| Amyntas I | |
|---|---|
 | |
| King of Macedonia | |
| Reign | c. 512–498/497 BC |
| Predecessor | Alcetas |
| Successor | Alexander I |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 498/497 BC |
| Spouse | Unknown |
| Issue | Alexander I Gygaea |
| Dynasty | Argead |
| Father | Alcetas |
| Mother | Unknown |
| Religion | Ancient Greek religion |
Amyntas I (Ancient Greek:Ἀμύντας) was king[b] of theancient Greek kingdom ofMacedonia from at least 512/511 until his death in 498/497 BC.[6] Although there were a number of rulers before him, Amyntas is the first king of Macedonia for which we have any reliable historical information.[7] During Amyntas' reign, Macedonia became a vassal state of theAchaemenid Empire in 510 BC.[8]
Amyntas was a member of the Argead dynasty and the son of KingAlcetas.[9] According toHerodotus, Amyntas was the sixth king of Macedonia. He had two children with an unnamed spouse:[10][11][12]Alexander I andGygaea.[13]
In 513 BC, Persian forces led byDarius I crossed theBosporus in a successfulexpedition against theScythians, securing a frontier on theDanube in the process. Darius then returned toSardis in Asia Minor and ordered his cousinMegabazus to conquer the rest ofThrace. Megabazus marched westward into theStrymon Basin in 512 or 511 BC, subjugating a number of tribes along the way, including thePaeonions, whom he had deported to Asia.[14] Amyntas may have taken advantage of this power vacuum by crossing theAxios River and seizing their former territory aroundAmphaxitis.[15]
In keeping with Persian practice, Megabazus dispatched seven envoys around 510 BC to meet Amyntas, most likely at the palace inAegae, to demand "earth and water."[14] Although the exact meaning of this request remains unclear, it appears that Amyntas met Megabazus' demands and invited the envoys to a feast.[16] The Persians, according toHerodotus, requested the company of women after dinner, which Amyntas agreed to despite Macedonian customs. The women, identified as "concubines and wedded wives," sat across the table at first, but moved next to the envoys at their insistence. Flushed with wine, they began to fondle the women, but Amyntas remained silent out of fear of Persian power.[17]
Alexander, enraged by their actions, asked his father to leave and let him handle the situation. Amyntas advised caution, but eventually left, and Alexander sent the women away as well, assuring his guests that they were only washing themselves. In their place, "beardless men" disguised as women and armed with daggers returned to the party and murdered all seven envoys. The Persians began looking for the missing embassy, but Alexander covered it up by marrying his sister Gygaea to the generalBubares and paying him a large bribe.[18]
Modern historians are generally skeptical of the veracity of this story. It could have been fabricated by Herodotus to illustrate Alexander's cunning personality, or he could have simply repeated what he heard while visiting Macedonia.[16] Furthermore, Amyntas, no matter how weak or foolish, is unlikely to have entrusted such a delicate diplomatic situation to his young son.[14] Gygaea's marriage to Bubares is recognized as historical; Amyntas most likely arranged it himself or Alexander handled it after his father's death.[13]
HistorianEugene Borza argued that by rejecting the murder of the Persian ambassadors, there is no longer any evidence that Macedonia was a vassal-state during Amyntas' reign.[14] In accordance with this argument,Mardonius, not Megabazus, would actually subjugate the Macedonians in 492 BC.[16]Nicholas Hammond, on the other hand, asserted that Macedonia remained a loyal subject as part of the satrapy ofSkudra until the Persiandefeat at Platea in 479 BC.[19]
Amyntas was the first Macedonian ruler to have diplomatic relations with other states. In particular, he entered into an alliance withHippias ofAthens, and when Hippias was driven out of Athens he offered him the territory ofAnthemus on theThermaic Gulf with the object of taking advantage of the feuds between the Greeks. Hippias refused the offer and also rejected the offer ofIolcus, as Amyntas probably did not control Anthemus at that time, but was merely suggesting a plan of joint occupation to Hippias.[20]
Modern historians disagree on a number of details concerning the genealogy of theArgead dynasty.Robin Lane Fox, for example, refutes Nicholas Hammond's claim thatPtolemy of Aloros wasAmyntas II's son, arguing that Ptolemy was neither his son nor an Argead.[21] Consequently, the chart below does not account for every chronological, genealogical, and dynastic complexity. Instead, it represents one common reconstruction of the early Argeads advanced by historians such as Hammond,Elizabeth D. Carney, and Joseph Roisman.[22][11][23][10]
(1) Amyntas I (r. c. 513 – 497 BC)(2)Alexander I (r. 497 – 454 BC)(3)Perdiccas II (r. 454 – 413/2 BC)(4)Archelaus (r. 413/2 – 400/399 BC)(5)Orestes (r. 400/399 – 398/7 BC)Argaeus II (r. 388/7 – 387/6 BC).svg)
Derdas ofElimeaAmyntas II(6)Aeropus II (r. 398/7 – 394/3 BC)(9)Amyntas III (r. 393/2 – 370 BC)Seuthes IBubaresPrimary sources
Secondary sources
Amyntas I of Macedon Born: ? Died: 498/497 BC | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | King of Macedon c. 512-498/497 BC | Succeeded by |
| Legendary |  | |
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| Argead dynasty | ||
| Antipatrid dynasty | ||
| Dynastic conflict | ||
| Antigonid dynasty | ||
| Post-Conquest Rebel Kings |
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Debatable or disputed rulers are initalics. | ||
Rulers in theAchaemenid Empire | ||
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Family tree - Achaemenid Kingdom | ||
| Kings of Kings of theAchaemenid Empire |  | |
| Satraps ofLydia | ||
| Satraps ofHellespontine Phrygia | ||
| Satraps ofCappadocia | ||
| Greek Governors ofAsia Minor cities | ||
| Dynasts ofLycia | ||
| Dynasts ofCaria | ||
| Kings ofMacedonia | ||
| Kings of Tyre | ||
| Kings of Sidon |
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| Satraps ofArmenia | ||
| Satraps ofEgypt | ||
| Satraps ofBactria | ||
| Satraps ofMedia | ||
| Satraps ofCilicia | ||
| Other known satraps | ||
In most territories, Achaemenid rulers were succeeded byHellenistic satraps andHellenistic rulers from around 330 BC | ||
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