![Coin of Perdiccas III with figure of Herakles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Coin_of_Perdiccas_III_with_figure_of_Herakles.jpg)
Perdiccas III (
Greek: Περδίκκας Γ΄) was king of the Greek kingdom of
Macedonia from 365 BC to 360 BC, succeeding his brother
Alexander II.
Son of
Amyntas III and
Eurydice
Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music.
Etymology
Several meanings for the name ...
, he was a child when in 369 BCE his brother Alexander II was killed by their brother-in-law
Ptolemy of Aloros
Ptolemy of Aloros ( grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος), was sent by King Amyntas III of Macedon as an envoy to Athens c. 375–373 BC. After Amyntas' death, he began a liaison with his widow, Eurydice. In 368 BC, he assassinated her son, Alexander II ...
, who then ruled as regent. In 365 BC, Perdiccas killed Ptolemy and assumed government.
There is very little information about the reign of Perdiccas III. He was at one time engaged in hostilities with Athens over
Amphipolis, and he was distinguished for his patronage of men of letters. Among these we are told that
Euphraeus of Oreus, a disciple of
Plato
Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
, rose so high in Perdiccas's favour as to completely govern the young king and to exclude from his society all but philosophers and
geometers.
He also served as ''
theorodokos The ''theorodokoi'' (Greek: , ) in ancient Greece were sacred envoy-receivers whose duty was to host and assist the ''theoroi'' (θεωροί, "viewers") before the Panhellenic games and festivals...
A ''theorodokos'' was sometimes appointed by th ...
'' in the
Panhellenic Games
Panhellenic Games is the collective term for four separate sports festivals held in ancient Greece. The four Games were:
Description
The Olympiad was one of the ways the Greeks measured time. The Olympic Games were used as a starting point, year ...
that took place in
Epidaurus
Epidaurus ( gr, Ἐπίδαυρος) was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: ''Palaia Epidavros'' and ''Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to the ...
around 360/359 BC.
In 360 BC, Perdiccas tried to reconquer upper Macedonia from the
Illyria
In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...
n
Bardylis
Bardylis (also Bardyllis ; grc, Βάρδυλις; 448 – c. 358 BC) was an Illyrian king, and the founder of the first attested Illyrian dynasty. During his reign, Bardylis aimed to made Illyria a regional power interfering with Macedon. He ...
, but the expedition ended in disaster, with Perdiccas being killed.
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which su ...
attests that four thousand men had died in the expedition, and that the remainder, panic-stricken, had become exceedingly afraid of the Illyrian armies and had lost heart for continuing the war.
Perdiccas was succeeded by his infant son,
Amyntas IV. The throne was soon usurped by Perdiccas's younger brother
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
.
References
Further reading
* Tritle, Lawrence A. ed. ''The Greek World in the Fourth Century: From the Fall of the Athenian Empire to the Successors of Alexander''. London: Routledge, 1997. .
External links
Perdiccas III, from wayback.archive.orgDictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 p ...
359 BC deaths
4th-century BC Macedonian monarchs
Argead kings of Macedonia
Ancient child rulers
4th-century BC rulers
Ancient Macedonian monarchs killed in battle
Old Macedonian kingdom
Year of birth unknown
{{AncientGreece-bio-stub