Early Macedonia

Where is Macedonia?

  • Macedonia's location has varied from ancient times to the present.

  • Past Macedonia (431 BC): North of Thessaly, including Pella and Thessaloniki.

  • Roman Macedonia (146-27 BC): Larger territory than the ancient kingdom.

  • Modern borders (Sept. 2018): The "Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)" exists with Skopje as its capital. Greece also has a region called Macedonia.

  • Map illustrates Macedonian heartland from the 7th century BC, conquests to 336 BC, territories, and the kingdom under Philip II.

  • Key locations: Aigai (Vergina), Pella, Amphipolis, Olynthos, Abdera, and Thessalian League territories.

The Royal Dynasty

  • Addressed whether the Macedonian Royal Dynasty was Greek.

  • Herodotus' Account: Alexander I proved his Argive origin to participate in the Olympic Games (Herodotus 5.22).

  • Descendants of Temenus: Perdiccas and brothers were descendants of Temenus from Argos (Herodotus 8.137.1).

  • Conflicting Views on Macedonian Identity: Demosthenes denounced Philip II as non-Greek; Isocrates implied Philip's ancestors would support his actions.

  • Royal Genealogies: Varying accounts trace lineage from Caranus or Perdiccas.

Macedonia in the Persian Wars

  • Discusses Macedonia's role during the Persian Wars.

  • Persian Embassy to Aigai: Alexander I accommodated and eliminated a Persian embassy (Herodotus 5.20.1-3).

  • Another Persian Embassy: Alexander I silenced the Persian search for envoys by offering money and his sister (Herodotus 5.21.1-2).

  • Debate in 480 BCE: Alexander I advised Greeks to align with Xerxes; Spartans distrusted him (Herodotus 8.140b, 142).

Macedonia in the Peloponnesian War

  • Explores Macedonia's role in the Peloponnesian War.

  • Macedonia's Role: Perdiccas incited the war by involving Athens against the Peloponnesians (Thucydides 1.57.2-4).

  • Treaty with Perdiccas II (423 BCE): Agreements between Athens and Perdiccas, including timber export limits and mutual defense (IG I³ 89).

Macedonia in Chaos

  • Discusses internal instability and succession issues.

  • Problem of Succession (c. 413 BCE): Archelaus violently seized the throne (Plato, Gorgias 471a-d).

  • Problem of Succession (c. 399 BCE): Archelaus killed by a lover, overthrown shortly after (Ps.-Plato, Alcibiades 141d–e); Aristotle suggests Crataeas killed Archelaus (Politics 1311a–b).

  • Problem of Succession (c. 369 BCE): Pelopidas intervened, taking Philip hostage (Diodorus 15.67.4, 71.1, 77.5); Ptolemy of Alorus assassinated Alexander, later assassinated by Perdiccas; Eurydike involved in Alexander's murder (Scholion on Aesch