Ptolemy of Aloros: Regent and Usurper in Ancient Macedon

Introduction

Ptolemy of Aloros was a Macedonian aristocrat who emerged as the effective ruler of Macedon in the late 370s and 360s BC. He appears in the record as an envoy sent to Athens for King Amyntas III around 375–373 BC and subsequently became intimate with Amyntas’s widow Eurydice. In 368 BC he arranged the murder of Eurydice’s son, King Alexander II, and from that moment he assumed control as regent because Alexander’s younger brother Perdiccas III was still a minor.

His seizure of power provoked resistance among leading Macedonian families and prompted the Theban general Pelopidas to intervene to restore order. As part of the settlement Pelopidas secured hostages from the royal household, notably the younger brother Philip, who was taken to Thebes. To consolidate his position Ptolemy married Eurydice and agreed to deliver hostages of his own, but he continued to be regarded as an usurper by many contemporaries.

Ptolemy’s regency lasted until 365 BC, when Perdiccas III killed him and reclaimed the throne. Ancient sources differ over his origins: some name him as related to the royal house, others portray him as a son-in-law or a local noble from Aloros; modern scholars have not reached a consensus. His brief rule is remembered chiefly for the assassination that brought him to power, the Theban arbitration that limited but confirmed his regency, and his violent removal by the legitimate heir.