Perseus of Macedon
| Perseus | |
|---|---|
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 kingdom of Macedon 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.[1][2]
Early life
Perseus was the son of king
Aetolian War (191-189 BC).[4] Perseus is recorded as having commanded Macedonian troops in both the Second Macedonian War and 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.[5]
Philip died the next year and was succeeded by Perseus on 22 June 168 BC.
Reign
In 172 BC,
Philippus and son Alexander.[8] 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.[9] Livy, however, writes that he was shown clemency, and kept in good conditions at Alba Fucens for the rest of his life.[10]
In 178 BC, he had married
Legacy
In 149 BC, a certain
Roman province of Macedonia
.
See also
References
- ^ Green, Peter (1990). Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of The Hellenistic Age. Berkeley & Los Angeles: University of California Press. p. 430.
- 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.
- 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
| Legendary |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Argead dynasty | ||
| Antipatrid dynasty | ||
| Dynastic conflict | ||
| Antigonid dynasty | ||
| Post-Conquest Rebel Kings |
| |
Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics. | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
