Cassander of Macedon

Cassander (Greek: Κάσσανδρος Ἀντιπάτρου, Kassandros son of Antipatros; ca. 350 BC – 297 BC), was King of the Macedon from 305 BC until 297 BC, son of Antipater, and founder of the Antipatrid dynasty.

Cassander had studied under Aristotle, alongside Alexander the Great. While Cassander traveled to Alexander's court in 323 BC, its not entirely clear how loyal Cassander actually was. Certainly after Alexander's death and his would-be heirs fought for their share of Alexander's empire, Cassander seemed to be the most hostile to Alexander's memory. He fought to secure control over Macedon, finally doing to in 316 BC, proclaiming himself regent, and ordering the execution of the previous regent, Olympias, the mother of Alexander the Great. While Alexander IV, Alexander the Great's son, was by treaty, supposed to become king when he came of age, Cassander arranged for the assassination of the younger Alexander and his mother, Roxana of Bactria in 310 or 309 BC. Cassander then arranged for the murder of Heracles of Macedon, a reputed illegitimate son of Alexander. In 305 BC, Cassander had cleared the way to proclaiming himself King of Macedon.

Cassander died in 297 BC of dropsy. His dynasty collapsed not long after his death.

Literary comment
In the Hellenic Traders series, Turtledove uses the Greek spelling of Cassender's name, "Kassandros".

Cassander in Hellenic Traders
In 310 BC, word reached Rhodes that Kassandros, the commander in Europe, had executed Alexandros, the son of Alexander the Great, and the boy's mother, Roxane. Kassandros had done this over the winter, when news traveled slowly throughout the Hellenic world.