Demetrius II Aetolicus

Demetrius
Demetrius
King of Macedonia
Reign	239 to 229 BC
Predecessor	Antigonus II Gonatas
Successor	Antigonus III Doson
Born	275 BC
Died	229 BC
Spouse	Stratonice of Macedon ; Nicaea of Corinth ; Phthia of Macedon ; Chryseis
Issue	Apama III ; Philip V of Macedon
Dynasty	Antigonid dynasty
Father	Antigonus II Gonatas
Mother	Phila

Demetrius II Aetolicus (Greek: Δημήτριος ὁ Αἰτωλικός) son of Antigonus II Gonatas and Phila, reigned as King of Macedonia from the winter of 239 to 229 BC.^[1]^:317 He belonged to the Antigonid dynasty and was born in 275 BC.^[1]^:317

He had already distinguished himself during his father's lifetime by defeating Alexander II of Epirus at and so saving Macedonia (c. 260 BC).^[2] There is a possibility^[1]^:317that his father had already elevated him to position of power equal to his own before his death. If this had occurred it would be in 256 or 257 BC.

On his accession, Demetrius faced a coalition of enemies which included the two great leagues. Usually rivals, the Aetolian and Achaean Leagues now became allies against the Macedonian power. He succeeded in dealing this coalition severe blows, wresting Boeotia from their alliance. The revolution in Epirus, which substituted a republican league for the monarchy, gravely weakened his position.^[2]

During his reign, his kingdom extended^[1]^:321 into Euboea, Magnesia, Thessaly and its environs, excluding Dolopia and possibly Peparethos and Achaea Phthiotis.

In 236 BC, he invaded Boeotia, making the Boeotians submit^[1]^:326 immediately.

In 234 BC due to a federal republic^[3] replacing the monarchy in Epirus, which led to the events of 231 BC, Demetrius hired^[4] Agron for military aid against the advancing Aetolians. His kingdom was not^[1]^:323 threatened by the Illyrian Ardiaei, ruled by Agron, despite them having gathered the greatest force in their history (c. 231 BC), but Epirus needed some sort of force to deter them.

At the end of his reign, Demetrius defended his domain from the tribal peoples of the north. A battle with the Dardanians^[1]^:335 turned out disastrously, and he died shortly afterwards, leaving Philip, his son by Chryseis, still a child, on the throne.^[2]

Marriage and family[]

Demetrius married four times, though the chronology of these marriages is a matter of dispute.^[2]

Stratonice of Macedon, his aunt/cousin, the daughter of the Seleucid king Antiochus I and his aunt Stratonice, by whom he had a daughter called Apama III^[5] who married Prusias I of Bithynia. Stratonice left him after he married his second wife.^[6]
Nicaea, the widow of his cousin Alexander of Corinth, c. 245/244 BC. ^[6]
Phthia (239 BC)^[1]^:322 the daughter of Alexander II of Epirus.^[6]
Chryseis, probably a former war prisoner turned concubine, whom he married around 237 BC when she bore him a son, Philip V of Macedon. After Demetrius' death, she remarried to his successor, Antigonus III Doson.^[6]

Information^[1]^:317regarding the life of Demetrius is drawn mainly from inscriptions, as only Plutarch writes of him, in Life of Aratus, and Polybius^[7] makes scarce mention of him.

Notes[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond, Frank William Walbank (1988). A History of Macedonia: 336-167 B.C. ISBN 0198148151.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Demetrius s.v. Demetrius II". Encyclopædia Britannica. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 982–983.
^ Wilkes, J. J. (1992). The Illyrians. p. 157. ISBN 0-631-19807-5.
^ Walbank, Frank William (1984). The Cambridge Ancient History, Tome 7, Part 1. p. 452. ISBN 052123445X.
^ https://www.livius.org/ap-ark/apame/apame_iii.html
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Carney, Elizabeth (2000). Women and Monarchy in Macedonia. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3212-4.
^ cf.2.44.1-2

Regnal titles
Preceded by Antigonus II Gonatas	King of Macedon 239–229 BC	Succeeded by Antigonus III Doson

[history_macedonia-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond, Frank William Walbank (1988). A History of Macedonia: 336-167 B.C. ISBN 0198148151.

[EB1911-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Demetrius s.v. Demetrius II". Encyclopædia Britannica. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 982–983.

[illyrians-3] Wilkes, J. J. (1992). The Illyrians. p. 157. ISBN 0-631-19807-5.

[cambridge-4] Walbank, Frank William (1984). The Cambridge Ancient History, Tome 7, Part 1. p. 452. ISBN 052123445X.

[livius_org-5] ttps://www.livius.org/ap-ark/apame/apame_iii.html

[women_macedonia-6] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d Carney, Elizabeth (2000). Women and Monarchy in Macedonia. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3212-4.

[7] .2.44.1-2

[1]

[2]

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show v t Kings of Macedon
Argead	Caranus Coenus Tyrimmas Perdiccas I Argaeus I Philip I Aeropus I Alcetas I Amyntas I Alexander I Alcetas II Perdiccas II Archelaus I Craterus Orestes / Aeropus II Archelaus II Amyntas II Pausanias Argaeus II Amyntas III Alexander II Perdiccas III Amyntas IV Philip II Alexander III (Alexander the Great) Philip III Alexander IV
Regents	Ptolemy of Aloros Perdiccas Peithon and Arrhidaeus Antipater Polyperchon Cassander
Antipatrid	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes
Antigonid	Demetrius I Antigonus II Demetrius II Antigonus III Philip V Perseus Andriscus (Philip VI)
Non-dynastic	Lysimachus Pyrrhus Ptolemy Keraunos Meleager

show v t Hellenistic rulers
Argeads	Philip II Alexander III the Great Philip III Arrhidaeus Alexander IV
Antigonids	Antigonus I Monophthalmus Demetrius I Poliorcetes Antigonus II Gonatas Demetrius II Aetolicus Antigonus III Doson Philip V Perseus Philip VI (pretender)
Ptolemies	Ptolemy I Soter Ptolemy Keraunos Ptolemy II Philadelphus Ptolemy III Euergetes Ptolemy IV Philopator Ptolemy V Epiphanes Cleopatra I Syra (regent) Ptolemy VI Philometor Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator Cleopatra II Philometor Soter Ptolemy VIII Physcon Cleopatra III Ptolemy IX Lathyros Ptolemy X Alexander Berenice III Ptolemy XI Alexander Ptolemy XII Auletes Cleopatra VI Tryphaena Berenice IV Epiphanea Ptolemy XIII Ptolemy XIV Cleopatra VII Philopator Ptolemy XV Caesarion
Kings of Cyrene	Magas Demetrius the Fair Ptolemy VIII Physcon Ptolemy Apion
Seleucids	Seleucus I Nicator Antiochus I Soter Antiochus II Theos Seleucus II Callinicus Seleucus III Ceraunus Antiochus III the Great Seleucus IV Philopator Antiochus IV Epiphanes Antiochus V Eupator Demetrius I Soter Alexander I Balas Demetrius II Nicator Antiochus VI Dionysus Diodotus Tryphon Antiochus VII Sidetes Alexander II Zabinas Seleucus V Philometor Antiochus VIII Grypus Antiochus IX Cyzicenus Seleucus VI Epiphanes Antiochus X Eusebes Antiochus XI Epiphanes Demetrius III Eucaerus Philip I Philadelphus Antiochus XII Dionysus Antiochus XIII Asiaticus Philip II Philoromaeus
Lysimachids	Lysimachus Ptolemy Epigonos
Antipatrids	Cassander Philip IV Alexander V Antipater II Antipater Etesias Sosthenes
Attalids	Philetaerus Eumenes I Attalus I Eumenes II Attalus II Attalus III Eumenes III
Greco-Bactrians	Diodotus I Diodotus II Euthydemus I Demetrius I Euthydemus II Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Demetrius II Eucratides I Plato Eucratides II Heliocles I
Indo-Greeks	Demetrius I Antimachus I Pantaleon Agathocles Apollodotus I Demetrius II Antimachus II Menander I Zoilos I Agathokleia Lysias Strato I Antialcidas Heliokles II Polyxenos Demetrius III Philoxenus Diomedes Amyntas Epander Theophilos Peukolaos Thraso Nicias Menander II Artemidoros Hermaeus Archebius Telephos Apollodotus II Hippostratos Dionysios Zoilos II Apollophanes Strato II Strato III
Kings of Bithynia	Boteiras Bas Zipoetes I Nicomedes I Zipoetes II Etazeta (regent) Ziaelas Prusias I Prusias II Nicomedes II Nicomedes III Nicomedes IV Socrates Chrestus
Kings of Pontus	Mithridates I Ctistes Ariobarzanes Mithridates II Mithridates III Pharnaces I Mithridates IV Philopator Philadephos Mithridates V Euergetes Mithridates VI Eupator Pharnaces II Darius Arsaces Polemon I Pythodorida Polemon II
Kings of Commagene	Ptolemaeus Sames II Mithridates I Antiochus I Mithridates II Antiochus II Mithridates III Antiochus III Antiochus IV
Kings of Cappadocia	Ariarathes I Ariarathes II Ariamnes II Ariarathes III Ariarathes IV Ariarathes V Orophernes Ariarathes VI Ariarathes VII Ariarathes VIII Ariarathes IX Ariobarzanes I Ariobarzanes II Ariobarzanes III Ariarathes X Archelaus
Kings of the Cimmerian Bosporus	Paerisades I Satyros II Prytanis Eumelos Spartokos III Hygiainon (regent) Paerisades II Spartokos IV Leukon II Spartokos V Paerisades III Paerisades IV Paerisades V Mithridates I Pharnaces Asander with Dynamis Mithridates II Asander with Dynamis Scribonius’ attempted rule with Dynamis Dynamis with Polemon Polemon with Pythodorida Aspurgus Mithridates III with Gepaepyris Mithridates III Cotys I
Hellenistic rulers were preceded by Hellenistic satraps in most of their territories.