Eurydice (wife of Amyntas III)

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Eurydice (* around 410 BC; † between 365 and 359 BC) was from around 390 to 370 BC. As the wife of Amyntas III. a queen of Macedonia . She was the mother of three Macedonian kings, including Philip II , the father of Alexander the Great .

Life

The around 410 BC Eurydice, born in BC, came from the royal house of Lynkestis as the granddaughter of Arrhabaios I of Lynkestis and daughter of Sirras . She married around 390 BC. The Macedonian king Amyntas III, threatened by the Illyrians , who probably wanted to secure the north-western border of his empire through this marriage alliance. Amyntas III. was already married to a relative named Gygaia , who soon lost her position as chief wife to Eurydice. The three sons of Gygaia were also passed over to the throne.

In addition to a daughter Eurynoë (or Euryone), Eurydice bore her husband three sons, who were also to ascend the Macedonian throne one after the other: Alexander II , Perdiccas III. and Philip II. Their daughter Eurynoë was given to the Macedonian nobleman Ptolemaios of Aloros as wife.

In the ancient sources, Eurydice paints the very negative image of a domineering and ruthless woman. Justinus provides an unbelievable account of her alleged atrocities, according to which Eurydice not only had her two older sons removed, but also wanted to murder her husband. Ptolemy of Aloros had become her lover, to whom she had promised her hand and rule if he let her husband kill. But Eurynoë betrayed these conspiracy intentions, Amyntas III. but spared Eurydice after the discovery of their plot out of consideration for their children.

As Amyntas III. 370 BC Died, his son Alexander II was his successor. But Ptolemy of Aloros rose against the new ruler, with Eurydice supposedly assisting him. The Theban general Pelopidas , who was appointed as mediator , managed to get Alexander II to maintain the rule. However, Ptolemy of Aloros soon had Alexander II eliminated (369 BC). Eurydice is said to have instigated this murder of her son. In any case, she then married Ptolemy of Aloros.

Pausanias , a relative of the royal family of the Argeadians , acted as a pretender against Ptolemy of Aloros, who was supposedly ruled by Eurydice, and invaded Macedonia at the head of a Hellenic mercenary army, where he was very popular. In addition, Pelopidas moved in with mercenaries at that time. Thereupon Eurydice asked for the support of the Athenian strategist Iphicrates , who drove out Pausanias and gave Ptolemy of Aloros the reign as guardian of the still underage Perdiccas (III.). Ptolemy of Aloros made a settlement with Pelopidas. He was three years later (365 BC) at the instigation of Perdiccas III. killed.

According to Plutarch , when Eurydice was of an advanced age she tried to learn to read. Under the government of Perdiccas III. she must have died. Later Philip II had a statue of his mother put up in the sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia .

literature

Remarks

  1. ↑ Strabo 7, 7, 8, p. 326.
  2. ↑ In the handwritten tradition Eurydice's daughter is called Euryone, but some archaeologists believe that Eurynoë is the more correct spelling.
  3. ↑ Justin 7: 4, 5; Libanios , Life of Demosthenes 5.
  4. ↑ Justin 7: 4, 7; Scholion at Aeschines 2, 29.
  5. ↑ Justin 7: 4, 7-5, 8; on this H. Bengtson, Philipp und Alexander der Große , p. 48 (the Justinus' report leads back to Theopompus ).
  6. ↑ Justin 7, 4, 7ff. and 7, 5, 4.
  7. ↑ Plutarch , Pelopidas 26; Diodorus 15, 67, 4.
  8. ↑ Justin 7: 5, 4; Marsyas , FGrH 135/136 F 11 at Athenaios 14, 629d; Diodorus 15, 71, 1 and 16, 2, 4; Aeschines 2, 29 with Scholia; Plutarch, Pelopidas 27; Demosthenes 19, 195; Libanios, Life of Demosthenes 5.
  9. ↑ Plutarch, Pelopidas 27; Aeschines 2, 27 and 2, 29; Cornelius Nepos , Iphikrates 3, 2.
  10. ↑ Diodorus 15, 77, 5 and 16, 2, 4; Georgios Synkellos , p. 500 Dindorf; Scholion at Aeschines 2, 29.
  11. ↑ Plutarch, De educ. pueris 20 ( Moralia 14 bc).
personal data
SURNAME Eurydice
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Wife of the Macedonian king Amyntas III.
DATE OF BIRTH around 410 BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH between 365 BC BC and 359 BC Chr.