Aeropus II of Macedon

Aeropus II
Silver stater of Aeropos II
King of Macedonia
Reign	398/7 – July/August 394/3 BC[1]
Predecessor	Orestes
Successor	Amyntas II
Born	?
Died	July/August 394/3 BC
Spouse	unknown
Issue	Pausanias
Dynasty	Argead
Father	Perdiccas II
Mother	unknown
Religion	Ancient Greek religion

Aeropus II (Ancient Greek: Ἀέροπος, romanized: Aéropos), son of Perdiccas II, was king of Macedonia from 398/7 until his death from illness in July or August of 394/3 BC.^[2][3] He first governed as guardian (epitropos)^[a] for his young nephew Orestes when Archelaus died in 400/399 BC. However, Diodorus reports that Aeropus murdered Orestes three years later, but it is also possible that he had simply won the support of the Macedonian nobility.^[5][6] As king, he took the name Archelaus.^[1] Aeropus had a son named Pausanias, but was succeeded instead by Amyntas II, son of his great-uncle Menelaus.^[7]

Two traditions relate how Aeropus was overawed by either the insolence^[8][9] or the stratagems^[10] of the Lacedaemonian king Agesilaus, allowing his armies free passage through Macedonia after their campaign in Asia.

There is a minority view among scholars that Aeropus was a Lyncestian prince, rather than an Argead, who married into the dynasty, therefore enabling him later to become regent for Orestes.^[11] However, the majority of historians believe Aeropus to have been Perdiccas' son and thus a member of the dynasty.^{[2][7][12][13]}