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

Macedonian Dynasties[1][2]

Argead dynasty (650 – 310 BC)
Main article: Argead dynasty

The Argeads, or the Argeadae as they were originally known, began in the territory north of Mount Olympus as one of many Macedonian tribes. The Argeads themselves claimed descent from the royal house of Argos, the Temenids, but this story is viewed with skepticism by modern scholarship as a fiction invented by the Argead court to impress the Greeks.[3][4] Therefore, Caranus, Coenus, and Tyrimmas are not included in the list below.

Name Reign Succession Life details
Perdiccas I 650 – 620 BC Unknown – 230 BC
Exiled from Argos alongside his two brothers, Perdiccas settled near Mount Bermion from where he subdued all of Macedonia.[5]
Argaeus I Unknown Reign Son of Perdiccas I Unknown – Unknown
Possibly established the cult of Dionysus in Macedonia, but this is likely a later invention by Polyaenus to explain the Macedonian's long-standing association with the wine god.[4]
Philip I Unknown Reign Son of Argaeus I Unknown – Unknown
Aeropus I Unknown Reign Son of Philip I Unknown – Unknown
Alcetas I Unknown Reign Son of Aeropus I Unknown – Unknown
Amyntas I end 6th – ca.498 Son of Alcetas I Unknown – 498
First king for which we have reliable historical information; vassal of Darius I from 512.
Alexander I "Philhellene" 498 – 454 Son of Amyntas I
Perdiccas II 454 – 413 Son of Alexander I
Archelaus I 413 – 399 Son of Perdiccas II
Orestes 399 – 398 Son of Archelaus I
Aeropus II 398 – 395 Possibly the son of Perdiccas II
Amyntas II "the Little" 395 – 394 Possibly the son of Archelaus I
Pausanias 394 – 393 Son of Aeropus II
Amyntas III 393 – 385, 383 – 370 Great grandson of Alexander I through his fourth son, Amyntas
Argaeus II 385 – 383 Pretender
Alexander II 370 – 367 Son of Amyntas III
Ptolemy of Aloros 367 – 365 Possibly the son of Amyntas II, but regent usurper
Perdiccas III 365 – 359 Son of Amyntas III
Amyntas IV 359 Son of Perdiccas III
Philip II 359 – 336 Son of Amyntas III
Alexander III "the Great" 336 – 310 Son of Philip II
Philip III Arrhidaeus 323 – 317 Son of Philip II Owing to his diminished mental capacity, Philip never ruled in his own right. Instead he went through a series of regents: Perdiccas (323–320), Peithon and Arrhidaeus (320) & Antipater (320–319), and Polyperchon (319–317).
Alexander IV 323 – 310 Son of Alexander III Due to his age, Alexander never ruled in his own right. Alexander III's mother, Olympias, and Cassander ruled in his stead until the latter had Alexander assassinated.

Antipatrid dynasty (305–294 BC)[6][7]
Main article: Antipatrid dynasty
Name Reign Succession Life details
Cassander 305 – 297 Son of the regent Antipater and son-in-law of Philip II 355 – 297
Philip IV 297 Son of Cassander Unknown – 297
Antipater I 305 – 294 Son of Cassander; co-ruler with his brother Alexander until Antipater had their mother, Thessalonike, murdered. Unknown – 287
Alexander V 305 – 294 Son of Cassander; co-ruler with his brother Antipater. Unknown – 294

Dynastic conflicts (294–272 BC)
See also: Wars of the Diadochi
Name Reign Succession Life details
Demetrius I "Poliocretes" 294 – 287 Proclaimed king by army in Larissa following Alexander V assassination; son of the diadochus Antigonus I and brother-in-law of Cassander through Phila[8] 337 – 283
(1st reign)
Pyrrhus of Epirus		 287 – 285 Usurped throne following joint invasion of Macedonia with Lysimachus and Ptolemy; non-dynastic. c. 319 – 272
Lysimachus 287 – 281 Ruled only the eastern half of the kingdom until 285 when he seized the whole of Macedonia; non-dynastic. c.360 – 281
Killed at the Battle of Corupedium
Ptolemy "Ceraunus" 281 – 279 Assassinated Seleucus before he entered Macedon and was proclaimed king at Lysimachia; son of Ptolemy I Soter.[9] c. 319 – 279
Meleager 279
(two months)[10]		 Elected king following the death of Ceraunus; son of Ptolemy I Soter. Unknown – Unknown

Deposed by Macedonians after accusations of inadequacy

Antipater II "Etesias" 279
(45 days)[10]		 Elected king following Meleager's removal; nephew of Cassander Unknown – Unknown

Removed by Sosthenes for failing to lead the army

Sosthenes 279 – 277 Strategos and de facto king of Macedon, but refused royal title despite election; non-dynastic Unknown – 277
(1st reign)
Antigonus II "Gonatas"		 277 – 274 Seized Macedonia by the middle of 276 in the chaos[lower-alpha 1] that followed the death of Sosthenes; son of Demetrius I and son-in-law of Seleucus I Nicator c. 320 – 239
(2nd reign)
Pyrrhus of Epirus		 274 – 272
(disputed)[lower-alpha 2]		 Retook Thessaly and the interior of Macedonia, but remained unable to oust Antigonus from the coastal areas 319 – 272

Antigonid dynasty (272–168 BC)
Main article: Antigonid dynasty
See also: Macedonian Wars and Battle of Pydna
Name Reign Succession Life details
(2nd reign)
Antigonus II "Gonatas"		 272 – 239 Son of the regent Antipater and son-in-law of Philip II 320 – 239
Demetrius II 239 – 229 Son of Antigonus II 275 – 229
Antigonus III "Doson" 229 – 221 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[13] 275 – 221
Philip V 221 – 179 Son of Demetrius II 238 – 179
Perseus 179 – 168 Son of Philip V 212 – 166

Surrendered to Aemilius Paullus following defeat at Pydna and imprisoned at Alba Fucens for the remainder of his life.[14][15]

Non-dynastic rebel kings (150–93 BC)
See also: Fourth Macedonian War and Macedonia (Roman province)
Name Reign Succession Life details
Andriscus 150 – 148 Also known as Pseudo-Philip; claimed to be a son of Perseus Unknown – 146

Executed during the triumph of Caecilius Metellus; last king to rule in Macedonia

Pseudo-Alexander 148 Also known as Alexander VI; claimed to be a son of Perseus Unknown – Unknown

Fled to Dardania following military defeat whereafter his fate is unknown

Pseudo-Philip/Pseudo-Perseus 143 Rose against the Romans with 16,000 men; claimed to be the son of Perseus[16] Unknown – 143

Defeated, and presumably executed, by Lucius Tremellius Scrofa

Euephenes 93 Styled himself as king, but apprehended before uprising began; claimed Antigonid Heritage[16] Unknown – Unknown

Family tree

Notes
  1. 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.[11]
  2. Pyrrhus's reign, brief and unpopular, is omitted from Porphyry's list of Macedonian kings and is mentioned only in Syncellus's Chronography[12]

References
  1. Eder, Walter; Renger, Johannes, eds. (2006). Chronologies of the Ancient World: Names, Dates, and Dynasties. Boston: Brill. pp. 188–190.
  2. Morby, John (1989). Dynasties of the World: A Chronological and Genealogical Handbook. Oxford University Press. pp. 29–30.
  3. Chronologies 2006, p.188.
  4. Christesen, Paul; Murray, Sarah (2010). "Macedonian Religion". In Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (eds.). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 432.
  5. Herodotus (1920). The Histories. Translated by Godley, A.D. Harvard University Press. pp. 8.138.3.
  6. Eder, Walter; Renger, Johannes, eds. (2006). Chronologies of the Ancient World: Names, Dates, and Dynasties. Boston: Brill. pp. 188–190.
  7. Morby, John (1989). Dynasties of the World: A Chronological and Genealogical Handbook. Oxford University Press. pp. 29–30.
  8. Hammond, N. G. L. (1988). A History of Macedonia Volume III: 336-167 B.C. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 217.
  9. Hammond 1988, p. 242-243
  10. Hammond 1988, p. 253
  11. Hammond 1988, p. 256.
  12. Hammond 1988, p. 262.
  13. Plutarch. "8.2". Aemilius Paulus. Plutarch's Lives. Translated by Bernadotte, Perrin (1918). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
  14. Plutarch Aem. 37
  15. Livy. "45.42.4". The History of Rome. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press (1951).
  16. Pandelis Nigdelis "Roman Macedonia (168 BC - AD 284)"

See also
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