Audoleon () was king of the ancient kingdom of Paeonia from 315 until his death in 285 or 284 BC. He succeeded his father,

Patraus Patraus () was king of the ancient kingdom of Paeonia from around 335 until his death in 315 BC. Patraus' relationship with the previous Paeonian king, Lyppeius, is unknown, as are the circumstances surrounding his ascension. Aside from th ...

, under unknown circumstances. Around 310, Audoleon asked and received help from

Cassander Cassander (; ; 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and '' de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death. A son of Antipater and a contemporary of Alexander the ...

, King of

Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...

, in defeating an invasion of the Illyrian

Autariatae The Autariatae or Autariatai (alternatively, Autariates; , ''Autariatai''; ) were an Illyrian people that lived between the valleys of the Lim and the Tara, beyond the Accursed Mountains, and the valley of West Morava. Their territory was lo ...

after they had overrun the upper Axius valley. The 20,000 survivors were, along with their wives and children, settled in the border territory of Parorbelia by Cassander. In 306, Demetrius Poliocretes inflicted a crushing defeat on the King of Egypt, Ptolemy Soter, in a naval battle near Salamis in Cyprus. Following this victory, Antigonus Monophthalmus, Demetrius' father, assumed the

diadem A diadem is a Crown (headgear), crown, specifically an ornamental headband worn by monarchs and others as a badge of Monarch, royalty. Overview The word derives from the Ancient Greek, Greek διάδημα ''diádēma'', "band" or "fillet", fro ...

and proclaimed himself ''

basileus ''Basileus'' () is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs throughout history. In the English language, English-speaking world, it is perhaps most widely understood to mean , referring to either a or an . The title ...

''. The other

Diadochi The Diadochi were the rival generals, families, and friends of Alexander the Great who fought for control over his empire after his death in 323 BC. The Wars of the Diadochi mark the beginning of the Hellenistic period from the Mediterran ...

, who had thus far avoided formal royal titles, began to also style themselves as kings. To emphasize his kingdom's independence, Audoleon also declared himself king, becoming one of the first lesser

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

kings to do so. This change in status was reflected in his currency: earlier issues depicted the head of Athena, whilst Attic-weight tetradrachms struck later in Audoleon's reign imitated the coinage of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

. The adoption of a royal title, as well as a new coinage type, was part of a larger

Hellenization Hellenization or Hellenification is the adoption of Greek culture, religion, language, and identity by non-Greeks. In the ancient period, colonisation often led to the Hellenisation of indigenous people in the Hellenistic period, many of the ...

process that further integrated Paeonia with the greater Greek-speaking world. This is evidenced by Audoleon's ties with other Hellenistic monarchs and cities, particularly Paeonia's traditional ally,

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

. In 294, Demetrius was proclaimed king by the Macedonians at

Larissa Larissa (; , , ) is the capital and largest city of the Thessaly region in Greece. It is the fifth-most populous city in Greece with a population of 148,562 in the city proper, according to the 2021 census. It is also the capital of the Larissa ...

following his murder of Cassander's son,

Alexander V Alexander () is a male name of Greek origin. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are ...

. Nearby rulers, such as the Epirote king Pyrrhus and the Diadochos

Lysimachus Lysimachus (; Greek language, Greek: Λυσίμαχος, ''Lysimachos''; c. 360 BC – 281 BC) was a Thessaly, Thessalian officer and Diadochi, successor of Alexander the Great, who in 306 BC, became king of Thrace, Anatolia, Asia Minor and Mace ...

, were hostile to Demetrius' ambitions and formed a coalition against him, to which Audoleon participated. In 287, Athens, which had been under Antigonid domination since 307, revolted and Demetrius blockaded the city from

Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...

, their principal port, in an effort to starve them into submission. In the spring of 284, the city received a gift of 7,500 ''medimnoi'' of wheat from Audoleon and 15,000 ''medimnoi'' from Spartokos III, king of the

Bosporan Kingdom The Bosporan Kingdom, also known as the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus (; ), was an ancient Greco-Scythians, Scythian state located in eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus, centered in the present-day ...

. A later inscription records that Audoleon was honored by the Athenians with not only citizenship for himself and his descendants, but also a golden wreath and a bronze equestrian statue in the

Agora The agora (; , romanized: ', meaning "market" in Modern Greek) was a central public space in ancient Ancient Greece, Greek polis, city-states. The literal meaning of the word "agora" is "gathering place" or "assembly". The agora was the center ...

. His courtier was also honored for his efforts in delivering the grain. This is the last mention of Audoleon before his death in 285 or 284 BC. Audoleon had at least three children with an unknown spouse: Ariston, Leon, and a daughter. His daughter, who remains unnamed in the sources, married Pyrrhus in a bid by the

Epirote Epirus () is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë and the Acroceraunian Mountains in ...

king to secure the support of nearby barbarians like the Paeonians.

Notes and references

Notes

References

{{authority control Paeonian kings Paeonia (kingdom) 4th-century BC monarchs 3rd-century BC monarchs in Europe Pyrrhus of Epirus Antipatrid Macedonia