Argead Dynasty
The Argead Dynasty was the ruling family of Macedonia for nearly four centuries, beginning in the eighth century BCE with Karanos. Perdiccas I, who ruled around 670-652 BCE, is credited with uniting a group of adventurers and establishing the Argead lineage. Under the reign of Amyntas I (circa 540-498 BCE), Macedonia expanded into Thrace, and his son, Alexander I, initiated a pro-Hellenic policy to better align the kingdom with Greek culture. This policy was continued by Alexander's descendants, including Perdiccas II, who united several major Greek cities under Macedonian influence, and Archelaus, who improved military logistics through infrastructure development.
The dynasty reached its pinnacle during the reigns of Philip II (359-336 BCE) and his son, Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE), under whom Macedonia transformed into a powerful empire, extending its reach as far as Egypt and India. Following Alexander's death, the Argead Dynasty saw a decline as the kingdom fragmented among his generals. The legacy of the Argead Dynasty remains significant in the context of ancient Greek history and the development of Western civilization.
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Argead Dynasty
Related civilizations: Greece, Macedonia, Thrace.
Date: c. 700-c. 311 b.c.e.
Locale: Macedonia
Argead Dynasty
The Argead (ahr-GEE-uhd) Dynasty represented the ruling house of Macedonia for nearly four hundred years. Although the beginnings of the dynasty can be traced as far back as Karanos (eighth century b.c.e.), it was Perdiccas I (r. c. 670-652 b.c.e.) who led a disparate group of adventurers east from the Haliacmon (Aliákmon) River through northern Greece and became head of the Argeadae Macedones.
By the reign of Amyntas I (r. c. 540-498 b.c.e.), the kingdom of Macedonia stretched into Thrace. In an attempt to assimilate with Greece, Amyntas’s son, Alexander I, began the pro-Hellenic policy that would characterize much of the rest of the period. Alexander’s son, Perdiccas II, united many of the major Greek cities into a federation with Macedonia.
Perdiccas II’s son Archelaus continued his father’s pro-Hellenic policy and at the same time created routes through the heavily forested region. In part, this was to allow more rapid movements of his armies, improved with the development of iron and bronze armor and weapons.
It was during the reigns of Philip II of Macedonia (r. 359-336) and his son, Alexander the Great (r. 336-323), that the Greek Empire became a world power, stretching to Egypt and east to India. Following the death of Alexander, the Argead lineage continued for another generation, but the kingdom was divided among Alexander’s generals.
Bibliography
Ashley, James. The Macedonian Empire. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1998.
Hammond, Nicholas, and G. T. Griffith. A History of Macedonia. Vols. 1-3. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1979.