Antigonus III. Doson

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Antigonus III. Doson ( Greek : Ἀντίγονος Δώσων; * 263 BC ; † 221 BC ) was a member of the Antigonid dynasty and from 227 BC. To King of Macedonia . He was a son of Demetrios the Fair and Olympias, daughter of Polykleitos of Larisa . His nickname means the one who surrenders rule .

Life

Greece a few years after the rule of Antigonus III. Doson

Antigonus was a nephew of Antigonus II Gonatas . After Demetrios II died in 229 BC. He was entrusted with the reign of the minor heir to the throne Philip . He first defeated the Dardanians on the Macedonian northern border and then prevented an attempt by the Thessalians , who had allied with the Aitolians , to break away from Macedonia. In addition, he achieved the end of the alliance between the Aitolians and Achaeans through diplomatic skill. The independence of Athens , which had renounced Macedonia when Demetrius II died, was recognized by Antigonus, but it remained politically insignificant in the future. Because of these successes, the Macedonian army called him in 227 BC. BC to the king, but on the condition that he should marry Demetrios' widow and accept Philip as his successor through adoption .

In alliance with the Seleucid Antiochus Hierax , Antigonus landed in 227 BC. BC with an army on the coast of Asia Minor and conquered Caria , which belongs to Egypt . In doing so, he broke the supremacy of the Ptolemies in the Aegean , who then also lost their influence in the Peloponnese. There Antigonus now brought his influence to bear by being able to persuade the Achaean alliance under Aratos, which was threatened by Sparta and up to then hostile with Macedonia (and allied with the Ptolemies), to form an alliance with him, since the Achaeans in the emerging Sparta are now the greater danger saw. This Hellenic alliance were also Phokians , Boiotians , Euboier and Lokrians at and Antigonos was 224 v. In Aigion to his hegemon. This renewed Macedonian supremacy over Greece.

In the Cleomenic War , Antigonus led the alliance against King Cleomenes III. of Sparta, who in turn was supported by the Ptolemies. 224 BC He placed Acrocorinth under a Macedonian occupation and conquered Corinth and Argos . The following year he captured Tegea and then Mantineia , which was completely destroyed. A counterattack by Cleomenes led to the destruction of Megalopolis . But Antigonus was able to defeat Cleomenes in the decisive battle of Sellasia in 222 BC. Defeated and occupied Sparta, whose kingship apparently became temporarily extinct and which was temporarily incorporated into the Hellenic League. On the other hand, Antigonus turned down Aratos' wish to hand Sparta over to the Achaeans. In Argos he opened the Nemean games to celebrate the victory . The Ptolemies, on the other hand, had to largely withdraw from the Aegean region in the following years.

In 221 BC BC Antigonus fended off an attack by the Illyrians in northern Macedonia. During the battle he suddenly suffered a hemorrhage from which he died a little later. He was followed by his great-nephew and stepson Philip, while his own sons were raised privately. In Antigonus' short, successful reign, the foundations for the expansive policy pursued by Philip V were laid .

Plastic representation

A statue erected by Diomedon, son of Diodotus, in honor of an Antigonid king in the Asklepieion of Kos represented either Antigonus III. Doson or Antigonos II represents Gonatas.

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Eusebius of Caesarea : First Book of Chronographia translated by Andrew Smith (2008), p. 243 ( tertullian.org ).
  2. ↑ Susan M. Sherwin-White: Ancient Cos. Göttingen, 1978.
predecessor Office successor
Demetrios II. Aitolikos King of Macedonia
229–221 BC Chr. 		Philip V.
personal data
SURNAME Antigonus III. Doson
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Αντίγονος Δώσων (Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION King of Macedon; Member of the Antigonid dynasty
DATE OF BIRTH 263 BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 221 BC Chr.