The Macedonian Royal Line

Zeus => Macedon (his son) => Argeas (grandson)

The last king of this line was displaced by Perdiccas in mid 7^th century BC, received into the Argead tribe. This line continued through Alexander IV (son of Alexander the Great)

Perdiccas and his brothers claimed origin from Argos, the royal house of the Temenidae who were descendants of Temenos, whose ancestor in turn was Herakles, son of Zeus. Traditionally, Temenos had led the Dorian tribes into the Argolid and had founded Argos in late 12^th century BC. Perdiccas reportedly consulted the oracle of Apollo at Delphi to determine where to build his capital. He was told to follow the goats, so he named the town Aigai, “goat town.” This became the ancestral burial place of Macedonian kings (presumably modern Vergina). The Macedonian calendar year started with the new moon in October, which marked the beginning of autumn pastoral migrations. Perdiccas expelled the Thracians from Macedonian coastal lowlands. He claimed all mines and timber lands for himself.

Alexander I (498-454) obtained Delphic Amphyctionic permission to compete in the Olympic Games; he won first place in the panoply sprint. During the Persian Wars he medized and collaborated shamelessly with the Persians; he married his sister to one of Xerxes’ Persian satraps and accompanied Xerxes to Salamis.

Perdiccas II (454-413) switched sides during the Peloponnesian War. He otherwise astutely avoided involvement in the conflict.

Archelaus (413-399), Perdiccas II’s illegitimate son, attained the throne by murdering his uncle, his cousin, and his half-brother. He married his father’s widow and was himself murdered as a result of his complicated homosexual intrigues. However, he also safeguarded Macedonia from constant incursions of neighboring peoples, built the army, unified Upper and Lower Macedonia, and encouraged the Hellenization of his court. For example, he founded the new capital of Pella and invited the tragic playwright, Euripides, to reside at the court. With his murder the Macedonian dynasty imploded into 40 years of the worst anarchy and intrigue the kingdom had ever faced.

Key factors to the dynastic weakness of the Temenid/Argaed Dynasty include the division of Upper and Lower Macedonia into separate regions. Upper Macedonian was essentially dominated by the barons; Lower Macedonia by the King. There was a tendency of Macedonian nobles to invite in the kings of neighboring tribal regions, Illyria and Paeonia, during disputes with the royal line. There were constant intrigues at the royal court. The life expectancy of the Macedonian king was short.

At the Battle of Monastris in 359 BC, Philip defeated the Illyrian king (Bargylis) and was acclaimed King of Macedonia by the Macedonian army. Pushing aside Amyntas, son of Perdiccas III, Philip’s late brother, he became King Philip II of Macedonia (359-336 BC).

The Macedonian Constitution- “A monarchy with limited privileges”

1.The King was invested with religious power as the mediator between the Macedonian people and the gods

2. The King was assisted by members of the ruling house (blood and marriage relatives) who ranked below the king but above the status of commoners.

3. The King appointed a regent whenever away from Macedonia

4. When the King died, he received the rites of a “hero”, not of a god. He was buried in a tumulus at Aigai

5. At the death of the King, his successor would be acclaimed by the “Macedonian People.”

6. The Macedonian King and his Army in essence were the “Macedonian state.’ No matter they went or where they held assemblies, that WAS Macedonia. The Army was referred to as companions to the king (hetairai). The nobility evolved into the Companion cavalry. After 400 BC, this also included the Pezhetairai, the foot companions.

Under the guidance of the king the Macedonian Army exerted genuine power: it appointed the successor to the king; it tried Macedonian citizens for crimes against the state.

The king and the army represented the Macedonian state in its totality. When Philip II ascended the throne the Macedonian Social Structure consisted of the King (somatophylakes), the Basileis (local barons), the Hetairoi (companion cavalry), the Pezhetairoi (foot companions).

The King conducted sacrifices on behalf of the state.

The body of the King had to be protected by citizens under arms – 8 somatophylakes (literally, body guards)