for the latter.[40] Moreover, the demotic 'Alorus' implies that Ptolemy was not an Argead and therefore would be ineligible for the throne.[41]
^It is unclear who ruled Macedonia in the short time between Sosthenes death and Antigonus's accession. Porphyry mentions a Ptolemy and an Arrhidaeus having some kind of authority.[60]
^Pyrrhus's reign, brief and unpopular, is omitted from Porphyry's list of Macedonian kings and is mentioned only in Syncellus's Chronography[62]
Aristotle (1932). "Politics". Aristotle in 23 Volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Vol. 21. Translated by Rackham, Harris (1944 ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Diodorus Siculus (1963–1971). Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Translated by Oldfather, Charles H.; et al. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Herodotus (1920–1925). The Histories. Loeb Classical Library. Translated by Godley, A. D. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
Livy (1919). The History of Rome. Translated by Foster, Benjamin. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Plutarch (1923). Plutarch's Lives. Translated by Perrin, Bernadotte. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Thucydides (1874). The Peloponnesian War. Translated by Crawley, Richard (1910 ed.). New York: J. M. Dent & E. P. Dutton. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
Christesen, Paul; Murray, Sarah C. (2010). "Macedonian Religion". In Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (eds.). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 428–445. ISBN978-1-4051-7936-2.
Eder, Walter; Renger, Johannes, eds. (2006). Chronologies of the Ancient World. Boston: Brill. ISBN9789004153202.
Fox, Robin Lane (2011b). "Philip of Macedon: Accession, Ambitions, and Self-Presentation". In Fox, Robin Lane (ed.). Brill's Companion to Ancient Macedon: Studies in the Archaeology and History of Macedon, 650 BC – 300 AD. Leiden: Brill. pp. 335–366. ISBN978-90-04-20650-2.
Gabbert, Janice J. (1997). Antigonus II Gonatas: A Political Biography. Routledge. ISBN9780415018999.
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