Babylonian War
Babylonian War | |||||||||
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Part of the Wars of the Diadochi | |||||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||||
Antigonid dynasty | Seleucid Empire | ||||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Seleucus I Nicator |
The Babylonian War was a conflict fought between 311–309 BC between Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator, ending in a victory for Seleucus. This conflict ended any possibility of restoration of the former empire of Alexander the Great, a result confirmed in the Battle of Ipsus. The battle also marked the birth of the Seleucid Empire by giving Seleucus control over the eastern satrapies of Alexander's former territory.
Preliminaries
After the death of
Campaigns
Seleucus, reinforced with Macedonian veterans from Carrhae (Harran), reached his former capital Babylon in the second half of May 311 BC.[3] He was soon recognized as the new ruler.[4] Only the fortress remained occupied by a garrison loyal to Antigonus. Seleucus now built a dam in the Euphrates and created an artificial lake; in August, he suddenly broke the dam, and a flood wave destroyed the walls of the fortress.[5]
Antigonus'
). He now controlled southern Iraq and the greater part of Iran.News of the defeat of Nicanor and Euagoras must have reached Antigonus at about the time of his signing the Peace of the Dynasts (December 311 BC). He ordered his son
Significance
Antigonus retreated and accepted that Babylonia, Media, and Elam belonged to Seleucus. The victor now moved to the east and reached the
Sources
Our knowledge is based on Diodorus Siculus, World History, 19.90-93 and 19.100. He discusses Seleucus' battle against the satraps and Demetrius and offers plausible numbers for the armies, but ignores the campaign of Antigonus. This is described in one of the contemporary Babylonian Chronicles, the Chronicle of the Diadochi Archived 2018-09-29 at the Wayback Machine (= ABC 10 = BCHP 3), which also offers the chronological framework. Since the publication of this cuneiform tablet, now in the British Museum, our understanding of this conflict has much increased. However, the historical accuracy of the Seleucus victory over Antigonus is largely questionable.[14][15]
Literature
- T. Boiy, Between High and Low. A Chronology of the Early Hellenistic Period (2007).
- I. Finkel & R.J. van der Spek, Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistisc Period (= BCHP; forthcoming)
- A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles (= ABC; 1975, 1977)
- Pat Wheatley, "Antigonus Monophthalmus in Babylonia, 310-308 B.C." in: Journal of Near Eastern Studies 61 (2002), 39-47.
- Richard A. Billows, Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State (1990).
References
- ^ All dates according to Tom Boiy, Between High and Low. A Chronology of the Early Hellenistic Period (2007).
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, World History, 19.90.
- ^ "Chronicle of the Diadochi, rev., iv.1'". Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- Seleucid Era is reckoned from this moment: Chronicle of the Diadochi, rev., iv.3-4'. Archived 2017-07-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Chronicle of the Diadochi, rev., iv.7'". Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ Chronicle of the Diadochi, rev., iv.9-10' Archived 2017-07-22 at the Wayback Machine; for the numbers, Diodorus, World History, 19.91.
- ^ Chronicle of the Diadochi, rev., iv.11' Archived 2017-07-22 at the Wayback Machine with Diodorus, World History, 19.91.
- ^ Diodorus, World History, 19.100.
- ^ "Chronicle of the Diadochi, rev., iv.14-20'". Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ "Chronicle of the Diadochi, rev., iv.22'". Archived from the original on 2017-07-22. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
- ^ Polyaenus, Strategems 4.9.1; cf. Pat Wheatley, "Antigonus Monophthalmus in Babylonia, 310-308 B.C." in: Journal of Near Eastern Studies 61 (2002), 39-47.
- ^ Strabo, Geography 15.2.1.
- Arrian of Nicomedia, Anabasis, 7.22.5.
- ^ Grainger 1997, p. 54
- ^ Polyaenus. "The Babylonian war". Livius.org. Archived from the original on 31 October 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-07.