Antigonus III Doson

Antigonus III
Antigonus III
	Silver tetradrachm struck sometime during the reign of Antigonus. Obv.: head of Poseidon wearing wreath of marine plants; rev.: Apollo seated on the prow of a ship.
King of Macedon
Reign	229 - 221 BC
Predecessor	Demetrius II Aetolicus
Successor	Philip V
Born	263 BC
Died	221 BC
Dynasty	Antigonid dynasty
Father	Demetrius the Fair
Mother	Olympias

Antigonus III Doson (Ancient Greek: Ἀντίγονος Δώσων, 263–221 BC) was king of Macedon from 229 BC to 221 BC. He was a member of the Antigonid dynasty. He was called Euergetes, Soter^[1] and Guardian (ἐπίτροπος) as he was the guardian of Philip V of Macedon.^[2]

Family background

Antigonus III Doson was a half-cousin of his predecessor, Demetrius II Aetolicus. Doson's father was Demetrius the Fair (briefly king of Cyrene), the son of Demetrius Poliorcetes and his third wife, Ptolemaïs, daughter of Ptolemy I Soter and Eurydice, daughter of Antipater.^[3] As such, Demetrius the Fair was, on his father's side, a younger half-brother of Demetrius II's father, Antigonus II Gonatas, the son of Poliorcetes by his first wife, Phila, another of Antipater's daughters; as well as a nephew of both Ptolemy Keraunos and Meleager on his mother's side. According to Eusebius, Doson's own mother was a Thessalian noblewoman, Olympias, daughter of Pauliclitus of Larissa.^[4] Antigonus also had a brother named Echecrates,^[5] whose son, named Antigonus after Doson himself, was put to death by Perseus on the latter's accession to the throne of Macedon.^[6]

Doson's father, Demetrius the Fair, died sometime around 250 BC, as a result of events that occurred after being summoned from Macedonia to Cyrene to marry Berenice II, the daughter and heir of Magas of Cyrene. Rather than contenting himself with his young bride, Demetrius openly became the lover of her powerful mother, Apama II. So the jealous bride took her revenge by having him assassinated.^[7] It is unclear whether Doson's mother had died before this time.

Antigonus' by-name, Doson, is Greek for "going to give." The meaning of this is uncertain. According to Plutarch it "implied that he was given to promising but did not perform his engagements",^[8] though even the exact meaning of this is unclear.

Regent of Macedonia

When Demetrius II died in battle in 229 BC, his son and would-be successor, the later Philip V, was only nine years old. According to Plutarch, both the Macedonian army and nobility thought the political situation too volatile to wait for Philip V to mature enough to assume command.^[9] As a consequence, the Macedonian nobility turned to Doson, who was subsequently made regent of the kingdom and then married his predecessor's widow and the mother of Philip,^[10] Chryseis.^[11] However, it was only after Doson demonstrated his leadership abilities by succeeding (where his cousin Demetrius had failed) in defeating the Dardanii invaders and also in putting down a rebellion by the Thessalians,^[12] and showing his rule to be generally moderate and good, that he was given the title of king.^[13] Unlike his Antigonid ancestors, he had no viable rivals to challenge his right to rule. Yet, even as king he apparently envisioned himself as caretaker for his cousin's son, Philip V.

King of Macedonia

As king, Antigonus III proved to be as much a master of tactical diplomacy as of military strategy. In less than a decade of rule he not only secured the borders of his kingdom, but he also re-established Macedon as the dominant power in the region. Unlike previous Macedonian rulers who attempted direct dominion over their fiercely independent neighbours to the West and South, he formed alliances with Epirus and the Achaean League. When Sparta, under Cleomenes III, attempted to establish hegemony over the whole Peloponnese, Aratus of Sicyon - longtime leader of Greek opposition to Macedonian domination - invited Antigonus to intervene (226 BC). Establishing his base on the heights above Corinth, Antigonus reconstituted a broad-based Hellenic league (224 BC) under his leadership before launching his attack on Sparta. The Spartan forces, outmatched by the larger, better equipped Macedonian army, were so overwhelmed in the Battle of Sellasia (222 BC) that Cleomenes only managed to escape with a few horsemen, and ultimately had to seek refuge in Egypt.^[14] However, in a magnanimous gesture, Antigonus restrained his soldiers from plundering Sparta, saying it was Cleomenes, not Sparta, that was his enemy.^[15]

Antigonus did not long survive this victory. For, while his forces were campaigning in the southern Peloponnese, Illyrians invaded Macedonia from the north. Antigonus had to rush north to repel this new threat. On his way, Antigonus passed through Tegea and Argos, his arrival at the latter coinciding with the beginning of the Nemean Games, where he was honoured by the Achaean League and various other cities.^[16] His death occurred soon after, when he returned to Macedon and engaged the Illyrian army; for though Macedonian forces were once again victorious, the commander became sick during the battle (possibly, though not necessarily, as a result of a ruptured blood vessel) and died.^[17]

Ancestry

Ancestors of Antigonus III Doson

8. Antigonus I Monophthalmus, Basileus of Macedon

4. Demetrius I of Macedon

9. Stratonice

2. Demetrius the Fair, King of Cyrene

10. Ptolemy I Soter, Pharaoh of Egypt

5. Ptolemais of Egypt

11. Eurydice of Egypt

1. Antigonus III Doson, King of Macedon

6. Polyclitus of Larissa

3. Olympias of Larissa

References

^ Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 40.54, note 1
^ Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 40.54
^ Plutarch, Life of Demetrius, 46.3, 53.4
^ Eusebius, Chronicle, 243
^ Livy xl. 54
^ Livy xl. 58
^ Dodson, Aidan & Hilton, Dyan, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2010), p. 279
^ Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3
^ Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3
^ Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3
^ Eusebius, Chronicle 1.237-8; also Syncellus Chronicle 535.19
^ Justin, Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus 28.3
^ Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3
^ Polybius, Histories 2.69.10
^ Justin, Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus 28.4
^ Polybius, Histories 2.70.4
^ Polybius, Histories 2.70.6

External links

Antigonus III Doson entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith

Royal titles
Antigonus III Antigonid dynasty Born: 263 Died: 221 BC
Preceded by Demetrius II	King of Macedon 229–221 BC	Succeeded by Philip V

[1] Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 40.54, note 1

[2] Titus Livius (Livy), The History of Rome, Book 40.54

[3] Plutarch, Life of Demetrius, 46.3, 53.4

[4] Eusebius, Chronicle, 243

[5] Livy xl. 54

[6] Livy xl. 58

[7] Dodson, Aidan & Hilton, Dyan, The Complete Royal Families of Ancient Egypt (2010), p. 279

[8] Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3

[9] Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3

[10] Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3

[11] Eusebius, Chronicle 1.237-8; also Syncellus Chronicle 535.19

[12] Justin, Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus 28.3

[13] Plutarch, Life of Aemilius Paullus 8.3

[14] Polybius, Histories 2.69.10

[15] Justin, Epitome of the Philippic History of Pompeius Trogus 28.4

[16] Polybius, Histories 2.70.4

[17] Polybius, Histories 2.70.6

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v t e Kings of Macedon
Legendary	Caranus Coenus Tyrimmas	Vergina Sun
Argead dynasty	Perdiccas I Argaeus I Philip I Aeropus I Alcetas Amyntas I Alexander I Perdiccas II Archelaus Orestes Aeropus II Amyntas II Pausanias Amyntas III Argaeus II Alexander II Ptolemy of Aloros Perdiccas III Amyntas IV Philip II Alexander III (the Great) Philip III Alexander IV
Antipatrid dynasty	Cassander Philip IV Antipater I Alexander V
Dynastic conflict	Demetrius I Pyrrhus Lysimachus Ptolemy Ceraunus Meleager Antipater II Sosthenes Antigonus II Pyrrhus
Antigonid dynasty	Antigonus II Demetrius II Antigonus III Philip V Perseus
Post-Conquest Rebel Kings	Andriscus Pseudo-Alexander Pseudo-Philip/Pseudo-Perseus Euephenes
Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.

v t e Hellenistic rulers
Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV
Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes
Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender)
Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy Keraunos Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra (regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Monarchs of Cyrene	Magas Berenice II Demetrius the Fair Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy Apion Cleopatra Selene II
Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Cleopatra Thea Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Cleopatra Selene I Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus
Lysimachids	Lysimachus Ptolemy Epigonos
Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III
Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I
Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Strato III
Monarchs of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
Monarchs of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos with Laodice Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II
Monarchs of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV
Monarchs of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus
Monarchs of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Paerisades I Satyros II Prytanis Eumelos Spartokos III Hygiainon (regent) Paerisades II Spartokos IV Leukon II Spartokos V [ru] Kamasarye Paerisades III Paerisades IV Paerisades V Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius's attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon Aspurgus Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I
Monarchs of Epirus	Admetus Tharrhypas Alcetas I Neoptolemus I Arybbas Alexander I Aeacides Neoptolemus II Alcetas II Pyrrhus I Alexander II Olympias II (regent) Pyrrhus II Ptolemy Pyrrhus III Deidamia
Hellenistic rulers were preceded by Hellenistic satraps in most of their territories.

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