A political biography of an obscure figure such as Antigonus Gonatas, who by W.'s admission numbers among ‘the least known in Greek history’ (p. xii), can never be a straightforward undertaking. W. has nevertheless attempted the task, because of his conviction that the longevity of Antigonus’ life and reign offers a valuable perspective into the history of third-century bce Greece. The Macedonian monarch's longevity equally suggests that he was more capable and more influential than his obscure reputation insinuates.
W. aims to present these themes for a general audience, not only because the subject deserves greater attention, but also because such a study has not been attempted before (p. xi). Apart from J. Gabbert's biography (Antigonus II Gonatas [1997]), W.W. Tarn's monograph (Antigonus Gonatas [1913]) remains the authoritative treatment of Antigonus, over a hundred years since it was published – leaving aside, of course, a number of articles and essays dealing with specific and individual aspects of Antigonus’ reign rather than assessing his life as a whole. An updated and revised study is certainly overdue. The purpose of the book under review, then, is not without good justification.
The book is organised into two parts: the first, consisting of Chapters 1–5, surveys the Greek world in the decades leading up to Antigonus’ ascension and outlines the context surrounding his reign; the second, Chapters 6–10, tracks his reign in closer detail. The book therefore serves as both a biography of Antigonus and a history of the Hellenistic world during the third century.
Readers with some familiarity of the third century but little prior knowledge of Antigonus will be especially well served by W.'s layered approach. The narrative prominently features more familiar and celebrated names like Pyrrhus of Epirus and Aratus of Sicyon, whose appearance as Antigonus’ chief opponents shows the profound impact that his reign had on the course of Greek history. W.'s methodology reinforces his point that the frayed relationship between Antigonus and his Greek neighbours and subjects is crucial to explaining later developments in Greek history.
The first chapter recounts the events following Alexander's death. The Wars of the Diadochi are narrated with particular focus placed on developments in Macedonia and mainland Greece. The chapter follows Antigonus’ grandfather Antigonus Monophthalmus and his father Demetrius Poliorcetes, concluding with the latter's death, at which time Antigonus Gonatas found himself the head of a dynasty with no territory to its name.
Chapters 2 and 3 discuss the pre-eminent Greek city-states of the classical age, Sparta and Athens, respectively, and charts their fortunes through the Hellenistic period up to the 270s when Antigonus first came to the fore. W. highlights the bitterness and resentment that the Greeks held for their Macedonian masters through the examination of Spartan and Athenian revolts against Macedon. The Spartan king Agis in 331 and the Athenian-led coalition in the Lamian War of 323 both undertook brave but ultimately futile attempts to liberate Greece from Macedonian rule. The failure of these revolts, coupled with the general downturn in the fortunes of Athens and Sparta, signified that individual Greek city-states were not capable of resistance against Macedonian imperialism.
Chapter 4, accordingly, treats the Greek response to the new dynamic of interstate relations. The formation of federations, in particular the Achaean and the Aetolian Leagues, is the subject of this chapter's stimulating discussion. The Greek cities were driven to form these confederacies with each other due in large part to the overwhelming military superiority of Macedon. Political union arose as a response to the failures of Athens and Sparta to provide effective resistance to Macedon.
Chapter 5 concludes the book's first part by evaluating the Ptolemaic Egyptian dynasty, which would become the chief foreign power to rival Antigonus for control over mainland Greece. W. explains Ptolemaic foreign policy objectives in detail, and he also examines the political strategy of the dynasty through the phenomenon of sibling marriage.
The biography commences proper in the second part of the book, beginning with Chapter 6. Here, W. narrates the military campaigns through which Antigonus secured his control of Macedon, including his important victory over a Celtic army that had laid waste to the region. Not only did this victory remove a hostile force from the land, it also gave Antigonus a considerable degree of legitimacy and prestige towards his bid to become king of Macedon. The chapter subsequently investigates the policies and reforms of the Antigonid administration in rebuilding Macedon, which had suffered a great deal in the decades following Alexander's death and indeed had begun to fracture into separate states. Antigonus’ astute measures were critical to arresting this trend, reuniting Macedon as a centralised state and reconstituting its economic and military potential.
Chapter 7 explores Graeco-Macedonian relations during the reign of Antigonus. The issue of Greek freedom would dominate much of the Hellenistic period, and Antigonus had to strike a delicate balance between subjugating the Greek cities whilst placating them with concessions to local autonomy. The chapter also discusses the Chremonidean War, where the Ptolemaic dynasty together with a clutch of Greek allies challenged Antigonid control over Greece. Antigonus’ victory in this conflict helped to secure his position.
Chapter 8 discusses the consequences of the Chremonidean War and the increasingly firm approach Antigonus took to the Greeks; Chapter 9 examines Hellenistic courtly culture and practices. The significance of this theme is made clear in Chapter 10, which is dedicated to Antigonus’ legacy and the course of Greek history up until Roman intervention. Antigonus’ move to control the Greeks by installing Macedonian garrisons in the cities was a policy that his successors imitated. Whilst it gave the dynasty a tight grip over Greek affairs, military occupation also made Antigonus and his successors deeply unpopular with the Greeks, and this helps to explain why the cities and the federations so eagerly aligned themselves with the Romans against Macedon in the second century.
The primary difficulty for W., as for just about all topics in ancient history, is the lack of sufficient primary source material – the paucity of which, W. notes, also goes some way towards explaining why Antigonus has not developed a more august reputation that befits his stature and his achievements. Hieronymus of Cardia was his official court historian, and evidently a highly competent one at that, in view of the reliance that later authors such as Plutarch, Diodorus of Sicily and Justin had on him. It is unfortunate that we do not enjoy the same luxury as they did, since Hieronymus’ work is today all but lost.
W. resolves the shortage of primary sources in part through engagement with epigraphy, and the analysis is based on many recently discovered inscriptions that have yet to be published. The use of such inscriptions makes the book valuable for current, ongoing research into the third century. The book's utility for research is, however, undermined by the system of referencing. In his efforts, perhaps, to make the work more accessible to a general audience, W. has made it less accessible to a scholarly audience. The oblique nature of citation – endnotes lacking clearly signposted cross-referencing to the corresponding assertions made in the text – inhibits efficient consultation of the cited works.
W. succeeds in his biography to educate the reader on Antigonus and on third-century Greece. The book is well written, with the prose being pleasing and enjoyable to read. Both general and scholarly audiences can gain substantial insights into a broad range of subjects from W.'s efforts, which have done justice to the fascinating epoch that was the early Hellenistic period.
