A Study On The Royal Origin Legends Of The Macedonian Argead Dynasty

The early history of Macedonian royal family was obscure and semi-legendary.In the middle of the fifth century BC,Herodotus told the story of the origin of the Macedonian royal family in his work.Herodotus told us that the first king of the Macedonian royal family,Perdiccas,came from Argos in southern Greece.He is a descendant of Temenus.In the centuries following Herodotus,the story about the beginning of the Macedonian royal family changed,with its plots and characters contradicting Herodotus’ version.Based on records passed down from ancient time about the origin of royal family,this article studied the historical information contained in the legend,identify what in the legend is a reflection of real history and what is not history.By analyzing and comparing the differences and connections between different legend texts,this paper explains the reasons for the changes of the legends.The origin of the Macedonian royal family is closely related to the development of the early history of Macedonia.Although the ancient records contradict each other,they all point out without exception that the Macedonian royal family is descended from Temenus,and the founder of the dynasty came from Argos in southern Greece.The authenticity of Argos is an unavoidable issue in the study of Macedonian royal origin legends,which is closely related to the realistic politics of Macedonia.Herodotus’ s account provides proof of the Greek identity of Macedonian king Alexander I.The story had become a tool for the royal family to publicize and package themselves,which provides convenience for the royal family of Macedonia to establish relations with the southern city-states of Greece and to facilitate political exchanges.The claim that the royal family came from Argos was linked to the philhellenism policy,which was supported by successive Macedonian Kings.This paper analyzes the historical background of the legends,links legends with realpolitik,tries to explain the reasons for the claim that the royal family came from Argos,and analyzes the realistic significance and important functions of the stories.