Alexander IV

The end of the Argead dynasty

Alexander IV was the posthumous son of Alexander the Great and Roxana. Alongside Philip III Arrhidaeus, he was recognized as joint ruler of the fractured empire while still an infant, serving as a symbolic figurehead under the control of regents and rival generals. Like his nominal co-ruler, he never visited Egypt, though his royal name was incorporated into local temple inscriptions. His brief reign came to a tragic end in 310 or 309 BCE when he and his mother were murdered on the orders of Cassander, completely extinguishing the Argead royal bloodline and paving the way for Ptolemy to establish his own independent dynasty.