Wars of the Diadochi
This article is written like a story.(March 2019) |
Wars of Diadochi | |
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Result |
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- Perdiccas's faction
- Polyperchon's faction
- Epirus
- Ptolemy
- Aristodemus
- Polyperchon
The Wars of the Diadochi (
Background
Alexander's death was the catalyst for the disagreements that ensued between his former generals resulting in a succession crisis. Two main factions formed after the death of Alexander. The first of these was led by Meleager, who supported the candidacy of Alexander's half-brother, Arrhidaeus. The second was led by Perdiccas, the leading cavalry commander, who believed it would be best to wait until the birth of Alexander's unborn child, by Roxana. Both parties agreed to a compromise, wherein Arrhidaeus would become king as Philip III and rule jointly with Roxana's child, providing it was a male heir. Perdiccas was designated as regent of the empire, with Meleager acting as his lieutenant. However, soon after, Perdiccas had Meleager and the other leaders who had opposed him murdered, and he assumed full control.
The generals who had supported Perdiccas were rewarded in the partition of Babylon by becoming satraps of the various parts of the empire. Ptolemy received Egypt; Laomedon received Syria and Phoenicia; Philotas took Cilicia; Peithon took Media; Antigonus received Phrygia, Lycia and Pamphylia; Asander received Caria; Menander received Lydia; Lysimachus received Thrace; Leonnatus received Hellespontine Phrygia; and Neoptolemus had Armenia. Macedon and the rest of Greece were to be under the joint rule of Antipater, who had governed them for Alexander, and Craterus, a lieutenant of Alexander. Alexander's secretary, Eumenes of Cardia, was to receive Cappadocia and Paphlagonia.
In the east, Perdiccas largely left Alexander's arrangements intact –
Lamian War
The news of Alexander's death inspired a revolt in Greece, known as the Lamian War. Athens and other cities formed a coalition and besieged Antipater in the fortress of Lamia, however, Antipater was relieved by a force sent by Leonnatus, who was killed in battle. The Athenians were defeated at the Battle of Crannon on September 5, 322 BC by Craterus and his fleet.
At this time, Peithon suppressed a revolt of Greek settlers in the eastern parts of the empire, and Perdiccas and Eumenes subdued Cappadocia.
First War of the Diadochi, 321–319 BC
Perdiccas, who was already betrothed to the daughter of Antipater, attempted to marry Alexander's sister, Cleopatra, a marriage which would have given him claim to the Macedonian throne. In 322 BC, Antipater, Craterus and Antigonus all formed a coalition against Perdiccas's growing power. Soon after, Antipater would send his army, under the command of Craterus, into Asia Minor. In late 322 or early 321 BC, Ptolemy stole Alexander's body on its way to Macedonia and then joined the coalition. A force under Eumenes defeated Craterus at the battle of the Hellespont, however, Perdiccas was soon after murdered by his own generals Peithon, Seleucus, and Antigenes during his invasion of Egypt, after a failed attempt to cross the Nile.[2]
Ptolemy came to terms with Perdiccas' murderers, making Peithon and
Although the First War ended with the death of Perdiccas, his cause lived on. Eumenes was still at large with a victorious army in Asia Minor. So were Alcetas, Attalus, Dokimos and Polemon who had also gathered their armies in Asia Minor. In 319 BC Antigonus, after receiving reinforcements from Antipater's European army, first campaigned against Eumenes (see: battle of Orkynia), then against the combined forces of Alcetas, Attalus, Dokimos and Polemon (see: battle of Cretopolis), defeating them all.
Second War of the Diadochi, 318–316 BC
Another war soon broke out between the Diadochi. At the start of 318 BC
Cleitus fled to
Meanwhile, Eumenes, who had gathered a small army in
Antigonus and Cassander had won the war. Antigonus now controlled Asia Minor and the eastern provinces, Cassander controlled Macedon and large parts of Greece, Lysimachus controlled Thrace, and Ptolemy controlled Egypt, Syria, Cyrene and Cyprus. Their enemies were either dead or seriously reduced in power and influence.
Third War of the Diadochi, 315–311 BC
Though his authority had seemed secure with his victory over Eumenes, the eastern dynasts were unwilling to see Antigonus rule all of Asia.
Eventually Antigonus decided to campaign against Asander himself, leaving his oldest son
At about the same time, Cassander had young King Alexander IV and his mother Roxane murdered, ending the Argead dynasty, which had ruled Macedon for several centuries. As Cassander did not publicly announce the deaths, all of the various generals continued to recognize the dead Alexander as king, however, it was clear that at some point, one or all of them would claim the kingship. At the end of the war there were five Diadochi left: Cassander ruling Macedon and Thessaly, Lysimachus ruling Thrace, Antigonus ruling Asia Minor, Syria and Phoenicia, Seleucus ruling the eastern provinces and Ptolemy ruling Egypt and Cyprus. Each of them ruled as kings (in all but name).
Babylonian War, 311–309 BC
The Babylonian War was a conflict fought between 311 and 309 BC between the Diadochi kings Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator, ending in a victory for the latter, Seleucus I Nicator. The conflict ended any possibility of restoration of the empire of Alexander the Great, a result confirmed in the Battle of Ipsus.
Fourth War of the Diadochi, 307–301 BC
Ptolemy had been expanding his power into the
In 306, Antigonus attempted to invade Egypt, but storms prevented Demetrius' fleet from supplying him, and he was forced to return home. Now, with Cassander and Ptolemy both weakened, and Seleucus still occupied in the East, Antigonus and Demetrius turned their attention to
At the beginning of 304, Cassander managed to capture
In the face of these catastrophes, Cassander sued for peace, but Antigonus rejected the claims, and Demetrius invaded
The struggle over Macedon, 298–285 BC
The events of the next decade and a half were centered around various intrigues for control of Macedon itself. Cassander died in 298 BC, and his sons,
Soon, Demetrius was forced from Macedon by a rebellion supported by the alliance of Lysimachus and Pyrrhus, who divided the Kingdom between them, and, leaving Greece to the control of his son, Antigonus Gonatas, Demetrius launched an invasion of the east in 287 BC. Although initially successful, Demetrius was ultimately captured by Seleucus (286 BC), drinking himself to death two years later.
The struggle of Lysimachus and Seleucus, 285–281 BC
Although Lysimachus and Pyrrhus had cooperated in driving Antigonus Gonatas from Thessaly and Athens, in the wake of Demetrius's capture they soon fell out, with Lysimachus driving Pyrrhus from his share of Macedon. Dynastic struggles also rent Egypt, where Ptolemy decided to make his younger son Ptolemy Philadelphus his heir rather than the elder, Ptolemy Ceraunus. Ceraunus fled to Seleucus. The eldest Ptolemy died peacefully in his bed in 282 BC, and Philadelphus succeeded him.
In 282 BC Lysimachus had his son Agathocles murdered, possibly at the behest of his second wife, Arsinoe II. Agathocles's widow, Lysandra, fled to Seleucus, who after appointing his son Antiochus ruler of his Asian territories, defeated and killed Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in Lydia in 281 BC. Selucus hoped to take control of Lysimachus' European territories, and in 281 BC, soon after arriving in Thrace, he was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, for reasons that remain unclear.
The Gallic invasions and consolidation, 280–275 BC
Ptolemy Ceraunus did not rule Macedon for very long. The death of Lysimachus had left the
Now, almost fifty years after Alexander's death, some sort of order was restored. Ptolemy ruled over Egypt, southern Syria (known as Coele-Syria), and various territories on the southern coast of Asia Minor. Antiochus ruled the Asian territories of the empire, while Macedon and Greece (with the exception of the Aetolian League) fell to Antigonus.
Aftermath
References
- ^ Richard A. Billows, Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State, pp.49–50.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 33,1–36,5.; Arrian, Anabasis, 1,28; Cornelius Nepos, Parallel Lives, Eumenes 5,1.
- Bibliotheca Historica XVIII 39,1–39,6; Arrian, Anabasis, 1,34–37.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 51,1–7.
- Bibliotheca Historica,XVIII 52,5–8.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 64,1–68,1.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 68,2–72,1.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 59,1–3.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 63,6.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 72,3–4.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XVIII 73,1–2.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XIX 15,1–2.
- Bibliotheca Historica, XIX 26,1–31,5.
- Polyainos, StrategemataIV 6,13.
- ^ , Parallel Lives, Eumenes 10,3–13,1.
- ^ Richard A. Billows, Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State, p.108.
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, XIX 57,1.
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, XIX 57,2; Appian, Syriaka 53.
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica, XIX 57,4.
- ^ Richard A. Billows, Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State, p.113.
- ^ a b Plut. Dem. 23,1.
- ^ Richard A. Billows, Antigonos the One-Eyed, p. 169.
- ^ Diod. XX, 102–104.
- Shipley, Graham (2000) The Greek World After Alexander. Routledge History of the Ancient World. (Routledge, New York)
- Walbank, F. W. (1984) The Hellenistic World, The Cambridge Ancient History, volume VII. part I. (Cambridge)
- Waterfield, Robin (2011). Dividing the Spoils – The War for Alexander the Great's Empire (hardback). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 273 pages. ISBN 978-0-19-957392-9.
External links
- Alexander's successors: the Diadochi from Livius.org (Jona Lendering)
- Wiki Classical Dictionary: "Successors" category and Diadochi entry
- T. Boiy, "Dating Methods During the Early Hellenistic Period", Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 52, 2000 PDF format. A recent study of primary sources for the chronology of eastern rulers during the period of the Diadochi.