List of kings of Macedonia

Macedonia (also known as Macedon) was an ancient kingdom centered on the present-day region of Macedonia in northern Greece, inhabited by the Ancient Macedonians. At various points in its history the kingdom proper encompassed parts of the present-day Republic of North Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria and Turkish Thrace. It emerged as the dominant power in Greece during the 4th century BC, when King Philip II successfully united the Greek city-states, such as Athens and Thebes, into the Corinthian League. Philip's son, Alexander the Great, conquered the Persian Empire a few years later. The Kingdom of Macedonia itself soon lost direct control of Alexander's vast Asian territories during the Wars of the Diadochi, but it broadly retained its rule over Greece itself until defeated by the Roman Republic in the Macedonian Wars (215–148 BC)

Alexander the Great (r. 336–323 BC), the most famous Macedonian king

Argead dynasty (9th century BC?–310 BC)

Main article: Argead dynasty

The Argead dynasty is traditionally held to have been founded in the late ninth century BC^[1][2] but estimates vary, some placing foundation as late as the mid-7th century BC.^[3] Rival ancient traditions give different lineages for the kings preceding the earliest historically verified ruler (Amyntas I).^[4]

• Caranus (probably legendary)^[4][5]
• Coenus (probably legendary)^[5]
• Tyrimmas (probably legendary)^[5]
• Perdiccas I, unknown dates^[3]
• Argaeus I, unknown dates, son of Perdiccas I^[3]
• Philip I, unknown dates, son of Argaeus I^[3]
• Aeropus I, unknown dates, son of Philip I^[3]
• Alcetas I, unknown dates, son of Aeropus I^[3]
• Amyntas I, ?–497 BC, son of Alcetas I;^[3] earliest king firmly established in the historical record^[4]
• Alexander I 'Philhellenos',^[6] 497–454 BC, son of Amyntas I^[3]
• Alcetas II, 454–448 BC, son of Alexander I^[6]
• Perdiccas II, 448–413 BC, son of Alexander I^[3]
• Archelaus I 'Philhellenos',^[6] 413–399 BC,^[7] son of Perdiccas II^[3]
• Archelaus II, c. 399 BC?,^[8] son of Archelaus I
• Orestes, 399–397 BC,^[7] son of Archelaus I^[3]
• Aeropus II, 397–394 BC,^[7] son of Perdiccas II^[3]
• Amyntas II 'the Little', 394–393 BC,^[7] grandson of Alexander I^[3]
• Pausanias, 394–393 BC,^[7] son of Aeropus II^[3]
• Amyntas III (first reign), 393–385 BC,^[7] great-grandson of Alexander I^[3]
• Argaeus II, 385–383 BC,^[7] son of Archelaus I^[3]
• Amyntas III (second reign), 383–370 BC,^[7] retook the throne^[3]
• Alexander II, 370–368 BC,^[7] son of Amyntas III^[3]
  • Ptolemy of Aloros (regent), 368–365 BC,^[7] son of Amyntas II^[3]
• Perdiccas III, 365–359 BC,^[7] son of Amyntas III^[3]
• Amyntas IV, 359–357 BC, son of Perdiccas III^[3]
• Philip II, 357–336 BC, son of Amyntas III^[3]
• Alexander III 'the Great', 336–323 BC, son of Philip II^[9]
• Philip III Arrhidaeus, 323–317 BC, son of Philip II^[9]
  • Perdiccas (regent), 323–321/320 BC
  • Peithon and Arrhidaeus (regents), 320 BC
  • Antipater (regent), 320–319 BC
  • Polyperchon (regent), 319–317 BC
• Alexander IV, 323–310 BC, son of Alexander III^[9]
  • Olympias (regent; sometimes counted as queen regnant),^[9] 317–316 BC, mother of Alexander III^[9]
  • Cassander (regent), 315–305 BC; later king^[9]

Antipatrid dynasty (305–294 BC)

Main article: Antipatrid dynasty

• Cassander, 305–297 BC, son of the previous regent Antipater^[9] and son-in-law of Philip II^[10]
• Philip IV, 297 BC, son of Cassander^[9] and grandson of Philip II^[10]
• Antipater I,^[7] 297–294 BC (with Alexander V), son of Cassander^[9] and grandson of Philip II^[10]
• Alexander V, 297–294 BC (with Antipater II), son of Cassander^[9] and grandson of Philip II^[10]

Dynastic conflicts (294–272 BC)

• Demetrius I 'Poliorcetes', 294–288 BC, son of the diadochus Antigonus I Monophthalmus^[9] and brother-in-law of Cassander^[11]
• Pyrrhus of Epirus (first reign), 288–285 BC (with Lysimachus),^[9] non-dynastic (king of Epirus)
• Lysimachus, 288–281 BC,^[9] diadochus
• Seleucus 'Nicator', 281 BC,^[9] diadochus
• Ptolemy 'Ceraunus', 281–279 BC,^[9] son of the diadochus Ptolemy I Soter
• Meleager, 279 BC,^[7] brother of Ptolemy Ceraunus
• Antipater II 'Etesias', 279 BC,^[7] nephew of Cassander
  • Sosthenes (strategos), 279–277 BC^[7]
• Antigonus II 'Gonatas'^[a] (first reign), 277–274 BC,^[7] son of Demetrius I^[9] and son-in-law of Seleucus^[11]
• Pyrrhus of Epirus (second reign), 274–272 BC,^[7] retook the throne

Antigonid dynasty (272–168 BC)

Main article: Antigonid dynasty

• Antigonus II 'Gonatas' (second reign), 272–239 BC,^[7] retook the throne
• Demetrius II 'Aetolicus', 239–229 BC, son of Antigonus II^[9]
• Antigonus III 'Doson', 229–222 BC, grandson of Demetrius I^[9]
• Philip V, 222–179 BC, son of Demetrius II^[9]
• Perseus, 179–168 BC, son of Philip V^[9]

Non-dynastic rebel kings

• Philip VI Andriscus^[12] (Andriscus; Pseudo-Philip), 150–148 BC, claimed to be a son of Perseus^[13]
• Alexander VI^[12] (Pseudo-Alexander), 148 BC, claimed to be a son of Perseus^[14]
• Philip VII / Perseus II (Pseudo-Philip^[15] or Pseudo-Perseus),^[16] 143/142 BC, claimed Antigonid heritage and supported by Thracian allies^[15]
• Euphantus, 93 BC, claimed Antigonid heritage;^[15] apprehended before uprising began^[17]

Family tree

Simplified family tree of the Argead, Antipatrid and Antigonid dynasties (omitting non-dynastic kings)

Perdiccas I Argaeus I Philip I Aeropus I Alcetas I Amyntas I ?–497 BC Alexander I 497–454 BC Alcetas II 454–448 BC Perdiccas II 448–413 BC Philip Amyntas Archelaus I 413–399 BC Aeropus II 397–394 BC Amyntas II 394–393 BC Arrhidaeus Archelaus II 399 BC Orestes 399–397 BC Argaeus II 385–383 BC Pausanias 394–393 BC Ptolemy Amyntas III 393–370 BC Alexander II 370–368 BC Perdiccas III 365–359 BC Philip II 357–336 BC Antipater Antigonus I Amyntas IV 359–357 BC Philip III 323–317 BC Alexander III 336–323 BC Thessalonike Cassander 305–297 BC Philip Phila Demetrius I 294–288 BC Ptolemais Alexander IV 323–310 BC Philip IV 297 BC Antipater I 297–294 BC Alexander V 297–294 BC Antipater II 279 BC Antigonus II 277–239 BC Demetrius Demetrius II 239–229 BC Antigonus III 229–222 BC Philip V 222–179 BC Perseus 179–168 BC

Notes

1. Enumerated after Antigonus I Monophthalmus; should technically be Antigonus I since Monophthalmus never ruled Macedonia itself, but numbering him as Antigonus II is conventional.^[9]

References

1. Anson, Edward M. (2013-04-11). Alexander the Great: Themes and Issues. A&C Black. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-8264-4521-6.
2. Dietze, Carola; Verhoeven, Claudia (2021). The Oxford Handbook of the History of Terrorism. Oxford University Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-19-985856-9.
3. Morby, John (2014). "Macedonia, Kingdom of". Dynasties of the World. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-251848-4.
4. Michael Gagarin (2009). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. Oxford University Press. p. 229. ISBN 978-0-19-517072-6.
5. Martēs, Nikolaos K. (1992). The Falsification of Macedonian History. Euroekdotiki. p. 23.
6. Иљовски, Ристо (2003). Кој и кога владеел со Македонија (in Macedonian). Ina Komerc. pp. 31, 35. ISBN 978-9989-138-01-0.
7. Strootman, Strootman Rolf (2020). "The Hellenistic Dynasties". Courts and Elites in the Hellenistic Empires: The Near East After the Achaemenids, c. 330 to 30 BCE. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-9128-9.
8. Stylianou, P. J.; Stylianou, Research Associate P. J.; Diodorus (Siculus.) (1998). A Historical Commentary on Diodorus Siculus, Book 15. Clarendon Press. p. 33. ISBN 978-0-19-815239-2.
9. Shipley, Graham (2014). "Appendix I: Dynastic Chronologies". The Greek World After Alexander 323–30 BC. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-06538-7.
10. Waldherr, Kris (2008). Doomed Queens: Royal Women Who Met Bad Ends, From Cleopatra to Princess Di. Crown. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-0-7679-3103-8.
11. Rawlinson, George (1869). A Manual of Ancient History from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire, Comprising the History of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judea, Egypt, Carthage, Persia, Greece, Macedonia, Rome, and Parthia by George Rawlinson. Clarendon. p. 569.
12. Čausidis, Nikos (1995). Macedonia: Cultural Heritage. Misla. p. 58. ISBN 978-9989-39-021-0.
13. Palairet, Michael (2016). Macedonia: A Voyage through History (Vol. 1, From Ancient Times to the Ottoman Invasions). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-1-4438-8843-1.
14. Paliouras, Athanasios D. (1998). Macedonia. Hellenic National Line. p. 67.
15. Evangelidis, Vassilis (2022). The Archaeology of Roman Macedonia: Urban and Rural Environments. Oxbow Books. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-1-78925-803-5.
16. Hatzopoulos, Miltiades B. (2020). Ancient Macedonia. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. p. 229. ISBN 978-3-11-071868-3.
17. Pandelis Nigdelis "Roman Macedonia (168 BC - AD 284)"

See also

• List of ancient Macedonians