Kingdoms of Greece - Macedonians


Macedonia / Macedon Of Hellenic stock, and claiming legendary descent from the Dorians who conquered Sparta, the Macedonians probably arrived in the northernmost parts of Greece on the tail-end of the Dorian influx during the period 800-700 BC, coming in from the west and driving the Thracians out of Mygdonia in the process. Neighbouring Epirus on their western border, later a Hellenic kingdom in its own right, and Thrace to the east, the Macedonians were an aggressive people, perfectly suited to the more mountainous land in which they settled. While they later become more Hellenised from the fourth century, the more southerly Greeks regarded them as being rough and ready, still semi-barbarians.
	Temenus		Legendary son of Aristomachus of Sparta.
808 - 778 BC	Caranus / Karanus		Son.
	Comus / Koinos
	Tyrmas / Tyrimmas
c.700 - 678 BC	Perdiccas I		First historical king.

ARGAED KINGS OF MACEDONIA A kingdom only emerged from around the end of the eighth century under the Argaed line, and either Perdiccas or Argaeus established a capital at Aigai (modern Vergina, near Veria). Until the fourth century the kingdom occupied an area approximately the same as the modern Greek province of Macedonia.
678 - 640 BC	Argaeus I		Founder of the Argaed line.
640 - 602 BC	Philip I
602 - 576 BC	Aeropus I
576 - 547 BC	Alcetas I
547 - 498 BC	Amyntas I
542 - c.494 BC	There is a brief period of overlordship under Persia, before Macedonia manages to break free under the rule of Alexander I. Macedonia begins to expand its territory, taking Eordaia, Bottiaea, Pieria, Mygdonia, and Almopia.
498 - 454 BC	Alexander I
454 - 413 BC	Perdiccas II
413 - 399 BC	Archelaus
399 BC	Craterus
399 - 396 BC	Orestes		Son of Archelaus.
399 - 396 BC		Aeropus II	Guardian of Orestes.
396 - 393 BC	Archelaus II		Patron of the arts and literature.
393 - 392 BC	A period of confusion follows the death of Archelaus II.
393 BC	Amyntas II
393 BC	Pausanias
393 BC	Amyntas III
393 - 392 BC	Argaeus II
392 - 370 BC	Amyntas III		Restored.
	Amyntas III creates a fully unified Macedonian state which heralds a period of greatness.
370 - 368 BC	Alexander II
368 - 365 BC	Ptolemy I
365 - 360 BC	Perdiccas III
360 - 359 BC	Amyntas IV
359 - 338 BC	Philip II		Brother.
359 BC	Philip makes an alliance with Cotys of the Thracian Odrysian kingdom.
352 - 343 BC	The new ruler of the Odrysian kingdom makes an enemy of Philip so he makes a successful expedition into Thrace, gaining ascendancy for a time. A second expedition in 343 BC gains him complete control in Thrace.
341 BC	Macedonia completes its conquest of Southern Thrace.
338 BC	Philip defeats the Greek states at the Battle of Chaeronea and gains overlordship over all of Greece, including Athens and Sparta.

GREAT KINGS OF MACEDONIA The Macedonians reached their greatest extent under Alexander the Great before the kingdom broke up into several Hellenic sections. Alexander's successors held no real power, being mere figureheads for the generals who really held control of Alexander's empire, and during the course of civil wars and negotiations for control of various sections, the territories were divided up into separate kingdoms which were firmly established by 305 BC.
338 - 323 BC	Alexander III the Great		Son. Born 366 BC.
336 BC	The Thracians revolt against Macedonian rule so Alexander mounts a campaign which conquers two of their tribes, bringing capitulation from the rest.
334 BC	The post-Mycenaean colony of Lydia in Asia Minor is conquered, as is Phrygia. Between 334-330 BC Persia is also conquered, and in 333-332 BC Phoenicia is captured. In 332 BC Judah is captured from Persia.
334 - 319 BC		Antipater	Viceroy & Regent of Macedonia during Alexander's conquests.
333 - 331 BC	While Alexander is campaigning in Asia, Sparta rebels against Macedonian hegemony in Greece with allies from Elis, most of Achaea and most of Arcadia. Antipater marches a large army south and defeats the rebellion after a desperate struggle.
323 BC	Upon the death of Alexander his two successors are retained as figureheads while the empire is governed by Alexander's powerful generals. Perdiccas, the leading cavalry commander, is the first general to rule, carrying the title Regent of Macedonia, first with Meleager, head of the infantry officers, as his lieutenant, but alone after he has him murdered. Control of the empire is divided up: In the west it is made up of Ptolemy in Egypt; Laomedon in Syria and Phoenicia; Philotas in Cilicia; Peithon in Media; Antigonus in Phrygia, Lycia and Pamphylia; Asander in Caria; Menander in Lydia; Lysimachus in Thrace; Leonnatus in Hellespontine Phrygia; Neoptolemus in Armenia. Macedon and the rest of Greece fall under the joint rule of Antipater and Craterus (Alexander's most able lieutenant), while Alexander's secretary, Eumenes of Cardia, gains Cappadocia and Paphlagonia. In the east, Alexander's arrangements remain largely intact: Taxiles and Porus rule over their kingdoms in India; Alexander's father-in-law Oxyartes rules Gandara; Sibyrtius rules Arachosia and Gedrosia; Stasanor rules Aria and Drangiana; Philip rules Bactria and Sogdiana; Phrataphernes rules Parthia and Hyrcania; Peucestas governs Persis; Tlepolemus governs Carmania; Atropates governs northern Media; Archon rules Babylonia; and Arcesilas rules northern Mesopotamia.
323 - 317 BC	Philip III Arrhidaeus		Son of Philip II. Feeble-minded. Titular king.
323 - 310 BC	Alexander IV		Son of Alexander and Roxana. Titular king.
323 - 321 BC		Perdiccas	Regent of Macedonia.
322 - 320 BC	The First War of the Diadochi (the successors - the generals of Alexander's army) sees civil war break out between the generals, and Perdiccas is murdered by his own generals during an invasion of Egypt. Philip III agrees terms with the murdering generals and appoints them as regents.
320 BC		Peithon and Arrhidaeus	Regents of Macedonia.
320 BC	A new agreement with Antipater makes him regent of the empire instead and commander of the European section. Antigonus remains in charge of Phrygia, Lycia, and Pamphylia, to which is added Lycaonia, Syria and Canaan, making him commander of the Asian section. Ptolemy retains Egypt, Lysimachus retains Thrace, while the three murderers of Perdiccas - Seleucus, Peithon, and Antigenes - are given the provinces of Babylonia, Media, and Susiana respectively. Arrhidaeus, the former regent, receives Hellespontine Phrygia.
320 - 319 BC		Antipater	Renewed Regent of Macedonia.
319 - 317 BC		Polyperchon	Regent of Macedonia. Deposed in the Second Diadochian War.
319 - 315 BC	The death of Antipater leads to the Second War of the Diadochi. He had passed over his son, Cassander in favour of Polyperchon to replace him as regent but the two rivals go to war. Polyperchon allies himself to Eumenes, but is driven from Macedonia by Cassander, and flees to Epirus with the infant king Alexander IV and his mother Roxana. Philip III is killed by his stepmother in 317 BC who is then herself killed by Cassander. Cassander also captures Alexander IV and Roxana. Eumenes is defeated in Asia and murdered by his own troops. The result is that Cassander controls the European territories (including Macedonia), while the Empire of Antigonus controls those in Asia (Asia Minor, centered on Phrygia and extending as far as Susania). Polyperchon remains in control of part of the Peloponnese.
317 - 306 BC		Cassander	Regent of Macedonia. Son of Antipater. Claimed crown (305 BC).
314 - 311 BC	The Third War of the Diadochi results because the Empire of Antigonus has grown too powerful in the eyes of the other generals so Antigonus is attacked by Ptolemy (Egypt), Lysimachus (Thrace), Cassander (Macedonia), and Seleucus (Babylonia). The latter secures Babylon itself and the others conclude peace terms with Antigonus in 311 BC. Antigonus continues to fight Seleucus for Babylon but he is defeated in 309 BC and withdraws. At around the same time, Cassander murders the fourteen year-old Alexander IV and his mother, Roxana, ending the Argaed line of Macedonians.
308 - 301 BC	The Fourth War of the Diadochi soon breaks out. In 306 Antigonus proclaims himself king, so the following year the other generals do the same in their domains, and the war ends in the death of Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. Lysimachus and Seleucus divide Antigonus' Asian territories between them, with Lysimachus receiving western Asia Minor (the Lysimachian Empire, including Pergamum), and Seleucus the rest (the Seleucid Empire, including Susania), except Cilicia and Lycia, which go to Cassander's brother, Pleistarchus, and Phrygia itself, which apparently remains with or is reclaimed by Antigonus' son. Ptolemy remains secure in Hellenic Egypt and Canaan.

ANTIPATRID KINGS OF MACEDONIA Although he had been satrap (governor) of Macedonia since 317 BC, following the death of Alexander the Great and the division of his Greek Empire, Cassander only proclaimed himself king of Macedonia in 305 BC after Antigonus (of Phrygia) has assumed the same title the year previously, forcing all the other surviving generals to copy him.
305 - 297 BC	Cassander		Regent (317-305). Proclaimed king.
297 BC	Philip IV
297 - 294 BC	Alexander V		Killed by Demetrius of the Antigonids.
296 - 294 BC		Antipater II Etesias	Brother. Ousted Alexander. Overthrown by Demetrius (until 279).
294 - 288 BC	Demetrius I Poliorcetes		Antigonid king (306-285 BC).
288 BC	The position of Demetrius as king is continually threatened, and eventually the combined forces of Pyrrhus (of Epirus), Ptolemy (of Egypt) and Lysimachus (of Thrace), assisted by the disaffected among his own subjects, oblige him to leave Macedonia in 288 BC. He passes into Asia and attacks Lysimachus' provinces but famine and plague destroys much of his forces and he is abandoned by his troops on the field of battle, surrendering to Seleucus. Lysimachus and Pyrrhus share Macedonia between them.
288 - 281 BC	Lysimachus		King of Thrace. Killed by the Seleucids.
288 - 285 BC	Pyrrhus		King of Epirus.
281 BC	Ptolemy II is the eldest son of Ptolemy of Egypt (it was his younger brother who had ascended the Egyptian throne as Ptolemy II in 285 BC), and stays at the court of Lysimachus until the king is killed by Seleucus. Ptolemy makes an alliance with Pyrrhus of Epirus and marries Lysimachus' widow, Arsinoe, to gain the throne. Then he kills Arsinoe's two sons and Arsinoe flees to Egypt to marry her brother-in-law.
281 - 279 BC	Ptolemy II Ceraunus		Ruler of the Lysimachian Empire.
279 BC	Meleager		Brother. Deposed after 2 months.
279 BC	Antipater II Etesias		Son of Cassander. Restored. Killed by Sosthenes.
279 - 277 BC	Sosthenes		Cousin. Army commander. Killed
277 BC	During the invasion of Galatian Celts the vacant throne is claimed by Antigonus II.

ANTIGONID KINGS OF MACEDONIA Antigonus II of the Antigonids who were originally based in Phrygia destroyed an army of invading Galatian Celts in 277 BC and was able to claim the vacant Macedonian throne as a result, founding a new ruling house in Macedonia that would last until Roman occupation ended independent rule.
277 - 274 BC	Antigonus II Gonatas (Antikini)		Son of Demetrius of the Antigonids.
267 - 261 BC	The Chremonidean War sees Antigonus lose control of most of the Greek city states to the south, including Athens and Sparta. However, he successfully restores order and prosperity in Macedonia.
274 - 272 BC	Pyrrhus of Epirus		Restored. King of Epirus.
272 - 239 BC	Antigonus II Gonatas		Restored.
239 - 229 BC	Demetrius II Aetolicus		Son.
229 - 221 BC	Antigonus III Doson
	Antigonus III builds on his father's gains by re-establishing Macedonian power across the region. In 222 BC he overwhelms the Spartans at the battle of Sellasia.
221 - 179 BC	Philip V
215 - 205 BC	During the Second Punic War, Philip allies himself to Carthage. To avoid a possible reinforcement of Hannibal by Macedonia, Rome dispatches a force to tie down the Macedonians in the First Macedonian War. The war ends indecisively in 205 BC with the Treaty of Phoenice. Even though it is only a minor conflict, it opens the way for later Roman military intervention in Greece.
202 BC	Philip conquers the kingdom of Thrace and permanently appends it to Macedonia.
200 - 196 BC	The Second Macedonian War is triggered by apparently falsified claims by Pergamum and Rhodes of a secret treaty between Macedonia and the Seleucid Empire. Rome launches an attack and after a spell of indecisive conflict, Philip is defeated at the Battle of Cynoscephalae in 197 BC.
179 - 168 BC	Perseus		Son. Persuaded Philip to kill his pro-Roman brother, Demetrius.
172 - 168 BC	Perseus and Rome renew fighting in the Third Macedonian War.
168 - 150 BC	Roman rule of Macedonia and Thrace follows the defeat of Perseus. The Antigonids are removed from power and the kingdom is dismantled and replaced by four republics.
149 - 148 BC	Andriscus		Son? Attempted to restore the monarchy. Defeated by Rome.
150 - 148 BC	Philip VI		Not shown in all lists.
150 - 148 BC	Andriscus leads a popular uprising against Rome in the Fourth Macedonian War, but the legions put it down in 148 BC and establish a permanent residence in Greece. The Achaean League of Greek states rises up against this presence and is swiftly destroyed. Rome destroys Corinth as an object lesson and annexes Greece & Macedonia, incorporating them into the Roman Province of Macedonia.

AD 395	Greece becomes the central segment of the Eastern Roman Empire.

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