Macedonian dynasty of the "ghenos" ARGEADI

Argeads were the ruling house of ancient Macedonia from the 7th century BC. till 309 BC. According to the popular tradition, three Heracleides from the nobel tribe of the Temenids of Argos, moved eastward from their former homeland on the Haliacmon River, and they settled behind the waterfalls at Edessa, not far from the coast, where the youngest of the three brothers, Perdiccas has founded the kingdom, which was nominated later Macedon. Perdiccas I led the the migration of the tribes of Macedon . Argeads later reunited the other neighboring lands: Emazia, Migdonia, Bottiea, Pieria and Anfassiti.  Aegae (Edessa) became the capital.

During the reign of Amyntas I (6th century BC) Macedonian kingdom was extended eastward beyond the Axiós River to dominate the neighbouring Thracian tribes. Amyntas' successor, Alexander I "the Philhellene" (reigned 492- 454), advanced his frontiers more eastward to the Strymon River. He obtained admission to the Olympic Games.

By the 5th century BC the Macedonians had adopted in some scale the Greek language and had a unified kingdom. Alexander's son Perdiccas II (reigned  450- 413) asserted his succession against his brothers.  He has united the Greek cities of Chalcidice in a federation centring on the city of Olynthus. Perdiccas' son Archelaus (reigned c. 413-399) adopted a strongly philhellenic policy, introducing Greek artists to his new capital at Pella. He strengthened Macedonia by building roads and fortresses, improving army equipment, and encouraging urban life, and his assassination in 399 was followed by six years of  anarchy.

After six years of anarchy a grandson of Perdiccas II, Amyntas III, took the throne in 393/392. Although his reign was filled with outlaw and intrigue, he successfully restored unity of  the kingdom. His death in 370/369 left three sons, of whom the first two, Alexander II and Perdiccas III, ruled only briefly. In 359 Amyntas' third son, Philip II, assumed control in the name of Perdiccas' infant heir; having restored order he made himself king (reigned 359-336) and raised Macedonia to a predominant position throughout the whole of Greece. Philip's son Alexander III the Great (reigned 336-323) has e conquered much of what was then the civilized world. On Alexander III's premature death at Babylon his generals divided up the satrapies of his empire and formaly adopted Philip II's illegitimate son, Philip Arrhidaeus, and Alexander's posthumous son by Roxanne, Alexander IV, as kings. Both kings were murdered, Arrhidaeus in 317 and Alexander IV in 309 and Alexander IV and his mother Roxane were assassinated by Cassander who then usurped the throne of Macedonia.  It was the end of the dynasty of Argeads.

Hetairoi (aristocracy)
 


        ZEUS
            |
     Hercules
               ... several generations
           Perdiccas I (the founder of the dinasty) (about 700 BC.)
        |
                  ...
 Amyntas I(6th century BC)
                  ...
        |
    Alexander I  (philhellen) (492 - 454)
        |
     Perdiccas II (454 - 413)
        |
           Archelaos  (413 - 399)
        |
After the death of Archelaos, for 6 years in Macedonia was anarchy
    Amyntas III (393 - 379)
        |
     Giasone (379 - 370)
   _________________________________
      |                                      |                           |
Alexander II of Pherai (370 - 368)   Perdicca III     Phillip II = Olympias
                                                             (359 - 334)                | (reigned 359-336)
                                                                          ___|_______
                                                                           |                     |
                                                                          Alexander III          Cleopatra

Phillip II wifes
1) Phila
2) Olympias
3) Cleopatra-------Europa
4) Philinna--------Archideus
5) Audata
6) Nicesipoli------Thessalonica
7) Meda

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