Pausanias | |
Succession: | King of Macedonia |
Reign: | [1] |
Predecessor: | Amyntas II |
Successor: | Amyntas III |
Dynasty: | Argead |
Father: | Aeropus II |
Mother: | unknown |
Birth Date: | ? |
Death Date: | 393/2 BC |
Religion: | Ancient Greek religion |
Pausanias (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Παυσανίας Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Pausanías) was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon for around a year, from 394/3 to 393/2. He was the son of Aeropus II and an unknown mother, but he did not succeed his father when Aeropus died in July or August 394/3 BC.[2] Instead, Amyntas II ruled Macedonia for several months before being assassinated in August or September 394/3 by the Elimieotan Derdas.[3] According to Diodorus, Pausanias himself was assassinated sometime in 393/2 by Amyntas III, who then succeeded him as King of Macedonia.[4] However, Diodorus also entirely omits the reign of Amyntas II who all other ancient sources and modern scholars agree ruled before Pausanias.[5] [6]
There is a minority view among scholars that Aeropus II was a Lyncestian prince, rather than an Argead, who married into the dynasty, therefore enabling him later to become regent for Orestes.[7] Of course, this implies that Pausanias was not an Argead as well. However, the majority of historians believe Aeropus to be Perdiccas II's son and thus a member of the dynasty.[8] [9] [10]