Crateuas (Ancient Greek: Κρατεύας, romanized : Krateúas), also referred to as Craterus (Κρατερός), was a Macedonian royal page who is recorded in ancient sources as the lover and alleged assassin of King Archelaus I of Macedon. His historical notoriety stems from the events surrounding the death of Archelaus in 399 BC and the brief, disputed claim he may have made to the Macedonian throne.
Background
The details of Crateuas’s early life and family background are unknown. He is described in the surviving literature as a member of the royal household, serving as a page—a position that often involved close personal attendance on the king.
Relationship with Archelaus I
According to Aristotle’s Politics and Diodorus Siculus’s Bibliotheca Historica, Crateuas was a favored companion of Archelaus. Aristotle reports that a dispute arose because Archelaus had promised Crateuas one of his daughters in marriage but later gave her to another, leading to personal animosity. Diodorus presents a slightly different picture, describing Crateuas as a beloved courtier who unintentionally struck the king during a hunt.
Assassination of Archelaus I
Both sources agree that Archelaus I was killed in 399 BC, but they differ on the circumstances:
- Aristotle’s account: Crateuas, angered by the broken marriage promise and a deteriorating love affair, murdered the king—either deliberately or as an act of vengeance. Two other courtiers, Hellanocrates of Larisa and Decamnichus, are also implicated as co‑conspirators.
- Diodorus’s account: The king was accidentally wounded by Crateuas during a royal hunt, an incident that resulted in his death.
A third version appears in the Second Alcibiades, a dialogue falsely attributed to Plato, which claims that Crateuas seized power and occupied the throne for a short period after the killing.
Possible Brief Reign
Some ancient narratives suggest that Crateuas held the Macedonian throne for several days following Archelaus’s death. Modern scholars, however, consider this claim implausible. Historian N. G. L. Hammond described the notion of Crateuas’s reign as “obviously absurd,” and contemporary king lists of Macedon do not include him as a monarch.
Historiography
The primary sources for Crateuas’s actions are limited to the aforementioned works of Aristotle, Diodorus, and the pseudonymous Second Alcibiades. Later classical historians such as Theopompus and later modern researchers have referenced these accounts, but the paucity of corroborating evidence leaves many details uncertain. Consequently, while Crateuas is recognized as a historical figure linked to the assassination of Archelaus I, the extent of his political role remains doubtful.
Legacy
Crateuas is occasionally cited in studies of Macedonian court life and the dynamics of royal succession in the late 5th century BC. His story also illustrates the presence of same‑sex relationships within the Macedonian aristocracy, as noted in modern discussions of ancient Greek sexuality. Because his alleged rule is not accepted by contemporary scholarship, he is generally omitted from official enumerations of Macedonian kings.
References
- Aristotle, Politics 5.1311b.
- Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 14.37.6.
- Pseudo‑Plato, Second Alcibiades (fragment).
- Hammond, N. G. L.; Griffith, G. T. (1972). A History of Macedonia, Volume II: 550‑336 BC. Clarendon Press.
- Roisman, J.; Worthington, I. (eds.) (2010). “Classical Macedonia to Perdiccas III.” A Companion to Ancient Macedonia. Blackwell.