Antigonos III DosonIOANNA KRALLI

Antigonos III (r. 229–221 BCE), nephew of

ANTIGONOS II GONATAS and grandson of DEME-

TRIOS I POLIORKETES, ascended to theMacedonian

throne initially as regent for the minor PHILIP

V OF MACEDON, son of Demetrios II (hence per-

haps the epithet Doson: “he who will give”).

Doson married Philip’s mother and adopted

the boy, thus assuring Philip’s succession and

proving his own loyalty to the Antigonid

Dynasty.

In 229 Doson was faced with a serious

decline of Macedonian power. Among its

possessions to the south, Macedon retained

only DEMETRIAS and CHALCIS. ATHENS had bribed

the Macedonian garrison out of the PIRAEUS.

In the PELOPONNESE, the Macedon-friendly

tyrants of ARGOS, HERMIONE, and PHLEIOUS

had abdicated, incorporating their states

into the ACHAIAN LEAGUE. And the bastion of

ACROCORINTH had been lost to Macedon since

243. However, Doson’s priority was

the consolidation of Macedon’s own threat-

ened borders. In the north he repulsed

a Dardanian invasion, while to the south he

reincorporated rebellious THESSALY (Justin.

Epit. 28.3.14). Before 224 Doson further

blocked Aitolian expansion by treaties with

EPIRUS, the independent part of Akarnania,

Opountian LOKRIS, BOIOTIA, and PHOKIS (see

AITOLIAN LEAGUE). His enigmatic expedition to

CARIA (Polyb. 20.5.7–11; Trogus Prologus 28,

as recorded by Justin; I.Labraunda 3.1, nos.

4–7, 9) ca. 228/7 signals an expansion of -

Macedonian influence to Asia Minor, but it

remains uncertain whether this represented

an attempt to restore Antigonid sea power.

SPARTA, independent and resurgent under

KLEOMENES III, clashed with the Achaian

League. This, however, would lead to the

reestablishment of Macedonian control over

Peloponnesian affairs. The Achaians asked

for Doson’s help, and ca. 223 a HELLENIC

ALLIANCE was formed under the leadership of

Doson. Unlike the earlier Hellenic leagues

of Philip II and Demetrios Poliorketes, which

had consisted of poleis, this alliance consisted

of Macedon, the Achaian League, and other

federations (Thessalians, Epirots, Akar-

nanians, Boiotians, Phokians: Polyb. 2.54.4;

4.9.4). Theoretically all members were on a par.

Doson crushed Kleomenes at the battle of

Sellasia in 222 and dedicated the spoils at DELOS

(SIG3 518). He became the first enemy ever to

capture Sparta, but he did not destroy it.

Praising Doson’s role, POLYBIUS (2.70.1–5;

5.9.10) notes that he restored its “ancestral

constitution,” possibly alluding to the elimina-

tion of Kleomenes or to the restoration of the

ephorate (see EPHORS). However, Doson

reduced the Spartan territory, assigning the

much disputed ager Dentheliatis to Messene.

In return for the elimination of the threat from

Sparta, the Achaian League and individual

cities offered Doson honors, both during his

lifetime and after his death: SIKYON created a

festival, the Antigoneia (Polyb. 30.29.3; Plut.

Arat. 45.3); MANTINEA was refounded and

renamed Antigoneia (Polyb. 2.57–8; Plut.

Arat. 45.4–6; IG V.2.299); Epidauros (ISE

vol. 1, no. 46) and Geronthrai (IG V.1.1122)

also honored Doson.

There is no sign that Doson was alarmed by

Rome’s establishment of a protectorate on

Macedon’s flank, in Illyria, in 228.

Doson died of tuberculosis in 221. In his

testament he ingeniously arranged for stability

in administration and for the maintenance of

friendly relations between Macedon and the

Achaian League. He bequeathed to Philip V a

robust kingdom, the Hellenic Alliance, and the

goodwill of much of the Greek world.

SEE ALSO: Antigonids; Asia Minor, Hellenistic;

Demetrios II (Macedonian king); Illyria and

Illyrians; Kleomenes III of Sparta; Philip II of

Macedon; Sellasia, battle of.

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Errington, R. M. (1990) A history of Macedonia,

trans. C. Errington: 175–86. Berkeley.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,

and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 463–464.

© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah09026

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Hammond, N. G. L. and Walbank, F. W. (1988)

A history of Macedonia, 336–167 BC: 337–64.

Oxford.

Iscrizioni storiche ellenistiche, vols. 1–2 (1967–76),

edited by L. Moretti. Florence (¼ISE).

Labraunda. Swedish excavations and researches

(1955– ), vol. 3 (1969–72): The Greek

inscriptions, edited by J. Crampa. Stockholm

(¼I.Labraunda).

Le Bohec, S. (1993) Antigone Doson, roi de

Macedoine. Nancy.

Scherberich, K. (2009) Koine Symmachıa.

Untersuchungen zum Hellenenbund Antigonos’ III.

Doson und Philipps V. (224–197 v. Chr.).

Stuttgart.

Will, Ed. (1979–82) Histoire politique du monde

hellenistique (323–30 av. J.-C.), 2nd ed., vol. 1:

359–401. Nancy.

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