Katana VentraIP

Perdiccas II of Macedon

Perdiccas II (Greek: Περδίκκας, romanized: Perdíkkas) was the king of Macedonia from 454 BC until his death in 413 BC. During the Peloponnesian War, he frequently switched sides between Sparta and Athens.

Perdiccas II

454–413 BC[2]

Alexander I

Archelaus I

?

413 BC

  • Simache
  • Cleopatra

Archelaus I
Aeropus II
unknown son

Argead

Alexander I

unknown

Ancient Greek religion

Biography[edit]

Family[edit]

Perdiccas II was the oldest son of Alexander I. He had four brothers: Alcetas, Amyntas, Menelaus, and Philip.[3] Menelaus was the father of the future king Amyntas II while Amyntas' grandson would be king Amyntas III.[4] Around 429/428 BC, Perdiccas successfully negotiated an end to a Thracian invasion of Macedonia by arranging for his sister Stratonice to marry Seuthes, nephew of the Thracian king Sitalces.[5]


During his reign, Perdiccas married at least two women: Simache and Cleopatra. The former, mother of Archelaus and Aeropus II, is accused by Plato, through his interlocutors in Gorgias, of having been a slave of Alcetas.[6] It is doubtful, however, that Archelaus would have been treated as legitimate if his mother had been a slave and therefore Simache was most likely a member of the Macedonian elite (albeit nonroyal).[7]


Cleopatra, possibly a Lyncestian or even Argead, bore one presently unnamed son to Perdiccas. According to Plato, Archelaus drowned this son in a well when he was seven years old because he was considered the legitimate heir.[8] There is strong evidence to suggest that Cleopatra married Archelaus, her step-son, following the death of Perdiccas, but this has been disputed by historians like Nicholas Hammond.[9][10]