Antigonus II Gonatas: A Political Biography

Antigonus Gonatas assumed the title King of Macedonia in 283 BC; he became the undisputed ruler of Macedonia in 276 BC and reigned for more than forty years. Blunt, honest and tenacious, Antigonus won not only Macedonia, but also its people. Pragmatic and occasionally ruthless, he was a well-educated man with a keen interest in philosophy. He gathered about him poets, philosophers and historians; his long reign, despite vicissitudes, re-established Macedonia as a nation. Janice J. Gabbert portrays the eventful life of this enigmatic king in a lively and engaging manner. Her aim is to trace the political career of a man about whose life almost no official records survive. Taking into account the most recent epigraphical evidence, the author brings to life a fascinating political figure. This is the first study entirely devoted to Antigonus for over eighty years, and essential reading for those interested in the history of the Successors of Alexander.