Editing Perseus of Macedon (section)

==Early life==
Perseus was the son of king [[Philip V of Macedon]] and a concubine, probably [[Polycratia of Argos]].<ref>Livius. xxxix. 53</ref> His father spent most of his reign attempting to maintain Macedonian hegemony over [[Greece]] against heavy Greek resistance and, in his later reign, against an expansionist [[Roman Republic]]. Philip V failed in this endeavor: following defeat in the [[Second Macedonian War]] he was compelled to accept Roman power in Greece, and later helped Rome in the [[War against Nabis]] (195 BC) and the [[Aetolian War]] (191–189 BC).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Perseus {{!}} king of Macedonia {{!}} Britannica|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Perseus-king-of-Macedonia|access-date=2021-12-06|website=www.britannica.com|language=en}}</ref> Perseus is recorded as having commanded Macedonian troops in both the Second Macedonian War and the Aetolian War. Being a son of a concubine, Perseus feared that the throne might pass on to his legitimate younger brother [[Demetrius (son of Philip V)|Demetrius]], who had been sent as a hostage to Rome following the Second Macedonian War and now led a pro-Roman faction within the Macedonian court. In 180 BC Perseus forged a letter supposedly from the Roman general [[Titus Quinctius Flamininus]], which suggested that Demetrius was planning to overthrow Philip V. This successfully convinced Philip V to execute Demetrius.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=S. Gruen|first=Erich|title=Last Years of Philip V|url=https://grbs.library.duke.edu/article/download/8941/4641|journal=Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies}}</ref> Philip died the next year and was succeeded by Perseus on 22 June 168 BC.