Antipater

Antipater (Greek: Ἀντίπατρος; c. 397–319 B.C.) was a Macedonian general and statesman who served under Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great. He was appointed regent of Macedon during Alexander's invasion of the Persian Empire in 334 B.C., governing the Macedonian homeland and overseeing Greek affairs while Alexander campaigned in Asia. Following Alexander's death in 323 B.C., Antipater commanded the Macedonian forces against the Greek uprising in the Lamian War. He subsequently became guardian of the Macedonian kings and supreme commander of the royal army. He was the father of Cassander, who later became king of Macedon, and the founder of the Antipatrid dynasty.

Early life and service under Philip II

Antipater rose to prominence during the reign of Philip II, becoming one of the king's most trusted military commanders and political advisers. He represented Philip in diplomatic dealings with Athens in 346 and 338 B.C., including negotiations associated with Macedonian relations with the Greek city-states.

Antipater was entrusted with important responsibilities in Macedonia while Philip was occupied with military and political affairs elsewhere. His experience in administration and diplomacy made him a natural choice for a position of authority under Alexander, following Philip's assassination in 336 B.C.

Regent of Macedonia under Alexander

When Alexander embarked on his campaign against the Persian Empire in 334 B.C., Antipater was appointed regent in Macedonia and viceroy in Europe. He was responsible for maintaining Macedonian authority in the homeland, overseeing the territories under Macedonian control in Europe and keeping the Greek allies in line with Alexander's policies. He also retained command of substantial military forces to deal with revolts and other threats to Macedonian authority.

Antipater had already exercised governmental authority during Alexander's Danubian campaign in 335 B.C. His subsequent appointment gave him responsibility for European affairs throughout the early years of Alexander's eastern expedition.

The revolt of Agis III

In approximately 331 B.C., Antipater faced a serious revolt involving both Thrace and the Peloponnese. A Thracian rebellion under Memnon threatened Macedonian authority while Agis III, king of Sparta, attempted to organize a wider Greek uprising against Macedonian rule.

Antipater initially mobilized his forces against the Thracian revolt. He then marched south with his army to confront the Greek coalition under Agis. The opposing forces met in a major engagement near Megalopolis. The Macedonians won the battle, Agis was killed, and the revolt was suppressed. Diodorus Siculus records that the Spartans and their allies suffered heavy casualties, although Antipater's army also sustained considerable losses.

The victory preserved Macedonian control over Greece while Alexander's principal army was occupied in Asia. It also demonstrated Antipater's ability to command a large army independently of the king.

Disputes with Olympias and Alexander

Antipater's authority was not without opposition. He became involved in a prolonged dispute with Olympias, Alexander's mother, who remained closely connected with Macedonian affairs. The two exchanged complaints about each other's conduct and influence.

According to Arrian, Olympias complained to Alexander about Antipater's conduct, while Antipater also wrote to the king about Olympias. Their rivalry eventually became a matter of concern at the royal court.

In approximately 324 B.C., Alexander ordered Craterus to return to Europe and assume responsibility for the government of Macedonia, Thrace and Thessaly, as well as the supervision of Greek affairs. Antipater was ordered to bring fresh Macedonian troops to Asia. The intended change of command was not completed before Alexander's death in June 323 B.C. Craterus and his veterans had reached Cilicia, while Antipater remained in Macedonia.

The Lamian War (323–322 B.C.)

The death of Alexander in 323 B.C. created a major political and military crisis throughout the Macedonian Empire. In Greece, several city-states saw an opportunity to end Macedonian domination. Athens and the Aetolians became prominent in a coalition that challenged Macedonian authority.

Antipater, still governing Macedonia, was placed in command of the Macedonian response. The resulting conflict became known as the Lamian War, after the Thessalian city of Lamia, where Antipater was besieged by the Greek forces.

The Greek forces were initially successful under the Athenian general Leosthenes. Antipater was defeated and withdrew to Lamia, where he was besieged. The death of Leosthenes during the siege, however, weakened the Greek command. Antipater subsequently received reinforcements, including forces under Leonnatus and Craterus.

The arrival of Craterus and his experienced veterans strengthened the Macedonian position. At the Battle of Crannon in August 322 B.C., Antipater and Craterus defeated the Greek coalition. Although the battle did not immediately end all resistance, the Greek alliance subsequently disintegrated and the Macedonians were able to impose their terms.

Settlement with Athens

Antipater imposed severe terms upon Athens following the Macedonian victory. The democratic constitution was replaced by an oligarchic arrangement based upon a property qualification of 2,000 drachmas. A Macedonian garrison was stationed at Munychia in the harbour region of Piraeus, ensuring continued Macedonian control over the city.

The Athenians were also required to surrender prominent opponents of Macedonian rule, including Demosthenes and Hyperides. Both men subsequently died rather than submit to Macedonian custody. The settlement effectively ended Athenian political independence and restricted participation in government to a smaller property-owning population.

Antipater also made settlements with other Greek communities, suppressing resistance and establishing governments favourable to Macedonian authority.

Wars of the Successors

Following the Lamian War, Antipater remained one of the most powerful surviving commanders of Alexander's empire. He became involved in the conflicts between the successors, particularly the struggle against Perdiccas, who exercised considerable authority over the royal family and the eastern provinces.

Antipater allied himself with Ptolemy I Soter and joined Craterus in opposing Perdiccas. Their forces entered Asia Minor in 321 B.C. Craterus was killed while fighting the forces of Eumenes of Cardia, while Perdiccas was assassinated by his own troops during his invasion of Egypt.

Regent of the Macedonian kings

Following the death of Perdiccas, the Macedonian commanders and soldiers assembled at Triparadeisus in Syria in approximately 321/320 B.C. The existing guardians of the kings, Pithon and Arrhidaeus, resigned their positions amid disputes involving the royal court and the army. The Macedonians subsequently chose Antipater as guardian of the kings with full powers.

This appointment gave Antipater authority over the royal household and made him the principal military and political authority among the successors. He reorganized the distribution of the empire's provinces, appointed Antigonus I Monophthalmus to continue the war against the supporters of Perdiccas and assumed responsibility for the protection of the two surviving kings:

• Philip III Arrhidaeus, the half-brother of Alexander.
• Alexander IV of Macedon, the infant son of Alexander the Great and Roxana.

Antipater subsequently returned to Macedonia with the kings under his protection.

His authority at this stage was different from his earlier position as Alexander's regent in Europe. He was now guardian of the royal family and supreme commander within the successor kingdom, rather than merely governor of the Macedonian homeland.

Death and succession

Antipater died in 319 B.C., following an illness. Before his death, he made an important decision concerning the succession to his position.

Although his son Cassander expected to inherit his father's authority, Antipater appointed the experienced general Polyperchon as guardian of the kings and supreme commander. Cassander was instead appointed chiliarch, or second in authority. Diodorus Siculus records these appointments in his account of Antipater's final illness.

Cassander rejected the arrangement and challenged Polyperchon's authority. This disagreement contributed to the subsequent wars between the successors and the struggle for control of Macedonia and the remaining territories of Alexander's empire.

Through Cassander, Antipater became the ancestor of the Antipatrid dynasty, which subsequently held the Macedonian throne.

Alexander's death and allegations of poisoning

Antipater was later associated with allegations that Alexander the Great had been poisoned. Plutarch records a tradition that Aristotle had advised Antipater to arrange the poisoning and that the poison had been supplied through his agency. The account also associates the controversy with Iolaus, who was accused of administering the poison.

However, Plutarch explicitly states that most writers considered the poisoning story fabricated. The allegation cannot be established as historical fact, and the circumstances of Alexander's death remain the subject of historical debate.

Historical significance

Antipater was one of the most influential Macedonian statesmen and military commanders of the fourth century B.C. His service under Philip II and Alexander the Great placed him at the centre of Macedonian expansion, while his regency ensured the continued administration and military security of Macedonia during Alexander's campaigns in Asia.

His suppression of the revolt led by Agis III and his victory in the Lamian War preserved Macedonian predominance in Greece. After Alexander's death, his appointment as guardian of the kings made him one of the principal figures in the political settlement of the successor kingdoms.

His political legacy continued through his son Cassander and the Antipatrid dynasty. His decision to appoint Polyperchon rather than Cassander as his successor, however, contributed to the renewed wars that followed his death.

See also

• Alexander the Great
• Philip II of Macedon
• Cassander
• Antipater I of Macedon
• Antipatrid dynasty
• Olympias
• Craterus
• Polyperchon
• Perdiccas
• Lamian War
• Battle of Crannon
• Wars of the Diadochi

Further reading

• Bosworth, Albert Brian. "Antipater (1), Macedonian statesman, 397?–319 BCE." Oxford Classical Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2015.
• Heckel, Waldemar. The Marshals of Alexander's Empire. London: Routledge, 1992, pp. 38–49.
• Pitt, E. M., and W. P. Richardson. "Hostile Inaction? Antipater, Craterus and the Macedonian Regency." The Classical Quarterly, vol. 67, no. 1 (2017), pp. 77–87.
• Hornblower, Simon. "Lamian War, 323–322 BCE." Oxford Classical Dictionary. Oxford University Press, 2016.