| Perseus | |
|---|---|
| Basileus | |
 Portrait of Perseus on the obverse of atetradrachm | |
| King of Macedon | |
| Reign | 179–168 BC |
| Predecessor | Philip V of Macedon |
| Successor | Monarchy abolished (Andriscus claimed in 149 BC) |
| Born | 212 BC Pella,Macedonia |
| Died | 166 BC (aged 46) Alba Fucens,Italy,Roman Republic |
| Spouse | Laodice V |
| Issue | Alexander (son of Perseus) |
| Greek | Περσεύς (Perseus) |
| House | Antigonid dynasty |
| Father | Philip V of Macedon |
| Mother | Polycratia of Argos |
| Religion | Greek polytheism |
Perseus (Greek:Περσεύς,romanized: Perseús;c. 212 – 166 BC) was king of theancient Greek kingdom ofMacedon[1][2] from 179 until 168 BC. He is widely regarded as the lastking of Macedonia and the last ruler from theAntigonid Dynasty, as his defeat byRome at theBattle of Pydna during theThird Macedonian War effectively ended Macedonia as an independent political entity.[3][4]
Perseus was the son of kingPhilip V of Macedon and a concubine, probablyPolycratia of Argos.[5] His father spent most of his reign attempting to maintain Macedonian hegemony overGreece against heavy Greek resistance and, in his later reign, against an expansionistRoman Republic. Philip V failed in this endeavor: following defeat in theSecond Macedonian War he was compelled to accept Roman power in Greece, and later helped Rome in theWar against Nabis (195 BC) and theAetolian War (191–189 BC).[6] Perseus is recorded as having commanded Macedonian troops in both the Second Macedonian War and the Aetolian War. Being a son of a concubine, Perseus feared that the throne might pass on to his legitimate younger brotherDemetrius, who had been sent as a hostage to Rome following the Second Macedonian War and now led a pro-Roman faction within the Macedonian court. In 180 BC Perseus forged a letter supposedly from the Roman generalTitus Quinctius Flamininus, which suggested that Demetrius was planning to overthrow Philip V. This successfully convinced Philip V to execute Demetrius.[7] Philip died the next year and was succeeded by Perseus on 22 June 179 BC.
In 172 BC,Eumenes II of Pergamon, fearing the expansion of Macedonian power in the Eastern Mediterranean, gave a speech to theRoman Senate in which he accused Perseus of threatening the stability of the Greek world.[9] Soon Rome and Perseus went to war in theThird Macedonian War (171–168 BC). Although Perseus had some initial success, the war ended with the King's surrender to the Roman generalLucius Aemilius Paullus after his decisive defeat at theBattle of Pydna, and his eventual imprisonment in Rome with his half-brotherPhilippus and sonAlexander.[10]Blaise Pascal mentions in hisPensées (Lafuma 15) that Perseus was blamed for not committing suicide, supposedly after his defeat at Pydna. The Antigonid kingdom was dissolved, and replaced with four republics. Perseus was led as a captive in the triumph of Paullus, then thrown in prison, where – according toPlutarch – after two years, the Romans decided to kill him, and had him kept from sleeping to the point that he died from exhaustion in 166 BC.[11]Livy, however, writes that he was shown clemency, and kept in good conditions atAlba Fucens for the rest of his life.[12]
In 178 BC, he had marriedLaodice V, the daughter ofSeleucus IV fromSyria. One son of Perseus and Laodice,Alexander, was still a child when Perseus was defeated by the Romans, and after thetriumph of Aemilius Paullus in 167 BC, was kept in custody atAlba Fucens, together with his father. He became a skillfulmetalworker, learned theLatin language, and became a public notary.[13][14][15]
In 149 BC,Andriscus, claiming to be Perseus' son, announced his intention to retake Macedonia from the Romans. Over the course of about a year, he made an effort to challenge Roman rule, but was defeated by the Romans in 148 BC, thereby ending the reign of the last Macedonian king.
There was another claimant to the throne at this time, also claiming to be the son of Perseus. He wasPseudo-Alexander, who was defeated and his further fate is unknown.
In 146 BC, the four republics were dissolved, and Macedon officially became theRoman province of Macedonia.
Media related toPerseus of Macedon at Wikimedia CommonsPerseus of Macedon Born: c. 212 BC Died: 166 BC | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | King of Macedon 179–168 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. | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
