| Royal Title: | King |
| Realm: | Macedonia |
| Coatofarms: | Vergina Sun WIPO.svg |
| Coatofarmscaption: | The Vergina Sun, as depicted on the larnax of Philip II |
| First Monarch: | Perdiccas I |
| Last Monarch: | Perseus |
| Style: | King of the Macedonians, Basileus |
| Residence: | Aegae, Pella, and Demetrias |
| Ended: | 168 BC |
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.
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". 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 or, accordingly to Herodotus, were of a Doric race that originally resided in Pindus.[1] 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.
See main article: Argead dynasty.
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. The later tradition first emerged around the beginning of the fourth century BC and claimed that Caranus, rather than Perdiccas, was the founder. Aside from Satyrus, who adds Coenus and Tyrimmas to the list, Marsyas of Pella, Theopompos, and Justin all agree that Caranus was Perdiccas' father. Furthermore, Plutarch claimed in his biography of Alexander the Great that all of his sources agreed that Caranus was the founder. 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.
| Reign | Succession | Life details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Caranus | Unknown | According to various ancient authors, either the son, brother, or relative of the Argive king Pheidon | ||
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Coenus | Unknown | Son of Caranus | ||
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Tyrimmas | Unknown | Son of Coenus |
Herodotus mentions the names of the five kings preceding Amyntas I, but provides no other information. 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. 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.
| Reign | Succession | Life details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perdiccas I | According to various ancient authors, either the son of Caranus or Tyrimmas | Conquered Macedonia after settling near Mount Bermion. | ||
| Argaeus I | Son of Perdiccas I | Possibly established the cult of Dionysus in Macedonia | ||
| Philip I | Son of Argaeus I | |||
| Aeropus I | Son of Philip I | |||
| Alcetas | Son of Aeropus I | |||
| Amyntas I | – 498/7 | Son of Alcetas | Unknown – 498/7 First king for which there is reliable historical information; vassal of Darius I from 512. | |
| Alexander I "Philhellene" | 498/7 – 454 (43 years) | Son of Amyntas I | Unknown – 454 Intensified Macedon's relationship with Greece following Persian withdrawal in 479. | |
| Perdiccas II | 454 – 413 (41 years) | Son of Alexander I | Unknown – 413 Fought both for and against Athens during the Peloponnesian War; died probably of natural causes. | |
| Archelaus | 413 – 399 (14 years) | Son of Perdiccas II | 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. | |
| Orestes | 399 – 398/7 (3 years) | Son of Archelaus | Unknown – 398/7 Minority reign until removal in 398/7; possibly murdered by Aeropus II, his guardian, but facts are uncertain. | |
| Aeropus II | 398/7 – 395/4 (3 years) | Son of Perdiccas II | Unknown – 395/4 Died of illness | |
| Amyntas II "the Little" | 394/3 (Several months) | Son of Menelaus, Alexander I's second son | 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. | |
| Pausanias | 394/3(Several months) | Son of Aeropus II | Unknown – 394/3 Probably ruled at the same time as Amyntas II; sources for reign are few, but likely murdered by Amyntas III. | |
| (1st reign) Amyntas III | 393 (Less than a year) | Great grandson of Alexander I through his third son, Amyntas | Unknown – 369 Held kingdom together despite multiple Illyrian invasions; died of natural causes. | |
| Argaeus II | 393? (disputed) | Pretender to the throne installed by the Illyrians under Bardylis; possibly the son of Archelaus | Unknown Expelled by Amyntas III with Thesallian help. | |
| (2nd reign) Amyntas III | 393 – 369 (18 years) | Great grandson of Alexander I through his third son, Amyntas | Unknown – 369 Held kingdom together despite multiple Illyrian invasions; died of natural causes. | |
| Alexander II | 369 – 368 (2 years) | Eldest son of Amyntas III | – 368 (aged 22) Assassinated by Ptolemy of Aloros following Theban military intervention under Pelopidas. | |
| Ptolemy of Aloros | 368 – 365 (3 years; disputed) | Possibly the son of Amyntas II; acted as regent for Perdiccas III | – 365 (aged 53) Assassinated by Perdiccas III | |
| Perdiccas III | 365 – 360/59 (6 years) | Son of Amyntas III | – 360/59 (aged 24) Killed in battle against the Illyrians | |
| Amyntas IV | 360/59 (disputed) | Son of Perdiccas III | – 335 (aged 30) Never ruled in his own right; later murdered by Alexander III. | |
| Philip II | 360/59 – 336 (23 years) | Son of Amyntas III | 382 – 336 (aged 47) Would come to dominate Ancient Greece through a massive expansion of Macedonian power; assassinated by Pausanias of Orestis. | |
| Alexander III "the Great" | 336 – 323 (13 years) | Son of Philip II | 356 – 10/11 June 323 (aged 33) Conquered the entirety of the Persian Empire; died of illness at Babylon | |
| Philip III Arrhidaeus | 323 – 317 (6 years) | Son of Philip II; co-ruler with Alexander IV | – 317 (aged 41) 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. | |
| Alexander IV | 323 – 310 (13 years) | Son of Alexander III; co-ruler with Philip III | 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. | |
See main article: Antipatrid dynasty.
| Reign | Succession | Life details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Cassander | 310 – 297 (13 years) | Son of the regent Antipater and son-in-law of Philip II | – 297 (aged 59) Died of illness (possibly tuberculosis) | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Philip IV | 297(4 months) | Son of Cassander | Unknown – 297 Died of illness (possibly tuberculosis) | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Antipater I | 297 – 294 (3 years) | Son of Cassander; co-ruler with Alexander until Antipater murdered their mother, Thessalonike, for favoring his brother. | Unknown – 294 Killed by his father-in-law, Lysimachus | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Alexander V | 297 – 294 (3 years) | Son of Cassander; co-ruler with his brother Antipater. | Unknown – 294 Assassinated by Demetrius I |
See also: Wars of the Diadochi.
| Reign | Succession | Life details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Demetrius I "Poliocretes" | 294 – 288 (6 years) | Proclaimed king by army in Larissa following Alexander V's assassination; son of the diadochos Antigonus and brother-in-law of Cassander through Phila | January/February 336 – 282 (aged 54) Surrendered to Seleucus I Nicator in 285, died of illness in captivity a few years later. | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | (1st reign) Pyrrhus of Epirus | 288 – 285 (3 years) | Usurped throne following joint invasion of Macedonia with Lysimachus and Ptolemy; non-dynastic. | – 272 (aged 46) Killed at the Battle of Argos | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Lysimachus | 287 – 281 (6 years) | Ruled only the eastern half of the kingdom until 285 when he seized the whole of Macedonia; non-dynastic. | – 281 (aged 79) Killed at the Battle of Corupedium | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Ptolemy "Ceraunus" | 281 – 279 (2 years) | Assassinated Seleucus before he entered Macedon and was proclaimed king at Lysimachia; son of Ptolemy I Soter. | – February 279 (aged approx. 40)[2] Captured and beheaded by an invading Celtic army | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Meleager | 279 (2 months) | Elected king following the death of Ceraunus; son of Ptolemy I Soter. | Unknown Deposed by Macedonians after accusations of inadequacy | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Antipater II "Etesias" | 279 (45 days) | Elected king following Meleager's removal; nephew of Cassander | Unknown Removed by Sosthenes for failing to lead the army | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Sosthenes | 279 – 277 (2 years) | Strategos and de facto king of Macedon, but refused royal title despite election; non-dynastic | Unknown – 277 Died of natural causes | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | (1st reign) Antigonus II "Gonatas" | 277 – 274 (3 years) | Seized Macedonia by the middle of 276 in the chaos that followed the death of Sosthenes; son of Demetrius I and son-in-law of Seleucus I Nicator | 319 – 239 (aged 80) Died of natural causes | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | (2nd reign) Pyrrhus of Epirus | 274 – 272 (disputed) | Retook Thessaly and the interior of Macedonia, but remained unable to oust Antigonus from the coastal areas | – 272 (aged 46) Killed at the Battle of Argos |
See main article: Antigonid dynasty.
See also: Macedonian Wars and Battle of Pydna.
| Reign | Succession | Life details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | (2nd reign) Antigonus II "Gonatas" | 272 – 239 (33 years) | Son of Demetrius I and son-in-law of Seleucus I Nicator | 319 – 239 (aged 80) Died of natural causes | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Demetrius II | 239 – 229 (10 years) | Son of Antigonus II | – 229 (aged approx. 45) Defeated in battle by the Dardanians, died shortly after in unknown circumstances. | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Antigonus III "Doson" | 229 – 221 (8 years) | 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 | – 221 (aged approx. 42) Suffering from tuberculosis, Antigonus burst a blood vessel following a battle with the Illyrians and died some months later. | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Philip V | 221 – 179 (42 years) | Son of Demetrius II | 239 – 179 (aged 60) Died suddenly of natural causes | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Perseus I | 179 – 168 (11 years) | Son of Philip V | 212 – 166 (aged 46) Surrendered to Aemilius Paullus following defeat at Pydna and imprisoned at Alba Fucens for the remainder of his life. |
See also: Fourth Macedonian War and Macedonia (Roman province).
| Reign | Succession | Life details | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Andriscus (Philip VI) | 150 – 148 (2 years) | Claimed to be a son of Perseus | Unknown – 146 Executed during the triumph of Caecilius Metellus; last king to rule in Macedonia | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Pseudo-Alexander (Alexander VI) | 148 | Claimed to be a son of Perseus | Unknown Fled to Dardania following military defeat whereafter his fate is unknown | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Pseudo-Philip/Pseudo-Perseus (Philip VII/Perseus II) | 143 | Rose against the Romans with 16,000 men; claimed to be the son of Perseus | Unknown – 143 Defeated, and presumably executed, by Lucius Tremellius Scrofa | |
| scope=row style="text-align:center; background:#F8F9FA;" | Euephenes | 93 | Styled himself as king, but apprehended before uprising began; claimed Antigonid Heritage | Unknown |
Primary sources
Secondary sources