The Disarray of Macedon

Abstract

In the less than fifty years between Alexander the Great’s death and Antigonus’s gaining the throne in 276, Macedon had twelve rulers. This chapter charts these decades of chaos, while interleaving details of Antigonus’s immediate family and his early years. Alexander was replaced by a dual kingship of his half-brother Philip III, and his infant son Alexander IV. Olympias, Alexander the Great’s mother and the guardian of Alexander IV, briefly seized the throne, killing Philip III in the process. She was ousted by the military might of Cassander and put to death. Cassander imprisoned Alexander IV and later had him killed. Cassander ruled from 316 to 297, but on his death chaos returned, ultimately enabling Demetrius Poliorcetes, the father of Antigonus, to seize the throne. Demetrius was expelled in 287 and Macedon was divided between Lysimachus of Thrace and Pyrrhus of Epirus. Lysimachus drove Pyrrhus out of his half of the country, but was defeated in battle and killed by Seleucus, the ruler of Asia. Seleucus was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, who thereby gained the Macedonian throne. But Ptolemy bungled his response to a massive invasion of Celts, and lost his life in the process. Macedon descended into anarchy.