Antigonid Dynasty: Map & History
The Antigonid dynasty was a Macedonian Greek royal house which ruled the kingdom of Macedon during the Hellenistic period.
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The Antigonid dynasty was a Macedonian Greek royal house which ruled the kingdom of Macedon during the Hellenistic period. It was founded by Antigonus I Monophthalmus, a general and successor of Alexander the Great who first came to power during the Diadochi Wars. He took the title of basileus after the victory of his son Demetrius Poliorcetes at the Battle of Salamis in 306 BC. Antigonids ruled much of Hellenistic Greece from 294 until their defeat at the Battle of Pydna in 168 BC during the Third Macedonian War, after which Macedon came under the control of the Roman Republic.
Modern Countries Once Part of Antigonid Dynasty
At its mapped extent, Antigonid Dynasty covered territory in 3 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- North Macedonia291–285 BCE · nearly all
- Albania291–285 BCE · a large part
- Greece291–278 BCE · a large part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Antigonid Dynasty's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Antigonid Dynasty in Depth
History
The beginning of Hellenistic Greece was defined by the struggle between the Antipatrid dynasty, led first by Cassander (r. 305 – 297 BC), son of Antipater, and the Antigonid dynasty, led by Antigonus I Monophthalmus (r. 306 – 301 BC) and his son, the future king Demetrius I Poliorcetes (r. 294 – 288 BC). After the power crisis in Macedon, which culminated in Philip III's and Euridice's death, Cassander managed to seize control from Olympias and began to establish his authority in the kingdom; in 316 BC he buried Philip III and Euridice at Aegae and married Philip II's daughter, Thessalonica, thus becoming a member of the Argead dynasty.
Legacy
The Antigonid was one of four dynasties established by Alexander's successors, the others being the Seleucid dynasty, Ptolemaic dynasty and Antipatrid dynasty. The last scion of the dynasty, Perseus of Macedon, who reigned between 179 and 168 BC, proved unable to stop the advancing Roman legions and Macedon's defeat at the Battle of Pydna signaled the end of the dynasty.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Antigonid dynasty (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Antigonid Dynasty: Key Facts
| Religion | Ancient Greek religion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 306 BCE |
| Dissolved | 168 BCE |
Facts from Wikidata Q237325 (CC0).
Antigonid Dynasty Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 127,922 km² in 288 BCE.
Antigonid Dynasty: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Antigonid Dynasty exist?
The Antigonid Dynasty is dated to 291 BCE – 278 BCE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of the Antigonid Dynasty?
The capital of the Antigonid Dynasty was Antigoneia (Syria) (Antigonus I), Demetrias, Thessaly (Demetrius I), Pella, Macedon (since Antigonus II).
How large was the Antigonid Dynasty at its peak?
At its peak in 288 BC the Antigonid Dynasty covered about 127,922 km².