Simon III (Prince of Caledon)
| Simon III | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 328 | |
| Preceded by | William II |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Laurence III |
| Born | 285 |
| Died | 378 |
Simon Ian Macarthur, third and youngest son of Morris and Allison MacArthur.
Simon was a young man of 15 when he first became embroiled in the pointless feud with the Fitzwilliams that became the First Civil War, as a retainer of his brother John, also known as John VI, or "John the Stupid"]]. And he toiled on, first as a leader of the groups of clan retainers that carried on the hostilities against the opposition, and eventually as his brother's Chair of the Privy Council.
Along the way, he became a skilled and ruthless politician (and sometimes more - historians believe it more than likely Simon had blood on his hands) - and a capable leader.
And after a decade of his brother William's dogged but ineffectual rule, he came to the realization that the "Civil War" was a pointless, expensive, and wasteful diversion. Some historians claim he came to this conclusion under the influence of Sheila MacMurrough, a courtesan and distant relative of clansmen on both sides of the squabble.
But whether guided by growing conviction, drawn by feminine wiles, or a combination of both, Simon spent the waning years of his brother's reign (and failing health) negotiating a complex exit from the "Civil War"; when his brother abdicated in 328, Simon signed the Treaty of Loch Connery, which adjudicated a satisfactory settlement to the Fitzwilliam feud, enacted a reconciliation between the clans, and staged a withdrawal from power for both clans. Simon was the last ruler of Clan MacArthur of Cruikshank - but the reforms of the last three decades of his reign extinguished much of the pointless dynastic squabbling that had bedeviled William's reign (and in which John had reveled).
While history regards his rule as a caretaker reign (long as it was), Simon was able to reconcile Caledonian society sufficiently to deal with the Reaver War, long after his departure from the throne, and the Principality's sternest test in history.
Simon was married to Anna Leung, and had six children, two sons and four daughters, all of whom went on to lead MacArthur of Cruikshank's clan enterprises.