Hellenistic Dynasties > Argead Dynasty of Macedon

Argead Dynasty of Macedon

Background

The Argead dynasty (Greek: Ἀργεάδαι, Argeádai) was an ancient Macedonian royal house of Dorian Greek provenance. They were the founders and the ruling dynasty of the kingdom of Macedon from about 700 to 310 BC. Their tradition, as described in ancient Greek historiography, traced their origins to Argos, in Peloponnese, hence the name Argeads or Argives. Initially the rulers of the homonymous tribe, by the time of Philip II they had expanded their reign further, to include under the rule of Macedonia all Upper Macedonian states. The family's most celebrated members were Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great, under whose leadership the kingdom of Macedonia gradually gained predominance throughout Greece, defeated the Achaemenid Empire and expanded as far as Egypt and India. The mythical founder of the Argead dynasty is King Caranus.

The words "Argead" and "Argive" derive (via Latin Argīvus) from the Greek Ἀργεῖος (Argeios), "of or from Argos", which is first attested in Homer, where it was also used as a collective designation for the Greeks ("Ἀργείων Δαναῶν", Argive Danaans). The Argead dynasty claimed descent from the Temenids of Argos, in the Peloponnese, whose legendary ancestor was Temenus, the great-great-grandson of Heracles.

In the excavations of the royal Palace at Aegae Manolis Andronikos discovered in the "tholos" room (according to some scholars "tholos" was the throne room) an inscription relating to that belief. This is testified by Herodotus, in The Histories, where he mentions that three brothers of the lineage of Temenus, Gauanes, Aeropus and Perdiccas, fled from Argos to the Illyrians and then to Upper Macedonia, to a town called Lebaea, where they served the king. The latter asked them to leave his territory, believing in an omen that something great would happen to Perdiccas. The boys went to another part of Macedonia, near the garden of Midas, above which mount Bermio stands. There they made their abode and slowly formed their own kingdom.

Herodotus also relates the incident of the participation of Alexander I of Macedon in the Olympic Games in 504 or 500 BC where the participation of the Macedonian king was contested by participants on the grounds that he was not Greek. The Hellanodikai, however, after examining his Argead claim confirmed that the Macedonians were Greeks and allowed him to participate.

Another theory supported by modern scholars, following the ancient author Appian, is that the Argead dynasty actually descended from Argos Orestikon in Macedonia, and that the Macedonian Kings claimed a descent from Argos in Peloponnese to enforce their Greekness. According to Thucydides, in the History of the Peloponnesian War, the Argeads were originally Temenids from Argos, who descended from the highlands to Lower Macedonia, expelled the Pierians from Pieria and acquired in Paionia a narrow strip along the river Axios extending to Pella and the sea. They also added Mygdonia in their territory through the expulsion of the Edoni, Eordians, and Almopians.

Argead Dynasty Overview

This table provides an overview of the major rulers of the Argead Dynasty, highlighting their lifespans, years of reign, and contributions to the history and expansion of the Macedonian kingdom.

Name	Birth Year	Death Year	Years of Reign	Contributions
Perdiccas I	Unknown	Unknown	c. 700–678 BC	Founder of the Argead Dynasty, established the Macedonian kingdom
Argaeus I	Unknown	Unknown	c. 678–640 BC	Continued to consolidate the early kingdom
Philip I	Unknown	Unknown	c. 640–602 BC	Strengthened the kingdom, continued expansion efforts
Aeropus I	Unknown	Unknown	c. 602–576 BC	Ruled during a period of relative stability
Alcetas I	Unknown	Unknown	c. 576–547 BC	Expanded the kingdom's territory, maintained internal stability
Amyntas I	Unknown	c. 498 BC	c. 547–498 BC	Established diplomatic relations with Persia, initiated cultural development
Alexander I	c. 498 BC	454 BC	c. 498–454 BC	Known as "Alexander the Philhellene," promoted Hellenization, allied with Persia
Perdiccas II	c. 454 BC	413 BC	454–413 BC	Engaged in conflicts with Athens, strengthened Macedonian power
Archelaus I	c. 413 BC	399 BC	413–399 BC	Developed infrastructure, patron of arts, moved capital to Pella
Craterus	Unknown	Unknown	399 BC	Short reign, transitional figure
Orestes and Aeropus II	Unknown	Unknown	399–396 BC	Co-rulers, minor influence
Archelaus II	Unknown	393 BC	396–393 BC	Continued his predecessor's policies
Amyntas II	Unknown	Unknown	393 BC	Brief rule, significant impact not recorded
Pausanias	Unknown	Unknown	393 BC	Brief rule, significant impact not recorded
Amyntas III	c. 420 BC	370 BC	393–370 BC	Consolidated and expanded the kingdom, faced internal conflicts
Alexander II	c. 370 BC	368 BC	370–368 BC	Continued his father's policies, faced opposition from local nobles
Perdiccas III	c. 368 BC	359 BC	368–359 BC	Defended the kingdom against external threats, killed in battle
Philip II	382 BC	336 BC	359–336 BC	Reformed the Macedonian army, expanded the kingdom, laid the foundation for Alexander's conquests
Alexander III (the Great)	356 BC	323 BC	336–323 BC	Created one of the largest empires in history, spread Greek culture across three continents
Philip III Arrhidaeus	359 BC	317 BC	323–317 BC	Co-ruled with Alexander IV, nominal ruler with limited power
Alexander IV	323 BC	309 BC	323–309 BC	Co-ruled with Philip III, nominal ruler, assassinated as a child

Sources

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