Editing Perdiccas (section)

==Family background and early life==
[[File:Ancient Macedonia.jpg|thumb|280x280px|Map of ancient Macedon. Perdiccas was born in Orestis, located in the light blue region to the left of the dark blue region (Macedon itself) above]]
According to the 2nd-century historian [[Arrian]], Perdiccas was the son of the Macedonian nobleman Orontes,<ref>{{cite book | last = Austin | first = M.M. | title = The Hellenistic World from Alexander to the Roman Conquest: A Selection of Ancient Sources in Translation | publisher = Cambridge University Press | year = 1981 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=_frP_nixH9IC&q=perdiccas+son+of+Orontes&pg=PA42 | isbn = 978-0-521-29666-3 }}</ref>{{sfn|Arrian|loc=3.11.9}} a descendant of the independent princes of the [[Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|Macedonian]] province of [[Orestis (region)|Orestis]].{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=154}}{{sfn|Arrian|loc=6.28.4}} While Perdiccas' actual date of birth is unknown, he would seem to have been of a similar age to Alexander. He had a brother called [[Alcetas]]<ref>Arrian, ''Successors'', [http://www.attalus.org/translate/fgh.html#156.0 1.21]</ref> and a sister, Atalante, who married [[Attalus (son of Andromenes)|Attalus]].{{sfn|Diod.|loc=18.37.2}} Perdiccas may have had, through some distant relation, blood of the [[Argead]] royal family.{{sfn|Heckel|2006|p=197}}

Little is known of Perdiccas' youth, but he was probably brought to the Macedonian court in [[Pella]] to serve as page like many other young nobles alongside Alexander.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=154}} In 336{{Nbsp}}BC, when [[Pausanias of Orestis|Pausanias]] assassinated King [[Philip II of Macedon]], the father of Alexander the Great, Perdiccas was among those who chased the assassin down and killed him.{{sfn|Heckel|2006|p=197}}{{sfn|Diod.|loc=16.94.4}}

An anecdote reports that Perdiccas once went into the cave of a lioness who had recently gave birth, and stole two of its cubs.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=170, citing Aelian's Varia Historia, 12.39. Heckel believes this is an allegory for Perdiccas' regency over Philip III and Alexander IV}} Another tells a story of his fondness for exercise, along with his fellow Orestian and successor, [[Craterus]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Athenaeus: Deipnosophists - 12.55.c |url=https://www.attalus.org/old/athenaeus12b.html#539 |access-date= |website=www.attalus.org}}</ref>