Amyntas III of Macedon

Amyntas III was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia. He ruled in two periods, first from around 393 BC to 387 BC, and then again from 387 BC to 370 BC. Amyntas III belonged to the Argead dynasty. His father was Arrhidaeus, who was a son of Amyntas and one of the sons of Alexander I.

One of the most important things about Amyntas III is that he had a famous son. That son was Philip II, who later became king of Macedonia. Philip II had a very famous son too—Alexander the Great, one of the greatest leaders in ancient history.

Family

Amyntas had two wives, Eurydice and Gygaea. With Eurydice, he had three sons who later became kings of Macedonia: Alexander II, Perdiccas III, and Philip II, as well as a daughter named Eurynoe. With Gygaea, he had three more sons: Archelaus, Arrhidaeus, and Menelaus, but none of them became king. Amyntas also adopted the Athenian general Iphicrates for his help and connections.

Lineage and accession

Amyntas became king of Macedonia during a difficult time. His great-grandfather, King Alexander I, had passed away earlier, leading to conflicts among family members. After some years, Archelaus, a later king, was killed, and this led to more changes in leadership. Amyntas took the throne in 393 or 392 BC after the previous king, Pausanias, was no longer ruling. During his time as king, Macedonia had peace without big internal problems.

King of Macedon

Amyntas III became king of Macedon around 393 or 392 BC. Not long after he started ruling, a group called the Illyrians forced him out, but the next year he got help from the Thessalians and took back his kingdom. To protect his country from future attacks, Amyntas made friends with a group called the Chalcidian League, led by Olynthus. In return for their help, he let them use timber from his land.

Later, Amyntas worked with other leaders to keep his kingdom safe. He helped the Spartans fight against Olynthus, which was supported by Athens and Thebes. After Olynthus was defeated, Amyntas kept the timber revenues for himself. He died when he was 50 and passed the throne to his oldest son, Alexander II.