Antipater
Antipater was a significant military and political figure during the reign of Philip II of Macedonia and his son, Alexander the Great. He played a crucial role in diplomatic negotiations, such as the Peace of Philocrates in 346 BCE, and was involved in the aftermath of the Battle of Chaeronea, where he helped return the remains of Athenian soldiers. After Alexander's departure for Persia in 334 BCE, Antipater was appointed as regent of Greece and Macedonia, successfully maintaining stability in the region despite challenges, including a war initiated by Agis III of Sparta. Following Alexander's death in 323 BCE, he faced a widespread revolt known as the Lamian War, which he managed to quell by 322 BCE, imposing an oligarchic government in Athens. His final years were marked by the power struggles among Alexander's former generals, during which he secured his position in Macedonia and acted as regent for Alexander IV and Philip III after the death of Perdiccas. Antipater's leadership ensured that Greece remained largely stable and the Macedonian kingdom secure during a tumultuous period in history until his own death in 319 BCE.
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Antipater
Related civilizations: Classical and early Hellenistic Greece
Major role/position: General, regent
Life
Antipater (an-TIHP-uht-ur) was one of most able generals of Philip II of Macedonia and Alexander the Great. In 346 b.c.e., he helped negotiate the Peace of Philocrates between Philip and Athens, and in 338 b.c.e. with Alexander, then heir to the Macedonian throne, he returned the bones of the Athenian dead from the Battle of Chaeronea.
Alexander appointed him “regent” of Greece and Macedonia and acting hegemon of the League of Corinth when he left for Persia in 334 b.c.e. As regent, Antipater kept Macedonia united and Greece passive, apart from the war of Agis III of Sparta (331-330 b.c.e.), which he ended with league assistance. In 323 b.c.e., Alexander’s death caused a widespread revolt of the Greek states, led by Athens (the Lamian War). Although hard-pressed at first, Antipater ended it in 322 b.c.e. and imposed an oligarchy on Athens. The final years of his life were set against the struggles of Alexander’s generals for power. Antipater sided with a group against the Macedonian general Perdiccas, on whose death in 321 b.c.e., Antipater’s possession of Macedonia and Greece was confirmed, and he became regent for the young Alexander IV and Philip III. His death in 319 b.c.e. led to further struggles.
Influence
Antipater kept Greece free from revolt and the Macedonian kingdom secure while Alexander was in Persia and further east and also provided him with reinforcements when demanded.
Bibliography
Errington, M. A History of Macedonia. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990.
Heckel, W. The Marshals of Alexander’s Empire. London: Routledge, 1992.