European Kingdoms

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.

Argead Kings of Macedonia

A kingdom only emerged from around the end of the eighth century under the Argead 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 Argead line.

640 - 602 BC

Philip I

602 - 576 BC

Aeropus I

576 - 547 BC

Alcetas I

547 - 4112 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.

4112 - 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 - 319 BC

Antipater

Viceroy & regent of Macedonia during Alexander's conquests.

334 - 330 BC

Between 334-333 BC the various regions of Anatolia are taken from Persia, including Cappadocia, Lycia, Lydia, and Phrygia. Between 333-332 BC Harran, Judah, and Phoenicia are captured, and between 332-330 BC Persia is conquered. It takes a further two years to subdue eastern areas around Bactria (330-328 BC).

Alexander defeated the Persian king Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela in Mesopotamia in 331 BC

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.

326 BC

Alexander's army enters western India through the passes of the Hindu Kush, but the troops rebel against the prospect of more battles against another great army, that of Magadha, on the Ganges. Alexander is forced to retreat, abandoning his hopes of conquering India.

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, Mysia, and Paphlagonia.

In the east, Alexander's arrangements remain largely intact: Taxiles and Porus rule over their Indo-Greek kingdoms, namely Taxila and Paurava; Alexander's father-in-law Oxyartes rules Indo-Greek Gandhara; Sibyrtius rules Indo-Greek Arachosia and Gedrosia; Stasanor rules Indo-Greek Aria and Drangiana and then later Bactria; Philip rules Bactria and Sogdiana; in former Persia, 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 former Persian 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 Argead 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 Seleucidire, including Susania, Bactria, and the Indo-Greek provinces), except Cilicia and Lycia, which go to Cassander's brother, Pleistarchus, and Pontus, which becomes independent, and Phrygia itself, which apparently remains with or is reclaimed by Antigonus' son. Ptolemy remains secure in Hellenic Egypt and Palestine.

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 (til 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 Phoenicia. 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 and Macedonia, incorporating them into the Roman province of Macedonia.

AD 395

Greece becomes the central segment of the Eastern Roman Empire.