Argaeus II of Macedon

Argaeus II of Macedon
King of Macedonia
Reign	393 - 392 BC
Predecessor	Amyntas III
Successor	Amyntas III
Dynasty	Argead dynasty
Religion	Ancient Greek religion

Argaeus II (Greek: Ἀργαῖος Βʹ ὁ Μακεδών) was a pretender to the Macedonian crown who, with the assistance of the Illyrians, expelled King Amyntas III from his dominions in 393 BC and kept possession of the throne for about a year. With the aid of the Thessalians, Amyntas III later succeeded in expelling Argaeus II and recovering a part of his kingdom.

It was probably the same Argaeus who 35 years later in 359 again appeared as a pretender to the throne. He had persuaded the Athenians to support his claim to the Macedonian throne, but Philip II, who had just succeeded to the regency of the kingdom, persuaded the Athenians to remain inactive.

With a force of mercenaries, some Macedonian exiles and a number of Athenian troops (who were permitted to join the Macedonians by their general, Manlias), Argaeus made an attempt to take Aegae, but was repulsed. On his retreat to Methone, he was intercepted by Philip and defeated. Argaeus was either killed in the battle or executed afterward.

References

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Mason, Charles Peter (1870). "Argaeus". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 279.