ARCHELAUS

died 399 BC king of Macedonia from 413 to 399. Although he acceded to power illegally, Archelaus was a capable and beneficent ruler. His father was King Perdiccas II (reigned c. 450413) and his mother a slave. Archelaus seized the throne after murdering his uncle, his cousin, and his half brother, the legitimate heir. He then set about strengthening Macedonia by fortifying cities, constructing roads, and reorganizing the army. In an effort to spread the refinements of Greek civilization among his people, Archelaus invited many renowned artists, among them the tragedian Euripides, to his new capital at Pella. The king also celebrated Greek-style games at Dium, in Macedonia. During Archelaus' reign the Macedonian economy was strengthened through the development of trade and adoption of the Persian coin standard. His relations with other states were generally peaceful. In 420 he helped establish a pro-Macedonian oligarchy at Larissa in Thessaly. He was assassinated by one of his favourites while hunting. died AD 17 in full Archelaus Sisines last king of Cappadocia (reigned 36 BCc. AD 14), a Roman client during the late republic and the early empire. Although granted the kingdom by Mark Antony, Archelaus retained his crown by making peace with Octavian (later Augustus) after Antony's defeat at the Battle of Actium (31 BC). In 20 BC Cilicia Trachea, eastern Lycaonia, and Armenia Minor were added to his domain, and his marriage to King Polemo's widow gave him indirect control of most of Pontus. When Tiberius succeeded Augustus (AD 14), Archelaus was summoned to Rome, accused in the Senate, and soon deprived of his throne. He died soon after. In AD 17 Cappadocia was made a Roman province.