Aeropus II (
Ancient Greek: Ἀέροπος,
romanized: Aéropos), son of
Perdiccas II, was king of
Macedonia from 398/7 until his death from illness in July or August of 394/3 BC.[2][3] He first governed as guardian (epitropos)[a] for his young nephew
Orestes when
Archelaus died in 400/399 BC. However,
Diodorus reports that Aeropus murdered Orestes three years later, but it is also possible that he had simply won the support of the Macedonian nobility.[5][6] As king, he took the name Archelaus.[1] Aeropus had a son named
Pausanias, but was succeeded instead by
Amyntas II, son of his great-uncle Menelaus.[7]
Two traditions relate how Aeropus was overawed by either the insolence[8][9] or the stratagems[10] of the Lacedaemonian king
Agesilaus, allowing his armies free passage through Macedonia after their campaign in Asia.
There is a minority view among scholars that Aeropus was a
Lyncestian prince, rather than an
Argead, who married into the dynasty, therefore enabling him later to become regent for Orestes.[11] However, the majority of historians believe Aeropus to have been Perdiccas' son and thus a member of the dynasty.[2][7][12][13]
References
Notes
^Generally meaning a guardian or trustee in Ancient Greek, rather than regent. This word appears frequently in the works of Diodorous, Aristotle, and other Greek writers.[4]
Citations
^
abMarch, Duane (1995). "The Kings of Makedon: 399-369 B.C". Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte: 280.
^
abRoisman, Joseph (2010). "Classical Macedonia to Perdiccas III". In Roisman, Joseph; Worthington, Ian (eds.). A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 158.
^Diodorus Siculus. "
Library". Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 4–8. Translated by Oldfather, C.H. Harvard University Press,
14.84.
^Fox, Robin Lane (2011). "399–369 BC". In Fox, Robin Lane (ed.). Brill’s Companion to Ancient Macedon: Studies in the Archaeology and History of Macedon, 650 BC–300 AD. Boston: Brill. pp. 217–218.
^Borza, Eugene (1990). In the Shadow of Olympus: The Emergence of Macedon. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 28.
ISBN0-691-05549-1
^Carney, Elizabeth (2000). Women and Monarchy in Macedonia. University of Oklahoma Press, p.250.
ISBN0-8061-3212-4