"Macedonian Empire" redirects here. See Macedonian Empire (disambiguation) for other uses.

Μακεδονία Makedonía Macedon ← 800s BC – 146 BC →   →   →   → Capital Aigai until about 400 BC when moved by Archelaus to Pella Language(s) Macedonian, later Attic/Koine Greek Religion Ancient Greek religion Government Monarchy King  - 808 - 778 BC Karanus  - 359 - 336 BC Philip II of Macedon  - 336 - 323 BC Alexander the Great  - 221 - 168 BC Philip V of Macedon Historical era Classical Antiquity  - Karanus establishes the Argead dynasty 800s BC  - Amyntas III unifies Macedon 382 BC  - Conquered by the Roman Republic in the Fourth Macedonian War 146 BC Currency Greek drachma

Macedon or Macedonia (Greek Μακεδονία Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most part of ancient Greece, bordered by the kingdom of Epirus to the west and the region of Thrace to the east. The Dark Ages (ca 1150 BC–800 BC refers to Greek history from the presumed Dorian invasion and end of the Mycenaean civilization in the 11th century The Attalid dynasty was a Hellenistic dynasty that ruled the city of Pergamon after the death of Lysimachus, a general of Alexander the Great The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i The Ptolemaic Kingdom in and around Egypt began following Alexander the Great 's conquest in 332 BC and ended with the death of Cleopatra VII and the Roman The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon Throughout the world there are many cities that were once national Capitals but no longer have that status because the country ceased to exist the capital was moved or the capital Vergina (in Greek Βεργίνα) is a small town in northern Greece, located in the prefecture of Imathia, Central Macedonia Archelaus I ( Greek: Άρχέλαος Α΄ was king of Macedon from 413 to 399 BC following the death of Perdiccas II. Pella (Πέλλα was the Capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. For the unrelated modern Slavic language see Macedonian language. Attic Greek is the Prestige dialect of Ancient Greece that was spoken in Attica, which includes Athens. Koine Greek (Κοινὴ Ἑλληνική, "common Greek" or, ciˈni ðiˈale̞kto̞s "the common dialect" is the popular form of Greek which emerged in A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs and rituals practiced in Ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or Macedon (also known as Macedonia) was an ancient Kingdom centered around the present-day region of Macedonia in northern Greece, and This is about the mythological king For other uses see Caranus Caranus or Karanus ( Greek: 808- 778 BC was the first king of ancient Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Philip V ( Greek Φίλιππος Ε΄) (238 BC - 179 BC was King of Macedon from 221 BC to 179 BC Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean This is about the mythological king For other uses see Caranus Caranus or Karanus ( Greek: 808- 778 BC was the first king of ancient The Argead dynasty ( Ancient Greek:, the Argeads) was the ancient Greek ruling house of Macedon from about 700 Amyntas III ( Greek Αμύντας Γ΄) (Unknown - 370 BC son of Arrhidaeus and father of Philip II, was king of Macedon in 393 BC and Events By place Greece The Theban general and statesman Pelopidas flees to Athens and takes the lead in attempts to liberate The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The Fourth Macedonian War ( 150 BC - 148 BC) was the final war between Rome and Macedon. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Drachma, pl drachmas or drachmae (δραχμή pl δραχμές or δραχμαί (until 1982 is the name of An ancient currency unit found in many The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe ^[1] For a brief period it became the most powerful state in the ancient Near East after Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world, inaugurating the Hellenistic period of world history. B Syria - Belka Woman from Damascus Arab from Baghdadjpg|thumb|Inhabitants of the Near East late nineteenth century Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' This article focuses on the historical aspects of the Hellenistic age for the cultural aspects see Hellenistic civilisation. World History is a field of historical study that emerged as a distinct academic field in the 1980s.

History

Early history

The first Macedonian state emerged in the 8th or early 7th century BC under the Argead Dynasty, who according to legend, migrated to the region from the Greek city of Argos in Peloponnesus (thus the name Argead). The Ancient Macedonians (Μακεδόνες Makedónes were an ancient tribe which inhabited the alluvial plain around the rivers Haliacmon and lower Axius, north The 8th century BC started the first day of 800 BC and ended the last day of 701 BC. The 7th century BC started the first day of 700 BC and ended the last day of 601 BC. The Argead dynasty ( Ancient Greek:, the Argeads) was the ancient Greek ruling house of Macedon from about 700 A polis ( πόλις, pronunciation, in English-- plural poleis ( πόλεις, pronunciation, in English --is a City, a Argos ( Greek: Ἄργος, Árgos ˈaɾɣos is a city in Greece in the Peloponnese near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor ^[2] It should be mentioned that the Macedonian tribe ruled by the Argeads, the tribe whose lands the Greeks called Macedonia, was itself called Argead (which translates as "descended from Argos"). Its first king is recorded as Perdiccas I. Perdiccas I ( Greek: Περδίκκας) was king of Macedon from about 700 BC to about 678 BC The kingdom was situated in the fertile alluvial plain, watered by the rivers Haliacmon and Axius, called Lower Macedonia, north of the mountain Olympus. The Haliacmon ( Attic:, Haliákmōn; Ionic: Aliákmōn; Modern Greek: Αλιάκμονας Aliákmonas; South Slavic Axius is also an ancient name for the Orontes and Vardar rivers Around the time of Alexander I of Macedon, the Argead Macedonians started to expand into Upper Macedonia, that is Eordaia, Bottiaea, Mygdonia, and Almopia- which were mountainous regions settled by independent Macedonian tribes. Alexander I (Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μακεδών was ruler of Macedon from 498 BC to 454 BC Upper Macedonia ( Greek: Ἄνω Μακεδονία Ánō Makedonía) is a geographical and tribal term to describe the regions that became part of the kingdom of Eordea is also a spider genus ( Linyphiidae) History In archaic Greek Eordea comes from the Pelasgian word Eorda Bottiaea ( Greek: Bottiaia) was a region of ancient Macedon. It was previously inhabited by the Bottiaeans who according to Strabo, were Mygdonia was an ancient territory part of Ancient Thrace, later conquered by Macedon, which comprised the plains around Therma ( Thessalonica Nótia (Νότια formerly Νώτια Megleno-Romanian: Nânti or Nânta; Нънте Нъте or Нѫте Macedonian Slavic: Ноти or Near the modern city of Veria, Perdiccas I (or, more likely, his son, Argaeus I) built his capital, Aigai (modern Vergina). Veria (officially transliterated as Veroia, Greek Βέροια or Βέρροια also Φέροια in Classical Greek - Βέροια being Perdiccas I ( Greek: Περδίκκας) was king of Macedon from about 700 BC to about 678 BC Argaeus I ( Greek: Αργαίος was king of Macedon of the Argead dynasty from about 678 BC to about 640 BC. Vergina (in Greek Βεργίνα) is a small town in northern Greece, located in the prefecture of Imathia, Central Macedonia After a brief period under Persian rule under Darius Hystaspes, the state regained its independence under King Alexander I (495–450 BC). The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia Darius I the Great (c 549 BC&ndash486 BC 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavahuš: "Possessing goodness" Having ascended to power amidst controversy and bloodshed Alexander I (Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ Μακεδών was ruler of Macedon from 498 BC to 454 BC Events By place Roman Republic A Temple is built on the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine Events By place Greece Athenian General Cimon sails to Cyprus with two hundred Triremes of the

Macedon during Peloponnesian War around 431 BC.

Atticisation and expansion

Prior to the 4th century BC, the kingdom covered a region approximately corresponding to the province of Macedonia of modern Greece. The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC. Macedonia ( Μακεδονία, Makedonía,) is a geographical and historical region of Greece in southeastern Europe Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία It became increasingly Atticised during this period, though prominent Athenians appear to have regarded the Macedonians as uncouth^[3]. Attic Greek is the Prestige dialect of Ancient Greece that was spoken in Attica, which includes Athens. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's

A unified Macedonian state was eventually established by King Amyntas III (c. Amyntas III ( Greek Αμύντας Γ΄) (Unknown - 370 BC son of Arrhidaeus and father of Philip II, was king of Macedon in 393 BC and 393–370 BC), though it still retained strong contrasts between the cattle-rich coastal plain and the fierce isolated tribal hinterland, allied to the king by marriage ties. Events By place Greece The Athenian general Conon and the Persian Satrap Pharnabazus sail to Events By place Greece Cleomenes II succeeds his brother Agesipolis II as Agiad king of Sparta. They controlled the passes through which barbarian invasions came from Illyria to the north and northwest. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Amyntas had three sons; the first two, Alexander II and Perdiccas III reigned only briefly. Alexander II ( Greek Ἀλέξανδρος Β΄) was king of Macedon from 370 – 368 BC following the death of his father Amyntas II. Perdiccas III ( Greek:) was king of Macedonia from 368 to 359 BC succeeding his brother Alexander II. Perdiccas III's infant heir was deposed by Amyntas' third son, Philip II of Macedon, who made himself king and ushered in a period of Macedonian dominance of Greece. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse

Philip II, king of Macedon

Under Philip II, (359–336 BC), Macedon expanded into the territory of the Paionians, Thracians, and Illyrians. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Events By place Macedonia The Macedonian King Perdiccas III is killed while defending his country against an Illyrian Events By place Persian Empire The young king of Persia, Arses, objects to being controlled by Bagoas and attempts For the flower genus see Peony. Paionia or Paeonia (Παιονία was in ancient geography the land of the Paeonians "Thracians" also refers to modern inhabitants of Thrace, regardless of ethnicity Illyrians has come to refer to a broad ill-defined " Indo-European " group of peoples who inhabited the western Balkans ( Illyria, roughly Among other conquests, he annexed the regions of Pelagonia and Southern Paionia. Pelagonia ( Greek: Πελαγονíα Pelagonía, Macedonian: Пелагонија Pelagonija, Albanian: Pellgania, or For the flower genus see Peony. Paionia or Paeonia (Παιονία was in ancient geography the land of the Paeonians ^[4]

Macedon became more politically involved with the south-central city-states of Ancient Greece, but it also retained more archaic features like the palace-culture, first at Aegae (modern Vergina) then at Pella, resembling Mycenaean culture more than classic Hellenic city-states, and other archaic customs, like Philip's multiple wives in addition to his Epirote queen Olympias, mother of Alexander. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Pella (Πέλλα was the Capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca Olympias (in Greek, Ὀλυμπιάς; ca 376&ndash316 BC was an Epirote Princess, the fourth wife of the king Philip II of

Kingdom of Macedon after Philip's II death.

Another archaic remnant was the very persistence of a hereditary monarchy which wielded formidable – sometimes absolute – power, although this was at times checked by the landed aristocracy, and often disturbed by power struggles within the royal family itself. A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or This contrasted sharply with the Greek cultures further south, where the ubiquitous city-states mostly possessed aristocratic or democratic institutions; the de facto monarchy of tyrants, in which heredity was usually more of an ambition rather than the accepted rule; and the limited, predominantly military and sacerdotal, power of the twin hereditary Spartan kings. In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The same might have held true of feudal institutions like serfdom, which may have persisted in Macedon well into historical times. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed Such institutions were abolished by city-states well before Macedon's rise (most notably by the Athenian legislator Solon's famous σεισάχθεια seisachtheia laws). Solon ( ancient Greek:, c 638 BC&ndash558 BC was an Athenian Statesman, Lawmaker and Lyric poet. Seisachtheia ( Greek: seiein, to shake and achthos, burden ie

Empire

Further information: Conquests of Alexander the Great, Wars of the Diadochi, Seleucid Empire, and Diadochi

The statue of Alexander the Great in Thessaloniki sea front

Alexander's empire at the time of its maximum expansion

The entrance to one of the royal tombs at Vergina, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia

Philip's son Alexander the Great (356–323 BC) managed to briefly extend Macedonian power not only over the central Greek city-states, but also to the Persian empire, including Egypt and lands as far east as the fringes of India. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Events By place Persian Empire Having blamed the defeats by Philip II in Thessaly and Chalcidice on his colleagues Chares is Events By place Macedonian Empire 10 June — In Babylon, Alexander the Great dies ten days after being taken ill The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. Alexander's adoption of the styles of government of the conquered territories was accompanied by the spread of Greek culture and learning through his vast empire. Although the empire fractured into multiple Hellenic regimes shortly after his death, his conquests left a lasting legacy, not least in the new Greek-speaking cities founded across Persia's western territories, heralding the Hellenistic period. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. In the partition of Alexander's empire among the Diadochi, Macedonia fell to the Antipatrid dynasty, which was overthrown by the Antigonid dynasty after only a few years, in 294 BC. The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors" were the rival successors The Antipatrid dynasty was a Macedonian dynasty founded by Cassander, the son of Antipater, who declared himself King of Macedon in 302 BC The Antigonid dynasty was a dynasty of Macedonian Hellenistic kings descended from Alexander the Great's general Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed"

Hellenistic Macedonia

Further information: Antipatrid dynasty

Antipater and his son Cassander gained control of Macedonia but it slid into a long period of civil strife following Cassander's death in 297 BC. The Antipatrid dynasty was a Macedonian dynasty founded by Cassander, the son of Antipater, who declared himself King of Macedon in 302 BC Antipater ( Greek: Ἀντίπατρος Antipatros; ca 397 BC — 319 BC was a Macedonian general and a supporter of kings Philip II of Macedon Cassander ( Greek: Κάσσανδρος, Kassandros; ca 350 - 297 BC King of Macedon (305 - 297 BC was a son of Antipater Events By place Roman Republic Fabius Maximus Rullianus becomes Consul for the fourth time It was ruled for a while by Demetrius I (294–288 BC) but fell into civil war. Demetrius I (337-283 BC Greek: Δημήτριος) called Poliorcetes (Greek Πολιορκητής) ("The Besieger" son of Events By place Greece Archidamus IV, king of Sparta, son of Eudamidas I and grandson of Archidamus III Events By place Greece The Macedonian King Demetrius Poliorcetes, faces a combined attack from Lysimachus and

Demetrius' son Antigonus II (277–239 BC) defeated a Galatian invasion as a condottiere, and regained his family's position in Macedonia; he successfully restored order and prosperity there, though he lost control of many of the Greek city-states. Antigonus II Gonatas (lit "knock-knees" ( Greek Αντίγονος B΄ Γονατᾶς ca Events By place Greece Antigonus crosses the Hellespont and defeats the Celts under the command of Cerethrius near Lysimachia Events By place Carthage Concerned that Hamilcar Barca 's leniency in pardoning those who he has captured who have participated in the Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey. He established a stable monarchy under the Antigonid dynasty. The Antigonid dynasty was a dynasty of Macedonian Hellenistic kings descended from Alexander the Great's general Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed" Antigonus III (239–221 BC) built on these gains by re-establishing Macedonian power across the region. Antigonus III Doson ( Greek: ο Αντίγονος Δώσων 263 BC-221 BC was king of Macedon from 229 BC-221 BC Events By place Greece The First Illyrian War starts when the Roman Senate dispatches an army under the command of the Consuls Events By place Carthage The Carthaginian general Hasdrubal is murdered by a Celtic assassin while campaigning to increase

What is notable about the Macedonian regime during the Hellenistic times is that it was the only successor state to the Empire that maintained the old archaic perception of Kingship, and never adopted the ways of the Hellenistic Monarchy. Thus the king was never deified in the same way that Ptolemies and Seleucids were in Egypt and Asia respectively, and never adopted the custom of Proskynesis. Proskynesis, ( Greek) formed from the Ancient Greek words pros and kuneo literally means "kissing towards" and refers The ancient Macedonians during the Hellenistic times were still addressing their kings in a far more casual way than the subjects of the rest of the Diadochi, and the Kings were still consulting with their aristocracy (Philoi) in the process of making their decisions.

Conflict with Rome

Main article: Macedonian Wars

Kingdom of Macedon under Philip V. The Macedonian and Seleucid wars were a series of conflicts fought by Rome during and after the Second Punic war, in the eastern Mediterranean, the Adriatic

Under Philip V of Macedon (221–179 BC) and his son Perseus of Macedon (179–168 BC), the kingdom clashed with the rising power of the Roman Republic. Philip V ( Greek Φίλιππος Ε΄) (238 BC - 179 BC was King of Macedon from 221 BC to 179 BC Events By place Carthage The Carthaginian general Hasdrubal is murdered by a Celtic assassin while campaigning to increase Events By place Roman Republic Tiberius Gracchus Major goes to Hispania as Roman governor to deal with uprisings there Perseus ( Greek Περσεύς) (ca 212 BC - 166 BC) was the last king ( Basileus) of the Antigonid dynasty Events By place Roman Republic Tiberius Gracchus Major goes to Hispania as Roman governor to deal with uprisings there The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the During the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, Macedon fought a series of wars with Rome. The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC. The 1st century BC started the first day of 100 BC and ended the last day of 1 BC. The Macedonian and Seleucid wars were a series of conflicts fought by Rome during and after the Second Punic war, in the eastern Mediterranean, the Adriatic Two major losses that led to their inevitable defeat were in 197 BC when Rome defeated Philip V, and 168 BC when Rome defeated Perseus. Events By place Greece The Spartan ruler Nabis, acquires the important city of Argos from Philip V of Macedon The overall losses resulted in the defeat of Macedon, the deposition of the Antigonid dynasty and the dismantling of the Macedonian kingdom. Andriscus' brief success at reestablishing the monarchy in 149 BC was quickly followed by his defeat the following year and the establishment of direct Roman rule and the organization of Macedon as the Roman province of Macedonia. Andriscus, also spelt Andriskos and often called the "pseudo-Philip" was ruler of Adramyttium in Aeolis, part of western Anatoliawho claimed The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The Roman province of Macedonia was officially established in 146 BC, after the Roman general Quintus Caecilius Metellus defeated Andriscus of Macedon

Institutions

The political organization of the Macedonian kingdom was a three-level pyramid: on the top, the King and the nation, at the foot, the civic organizations (cities and éthnē), and between the two, the districts. The study of these different institutions has been considerably renewed thanks to epigraphy, which has given us the possibility to reread the indications given us by ancient literary sources such as Livy and Polybius. Epigraphy (ἐπιγραφολογία from Greek ἐπιγραφή — "inscription" is the study of inscriptions or epigraphs engraved Titus Livius (traditionally 59 BC &ndash AD 17 known as Livy in English, was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome Polybius (ca 203 &ndash 120 BC, Greek) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his book called The Histories They show that the Macedonian institutions were near to those of the Greek federal states, like the Aetolian and Achaean leagues, whose unity was reinforced by the presence of the king. The Aetolian League was a confederation of states in Ancient Greece centered on the cities of Aetolia in central Greece The Achaean League (Ἀχαϊκὴ Συμμαχία or (Ἀχαϊκὴ Συμπολιτεία was a Confederation of Greek city states in Achaea

The Vergina Sun, the 16-ray star covering what appears to be the royal burial larnax of Philip II of Macedon, discovered in Vergina, Greece. Interpretations of the symbol The significance of the Vergina Sun is unclear

The King

The king (Βασιλεύς, Basileús) headed the central administration: he led the kingdom from its capital, Pella, and in his royal palace was conserved the state's archive. "Basilissa" redirects here For the saint of this name see Julian and Basilissa. He was helped in carrying out his work by the Royal Secretary (βασιλικὸς γραμματεύς, basilikós grammateús), whose work was of primary importance, and by the Council. Synedrion or ' Synhedrion ( Greek: συνέδριον "sitting together" hence " assembly " or " Council " סנהדרין

The king was commander of the army, head of the Macedonian religion, and director of diplomacy. Also, only he could conclude treaties, and, until Philip V, mint coins. Philip V ( Greek Φίλιππος Ε΄) (238 BC - 179 BC was King of Macedon from 221 BC to 179 BC

The number of civil servants was limited: the king directed his kingdom mostly in an indirect way, supporting himself principally through the local magistrates, the epistates, with whom he constantly kept in touch.

Succession

Royal succession in Macedon was hereditary, male, patrilineal and generally respected the principle of primogeniture. Patrilineality (aka agnatic kinship) is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage it generally involves the Inheritance of property names or titles Primogeniture is the Common law right of the Firstborn son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings There was also an elective element: when the king died, his designated heir, generally but not always the eldest son, had first to be accepted by the council and then presented to the general Assembly to be acclaimed king and obtain the oath of fidelity.

As can be seen, the succession was far from being automatic, more so considering that many Macedonian kings died violently, without having made dispositions for the succession, or having assured themselves that these would be respected. This can be seen with Perdiccas III, slain by the Illyrians, Philip II assassinated by Pausanias of Orestis, Alexander the Great, suddenly died of malady, etc. Perdiccas III ( Greek:) was king of Macedonia from 368 to 359 BC succeeding his brother Alexander II. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Pausanias of Orestis (Greek was a member of Philip II of Macedon 's Somatophylakes, his personal bodyguard Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Succession crises were frequent, especially up to the 4th century BC, when the magnate families of Upper Macedonia still cultivated the ambition of overthrowing the Argaead dynasty and to ascend to the throne. The 4th century BC started the first day of 400 BC and ended the last day of 301 BC.

An atrium with a pebble-mosaic paving, in Pella, Greece

Finances

The king was the simple guardian and administrator of the treasure of Macedon and of the king's incomes (βασιλικά, basiliká), which belonged to the Macedonians: and the tributes that came to the kingdom thanks to the treaties with the defeated people also went to the Macedonian people, and not to the king. Even if the king was not accountable for his management of the kingdom's entries, he may have felt responsible to defend his administration on certain occasions: Arrian tells us that during the mutiny of Alexander's soldiers at Opis in 324 BC, Alexander detailed the possessions of his father at his death to prove he had not abused his charge. For others with this name see Arrianus (disambiguation. Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon' (ca Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly-situated individuals (typically members of the Military; or the Crew of any ship even Opis (Akkadian Upî or Upija; Greek Ὦπις was an ancient Babylonian city on the Tigris, not far from modern Baghdad. Events By place Macedonian Empire On returning to Susa, Persia, Alexander the Great punishes those who he considers

It is known from Livy and Polybius that the basiliká included the following sources of income:

• The mines of gold and silver (for example those of the Pangaeus), which were the exclusive possession of the king, and which permitted him to strike currency, as already said his sole privilege till Philip V, who conceded to cities and districts the right of coinage for the lesser denominations, like bronze.
• The forests, whose timber was very appreciated by the Greek cities to build their ships: in particular, it is known that Athens made commercial treaties with Macedon in the 5th century BC to import the timber necessary for the construction and the maintenance of its fleet of war. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The 5th century BC started the first day of 500 BC and ended the last day of 401 BC.
• The royal landed properties, lands that were annexed to the royal domain through conquest, and that the king exploited either directly, in particular through servile workforce made up of prisoners of war, or indirectly through a leasing system.
• The port duties on commerce (importation and exportation taxes).

The most common way to exploit these different sources of income was by leasing: the Pseudo-Aristotle reports in the Oeconomica that Amyntas III (or maybe Philip II) doubled the kingdom's port revenues with the help of Callistratus, who had taken refuge in Macedon, bringing them from 20 to 40 talents per year. Aristotle (Greek Aristotélēs) (384 BC – 322 BC was a Greek philosopher a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. Amyntas III ( Greek Αμύντας Γ΄) (Unknown - 370 BC son of Arrhidaeus and father of Philip II, was king of Macedon in 393 BC and Callistratus of Aphidnae (Greek Καλλιστράτος Kallistratos; died 355 BC was an Athenian orator and general in the 4th century BCE The talent ( Latin: talentum, from Ancient Greek: "scale balance" is an ancient unit of Mass. To do this, the exploitation of the harbour taxes was given every year at the private offering the highest bidding. It is also known from Livy that the mines and the forests were leased for a fixed sum under Philip V, and it appears that the same happened under the Argaead dynasty: from here possibly comes the leasing system that was used in Ptolemaic Egypt. Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra

Except for the king's properties, land in Macedon was free: Macedonians were free men and did not pay land taxes on private grounds. Even extraordinary taxes like those paid by the Athenians in times of war did not exist. Even in conditions of economic peril, like what happened to Alexander in 334 BC and Perseus in 168 BC, the monarchy did not tax its subjects but raised funds through loans, first of all by his Companions, or raised the cost of the leases. Events By place Persian Empire The king of Caria, Pixodarus, dies and is succeeded by his son-in-law Orontobates.

The king could grant the atelíē (ἀτελίη), a privilege of tax exemption, as Alexander did with those Macedonian families which had losses in the battle of the Granicus in May 334: they were exempted from paying tribute for leasing royal grounds and commercial taxes. The Battle of the Granicus River in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great and the Persian Empire. Events By place Persian Empire The king of Caria, Pixodarus, dies and is succeeded by his son-in-law Orontobates.

Extraordinary incomes came from the spoils of war, which were divided between the king and his men. At the time of Philip II and Alexander, this was a considerable source of income. A considerable part of the gold and silver objects taken at the time of the European and Asian campaigns were melted in ingots and then sent to the monetary foundries of Pella and Amphipolis, most active of the kingdom at that time: an estimate judges that during the reign of Alexander only the mint of Amphipolis struck about 13 million silver tetradrachms. Pella (Πέλλα was the Capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedon. Amphipolis (Ἀμφίπολις &ndash Amphípolis) was an ancient Greek city in the region once inhabited by the Edoni people Drachma, pl drachmas or drachmae (δραχμή pl δραχμές or δραχμαί (until 1982 is the name of An ancient currency unit found in many

The Assembly

All the kingdom's citizen-soldiers gather in a popular assembly, which is held at least twice a year, in spring and in autumn, with the opening and the closing of the campaigning season.

This assembly (koinê ekklesia or koinon makedonôn), of the army in times of war, of the people in times of peace, is called by the king and plays a significant role through the acclamation of the kings and in capital trials; it can be consulted (without obligation) for the foreign politics (declarations of war, treaties) and for the appointment of high state officials. In the majority of these occasions, the Assembly does nothing but ratify the proposals of a smaller body, the Council. It is also the Assembly which votes the honors, sends embassies, during its two annual meetings. It was abolished by the Romans at the time of their reorganization of Macedonia in 167 BC, to prevent, according to Livy, that a demagogue could make use of it as a mean to revolt against their authority. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Titus Livius (traditionally 59 BC &ndash AD 17 known as Livy in English, was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome

Council (Synedrion)

The Council was a small group formed among some of the most eminent Macedonians, chosen by the king to assist him in the government of the kingdom. As such it was not a representative assembly, but notwithstanding that on certain occasions it could be expanded with the admission of representatives of the cities and of the civic corps of the kingdom.

The members of the Council (synedroi) belong to three categories:

• The somatophylakes (in Greek literally "bodyguards") were noble Macedonians chosen by the king to serve to him as honorary bodyguards, but especially as close advisers. Somatophylakes (singular somatophylax) in its literal English translation from Ancient Greek, means "bodyguards" It was a particularly prestigious honorary title. In the times of Alexander there were seven of them.
• The Friends (philoi) or the king's Companions (basilikoi hetairoi) were named for life by the king among the Macedonian aristocracy. The Companions ( εταιροι hetairoi) were the Cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of king Philip II of Macedon, and
• The most important generals of the army (hégémones tôn taxéôn), also named by the king.

The king had in reality less power in the choice of the members of the Council than appearances would warrant; this was because many of the kingdom's most important noblemen were members of the Council by birth-right.

The Council primarily exerted a probouleutic function with respect to the Assembly: it prepared and proposed the decisions which the Assembly would have discussed and voted, working in many fields such as the designation of kings and regents, as of that of the high administrators and the declarations of war. It was also the first and final authority for all the cases which did not involve capital punishment.

The Council gathered frequently and represented the principal body of government of the kingdom. Any important decision taken by the king was subjected before it for deliberation.

Inside the Council ruled the democratic principles of iségoria (equality of word) and of parrhésia (freedom of speech), to which the even king subjected himself.

After the removal of the Antigonid dynasty by the Romans in 167 BC, it is possible that the synedrion remained, unlike the Assembly, representing the sole federal authority in Macedonia after the country's division in four merides. The Antigonid dynasty was a dynasty of Macedonian Hellenistic kings descended from Alexander the Great's general Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed"

Regional districts (merides)

The merit of the creation of an intermediate territorial administrative level between the central government and the cities has to be probably ascribed to Philip II: this reform agreed with the need to adapt the kingdom's institutions to the great expansion of Macedon under his rule. It was not any more easy to convene all the Macedonians in a single general assembly, and the answer to this problem was the creation of four regional districts, each supplied with a regional assembly. These territorial divisions clearly did not follow any historical or traditional internal divisions; they were simply artificial administrative lines. This said, it should be added that the existence of these districts is not attested with certainty (by the numismatics) before the beginning of the 2nd century BC. The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC.

See also

• Ancient Macedonians
• Ancient Macedonian military
• Ancient Macedonian calendar
• Ancient Greece
• Vergina Sun
• List of kings of Macedon
• Alexander the Great
• Diadochi
• Antigonid dynasty
• Seleucid Empire
• Ptolemaic dynasty
• Crestonia
• Lynkestis
• Mygdonia
• Paionia
• Pelagonia
• List of monarchies

References

Further reading

• Eugene N. Borza: Before Alexander: constructing early Macedonia. Claremont, CA: Regina Books, 1999. Pp. 89. ISBN 0941690970 (pb)
• Robin Lane Fox, Alexander the Great, Penguin Books, 1973, ISBN 0-14-008878-4 (pb).
• Nicholas G. L. Hammond, The Macedonian State, Oxford University Press, 1989, ISBN 0-19-814883-6. Pg. 12-13.
• Macedonian Empire, 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

External links

• Ancient Macedonia at Livius, by Jona Lendering
• History of Macedon (macedonia. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica com)
• Hellenism in Macedonia, Britannica Online