Antipater I of Macedon: A Hellenistic King in Historical Context

Introduction

Antipater I of Macedon was a Hellenistic king of Macedon who ruled jointly with his brother Alexander V from 297 BC to 294 BC. He was the son of Cassander and Thessalonike, the latter a half-sister of Alexander the Great. His reign falls at the end of the Antipatrid line that traced descent from the early Macedonian dynasty of Perdiccas I.

Antipater’s tenure was marked by dynastic violence. He removed his brother from power and murdered their mother, actions that prompted Alexander V to seek external aid from Pyrrhus and from Demetrius I Poliorcetes. Demetrius I intervened, deposed Antipater and had Alexander V killed. After fleeing to Thrace, Antipater was killed by Lysimachus. His wife was Eurydice, his paternal first cousin and a daughter of Lysimachus. Antipater and his brother were the last rulers of Macedon recorded as descended from Perdiccas I.