Argaeus II of Macedon

Who is Argaeus II of Macedon?

Argaeus II of Macedon, 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 is probably the same Argaeus who thirty five years later in 359 BC again appears 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, 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.