Perseus of Macedon

Perseus
Perseus
Basileus
	Portrait of Perseus on the obverse of a tetradrachm
King of Macedon
Reign	179–168 BC
Predecessor	Philip V of Macedon
Successor	Monarchy abolished; (Andriscus claimed in 149 BC)
Born	212 BC; Pella, Macedonia
Died	166 BC (aged 46); Alba Fucens, Italy, Roman Republic
Spouse	Laodice V
Issue	Alexander (son of Perseus)
Greek	Περσεύς (Perseus)
House	Antigonid dynasty
Father	Philip V of Macedon
Mother	Polycratia of Argos
Religion	Greek polytheism

Perseus (Greek: Περσεύς, romanized: Perséus; c. 212 – 166 BC) was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon^[1]^[2] from 179 until 168 BC. He is widely regarded as the last king of Macedonia and the last ruler from the Antigonid Dynasty, as his defeat by Rome at the Battle of Pydna during the Third Macedonian War effectively ended Macedonia as an independent political entity.^[3]^[4]

Early life

Perseus was the son of king Philip V of Macedon and a concubine, probably Polycratia of Argos.^[5] His father spent most of his reign attempting to maintain Macedonian hegemony over Greece against heavy Greek resistance and, in his later reign, against an expansionist Roman Republic. Philip V failed in this endeavor: following defeat in the Second Macedonian War he was compelled to accept Roman power in Greece, and later helped Rome in the War against Nabis (195 BC) and the Aetolian War (191–189 BC).^[6] Perseus is recorded as having commanded Macedonian troops in both the Second Macedonian War and the Aetolian War. Being a son of a concubine, Perseus feared that the throne might pass on to his legitimate younger brother Demetrius, who had been sent as a hostage to Rome following the Second Macedonian War and now led a pro-Roman faction within the Macedonian court. In 180 BC Perseus forged a letter supposedly from the Roman general Titus Quinctius Flamininus, which suggested that Demetrius was planning to overthrow Philip V. This successfully convinced Philip V to execute Demetrius.^[7] Philip died the next year and was succeeded by Perseus on 22 June 168 BC.

Reign

In 172 BC, Eumenes II of Pergamon, fearing the expansion of Macedonian power in the Eastern Mediterranean, gave a speech to the Roman Senate in which he accused Perseus of threatening the stability of the Greek world.^[9] Soon Rome and Perseus went to war in the Third Macedonian War (171–168 BC). Although Perseus had some initial success, the war ended with the King's surrender to the Roman general Lucius Aemilius Paullus after his decisive defeat at the Battle of Pydna, and his eventual imprisonment in Rome with his half-brother Philippus and son Alexander.^[10] Blaise Pascal mentions in his Pensées (Lafuma 15) that Perseus was blamed for not committing suicide, supposedly after his defeat at Pydna. The Antigonid kingdom was dissolved, and replaced with four republics. Perseus was led as a captive in the triumph of Paullus, then thrown in prison, where – according to Plutarch – after two years, the Romans decided to kill him, and had him kept from sleeping to the point that he died from exhaustion in 166 BC.^[11] Livy, however, writes that he was shown clemency, and kept in good conditions at Alba Fucens for the rest of his life.^[12]

In 178 BC, he had married Laodice V, the daughter of Seleucus IV from Syria. One son of Perseus and Laodice, Alexander, was still a child when Perseus was defeated by the Romans, and after the triumph of Aemilius Paullus in 167 BC, was kept in custody at Alba Fucens, together with his father. He became a skillful metalworker, learned the Latin language, and became a public notary.^[13]^[14]^[15]

Legacy

In 149 BC, a certain Andriscus, claiming to be Perseus' son, announced his intention to retake Macedonia from the Romans. He broke off^{[clarification needed]} the Roman rule for about a year, but was defeated by the Romans in 148 BC, thereby ending the reign of the last Macedonian king. In 146 BC, the four republics were dissolved, and Macedon officially became the Roman province of Macedonia.

References

^ ...of all the gods who rule Macedonia and the rest of Greece: of all the gods of war that are witnesses to this oath... Polybius, The Histories (Book 7)
^ ...indeed, Macedonia is a part of Greece... Strabo, Geographica (Book 7 )
^ Green, Peter (1990). Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of The Hellenistic Age. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 430.
^ Hammond, N.G.L.; Walbank, F.W. (1988). A History of Macedonia Volume III: 336-167 B.C. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 558. ISBN 9780198148159.
^ Livius. xxxix. 53
^ "Perseus | king of Macedonia | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
^ S. Gruen, Erich. "Last Years of Philip V". Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies.
^ Hoover, Handbook of Coins of Macedon, Part I, p. 411.
^ Eckstein, Arthur M. (2010). "Macedonia and Rome, 221–146 BC". In Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (eds.). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 241–242. ISBN 978-1-4051-7936-2.
^ William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, 1870. "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, page 270 (V. 3)". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-10-17.]
^ Plutarch, Life of Aemilius, 34 & 38, Loeb Classical Library edition, 1918
^ Livy, Book XLV
^ Livy, xlv. 42
^ Plutarch, Aem. Paul. 37
^ Smith, William (1867). "Alexander". In William Smith (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. p. 124.

Bibliography

Oliver D. Hoover, Handbook of Coins of Macedon and Its Neighbors. Part I: Macedon, Illyria, and Epeiros, Sixth to First Centuries BC [The Handbook of Greek Coinage Series, Volume 3], Lancaster/London, Classical Numismatic Group, 2016.

External links

Media related to Perseus of Macedon at Wikimedia Commons

Regnal titles
Perseus of Macedon Antigonid dynasty Born: c. 212 BC Died: 166 BC
Preceded by Philip V	King of Macedon 179–168 BC	Succeeded by Vacant Four Roman client republics in Macedon Andriscus claimed in 149 BC

[1] ...of all the gods who rule Macedonia and the rest of Greece: of all the gods of war that are witnesses to this oath... Polybius, The Histories (Book 7)

[2] ...indeed, Macedonia is a part of Greece... Strabo, Geographica (Book 7 )

[3] Green, Peter (1990). Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of The Hellenistic Age. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 430.

[4] Hammond, N.G.L.; Walbank, F.W. (1988). A History of Macedonia Volume III: 336-167 B.C. Oxford: Clarendon Press. p. 558. ISBN 9780198148159.

[5] Livius. xxxix. 53

[6] "Perseus | king of Macedonia | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2021-12-06.

[7] S. Gruen, Erich. "Last Years of Philip V". Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies.

[8] Hoover, Handbook of Coins of Macedon, Part I, p. 411.

[9] Eckstein, Arthur M. (2010). "Macedonia and Rome, 221–146 BC". In Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (eds.). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 241–242. ISBN 978-1-4051-7936-2.

[Philippus_(Son_of_Philip)-10] William Smith (ed.), Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, 1870. "Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, page 270 (V. 3)". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-10-17.]

[11] Plutarch, Life of Aemilius, 34 & 38, Loeb Classical Library edition, 1918

[12] Livy, Book XLV

[13] Livy, xlv. 42

[14] Plutarch, Aem. Paul. 37

[DGRBM-15] Smith, William (1867). "Alexander". In William Smith (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. p. 124.

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v t e Kings of Macedon
Legendary	Caranus Coenus Tyrimmas	Vergina Sun
Argead dynasty	Perdiccas I Argaeus I Philip I Aeropus I Alcetas Amyntas I Alexander I Perdiccas II Archelaus Orestes Aeropus II Amyntas II Pausanias Amyntas III Argaeus II Alexander II Ptolemy of Aloros Perdiccas III Amyntas IV Philip II Alexander III (the Great) Philip III Alexander IV
Antipatrid dynasty	Cassander Philip IV Antipater I Alexander V
Dynastic conflict	Demetrius I Pyrrhus Lysimachus Ptolemy Ceraunus Meleager Antipater II Sosthenes Antigonus II Pyrrhus
Antigonid dynasty	Antigonus II Demetrius II Antigonus III Philip V Perseus
Post-Conquest Rebel Kings	Andriscus Pseudo-Alexander Pseudo-Philip/Pseudo-Perseus Euephenes
Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.

v t e Hellenistic rulers
Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV
Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes
Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender)
Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy Keraunos Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra (regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Monarchs of Cyrene	Magas Berenice II Demetrius the Fair Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy Apion Cleopatra Selene II
Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Cleopatra Thea Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Cleopatra Selene I Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus
Lysimachids	Lysimachus Ptolemy Epigonos
Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III
Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I
Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Strato III
Monarchs of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
Monarchs of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos with Laodice Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II
Monarchs of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV
Monarchs of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus
Monarchs of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Paerisades I Satyros II Prytanis Eumelos Spartokos III Hygiainon (regent) Paerisades II Spartokos IV Leukon II Spartokos V [ru] Kamasarye Paerisades III Paerisades IV Paerisades V Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius's attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon Aspurgus Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I
Monarchs of Epirus	Admetus Tharrhypas Alcetas I Neoptolemus I Arybbas Alexander I Aeacides Neoptolemus II Alcetas II Pyrrhus I Alexander II Olympias II (regent) Pyrrhus II Ptolemy Pyrrhus III Deidamia
Hellenistic rulers were preceded by Hellenistic satraps in most of their territories.

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