Demetrios II(Macedonian king)SABINE MULLER

Demetrios II, the son of ANTIGONOS II GONATAS

and of Phila, born ca. 275 BCE, was brought

up as crown prince, being educated by the

Stoic Persaios, a student of ZENO OF KITION

patronized by Antigonos. After being his

father’s co-regent at least since 257 (SEG

55.677), Demetrios succeeded him in 239.

Antigonos had arranged to marry him in 255/

253 to Stratonike, the daughter of ANTIOCHOS II

THEOS, as well as to Nikaia, the widow of

Alexander of Corinth (see ALEXANDER, NEPHEW

OF ANTIGONOS GONATAS), probably in 244 – in

order to gain control of ACROCORINTH (Plut.

Arat. 17). Practising political polygamy,

Demetrios also married the Epirote Princess

Phthia. According to Justin (Epit. 28.1.1–4),

in consequence, the offended Stratonike

returned to Syria, where she unsuccessfully

tried to stir up trouble for him. Porphyry

(FGrH 260 F 3.13–14) attests that Demetrios’

last wife was a Thessalian captive of war called

Chryseis, who bore him his heir PHILIP V in

238. The suggestion that she is to be identified

with Phthia is improbable (Ogden 1999: 180).

Immediately after his accession, Demetrios

was forced to campaign against an alliance

between the AITOLIAN LEAGUE and the ACHAIAN

LEAGUE, fighting against Macedonian control

over Greece. Demetrios secured EPIRUS,

AKARNANIA, BOIOTIA, PHOKIS, and LOKRIS Opuntia.

In 233 he defeated the Achaians led by

ARATOS OF SICYON, but he could not prevent

MEGALOPOLIS from taking sides with them.

The situation became worse when the Illyrians

invaded northern MACEDONIA and the Epirotes

abandonedmonarchy in 232. In 229 Demetrios

died in battle, leaving as heir his son Philip, who

was still a minor. ANTIGONOS III DOSON,

Demetrios’ cousin, ruled on his behalf.

SEE ALSO: Achaian League; Antigonids; Demetrios’

War; Illyria and Illyrians; Justin, Roman

historian; Philip Vof Macedon; Plutarch;

Stoicism; Syria (pre-Roman).

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Ehrhardt, C. (1975) Studies in the reigns of

Demetrius II and Antigonus Doson. PhD diss.,

New York.

Gabbert, J. J. (1997) Antigonus II Gonatas: a political

biography. London.

Ogden, D. (1999) Polygamy, prostitutes and death:

the Hellenistic dynasties. London.

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

and Sabine R. Huebner, print page 1998.

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

DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah09086

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