User:Srijanx22/Wars of the Diadochi
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The Wars of the
Alexander the Great died in 323 BC. The absence of a clear successor diminished the central authority of the Argeads. Perdiccas seize the power by becoming the commander-in-chief and Arrhidaeus became the King. In 323 BC, the Partition of Babylon divided the empire amongst the generals and satraps, Perdiccas became the regent and Roxanne's son Alexander IV and Arrhidaeus were declared as co-kings. Perdiccas' fallout with Antipater and Ptolemy began the First War of the Diadochi in 322 BC. Perdiccas was later killed in a mutiny in Egypt. In 321 BC the Antipatrid coalition rearranged the empire which was later called Partition of Triparadisus. Antipater became the new regent. In 320 BC Antigonid forces crushed Eumenes and a truce was reached in Nora.
In 319 BC Antipater died and Polyperchon was declared as successor. Cassander angry at his fathers' choice joined Antigonus against Polyperchon. Polyperchon then swayed Eumenes to break the alliance with Antigonus and join him instead. In 317 BC Eumenes and Eastern satraps defeated the Antigonid in Battles of Coprates and Paraitekene. In 316 BC Eumenes again struck a decisive victory against Antigonids in Battle of Gabiene. However, the Silver Shields betrayed Eumenes to save their baggage train from Antigonus. Eumenes was then executed. The Antigonus had won the Second War of Diadochi and became the most powerful figure in Asia.
In 315 BC, many allies of Antigonus were concerned about his despotic behavior and send their envoys to demand swathes of land and reinstating of Seleucus and Peucestas Antigonus refused and the Third War of Diadochi began. Antigonus was now facing the grand alliance of Ptolemy, Cassander, Lysimachus, Assander, and Seleucus. In 314 BC Antigonid led a victorious Caria Campaign against Assander. In 313 BC Ptolemy raided Silesia. In 312 BC, Ptolemy defeated Demetrius-led Antigonids at the Battle of Gaza. Ptolemy later reconquered all his territories up to Tyre. However, Demetrius defeated Ptolemy's expeditionary force at the Battle of Myus. In 312 BC Antigonus had crushed the remaining forces of Assander and established control over Asia Minor. Antigonus then recaptured all his lost territories in Syria. In 311 BC Seleucus had annexed Babylon from the Antigonids. Antigonus then reach a peace deal with Cassander, Lysimachus, and Ptolemy. Cassander later executed Roxanne and Alexander IV to become the King of Macedon and thus ended the Argead Dynasty.
From 311-309 BC, Antigonus and Seleucus fought a series of conflicts against each other which was later known as the Babylonian War. In 308 BC, Seleucus defeated Antigonus in a major battle, and peace was agreed upon.
Ptolemy meanwhile was strengthening his hold over the Agean Sea. The Antigonids now decided to reassert their control. The fourth war of diadochi had begun. Demetrius quickly gained successes at Megara and Munychia. In 306 BC, Demetrius defeated Ptolemy the Battle of Salamis and Cyprus was later captured. In 304 BC, Demetrius defeated Cassander at Kallimdromo. In 303 BC Demetrius annexed the Ptolemaic and Cassander's holding in Peloponnese. In 302 BC, Lysimachus, Cassander began their campaign against Antigonids. Ptolemy advanced up to Sidon. However, Ptolemy later returned when he heard the rumors that Antigonids were victorious against Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus. In 301 BC, the armies of Cassander-Lysimachus-Seleucus and Antigonids met at Ipsus. The coalition defeated the Antigonids at the Battle of Ipsus. Antigonus was killed in action and Demetrius fled to Greece. The Antigonid territory was later divided among the coalition diadochi.
Later Demetrius was able to defeat the Antipatrids ( Cassander's dynasty) and solidified Antigonid hold over the Macedon and Agean Sea. Seleucus, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus then fought minor conflicts among each other. In 281 BC Seleucus defeated and killed Lysimachus at Battle of Compendium. Later Seleucus was himself assassinated. The dynasties of various diadochi solidified their hold in different domains- Seleucids in Asia, Ptolemaic in Egypt, Antigonids in Macedon
Wars of Diadochi | |
---|---|
322–320BC:
- Antigonid Dynasty
322–320BC:
319–315BC:
319–315BC:
314–312BC:
314–312BC:
311–309BC:
311–309BC:
308–301BC:
308–301BC:
- Antipatrid Macedon
- Thrace
- Seleucid Empire
322–320BC:
Antipater
322–320BC:
Perdiccas
319–315BC:
Antigonus
319–315BC:
Polyperchon
Eumenes
314–312BC:
Antigonus
- Demitrius
- Ptolemaus
- Aristodemus
314–312BC:
311–309BC:
Antigonus
311–309BC:
308–301BC:
Ptolemy
Cassander
Lysimachus
Background
On June 10, 323 BC,
Without a chosen successor, there was almost immediately a dispute among his generals as to whom his successor should be. Meleager and the infantry supported the candidacy of Alexander's half-brother, Arrhidaeus, while Perdiccas, the leading cavalry commander, supported waiting until the birth of Alexander's unborn child by Roxana. A compromise was arranged – Arrhidaeus (as Philip III) should become king, and should rule jointly with Roxana's child, assuming that it was a boy (as it was, becoming Alexander IV). Perdiccas himself would become regent of the empire, and Meleager his lieutenant. Soon, however, Perdiccas had Meleager and the other infantry leaders murdered, and assumed full control.
The other cavalry 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, Alexander's most-able lieutenant, while Alexander's old 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 joined together, ultimately besieging Antipater in the fortress of Lamia. Antipater was relieved by a force sent by Leonnatus, who was killed in action, but the war did not come to an end until Craterus's arrival with a fleet to defeat the Athenians at the Battle of Crannon on September 5, 322 BC. For a time, this brought an end to Greek resistance to Macedonian domination. Meanwhile, 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, 322–320 BC
Perdiccas (who was already betrothed to the daughter of Antipater, Nicea) attempted to marry Alexander's sister, Cleopatra, a marriage which would have given Perdiccas a claim to the Macedonian throne. Antipater, Craterus and Antigonus formed a coalition against Perdiccas's growing power. Antipater sent his army under the command of the Craterus, into Asia Minor. This was the beginning of the first of the Diadochi Wars. Meander, Asander and Ptolemy joined them in rebellion against Perdiccas. The actual outbreak of war was triggered by Ptolemy's theft of Alexander's body, and diversion of it to Egypt. Although Eumenes defeated Craterus at the battle of the Hellespont, it was all for nought, as Perdiccas himself was murdered by his own generals Peithon, Seleucus, and Antigenes during the invasion of Egypt (after a failed crossing of the Nile).[3]
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, 318–315 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, 314–311 BC
Though his authority had seemed secure with his victory over Eumenes, the western dynasts were unwilling to see Antigonus rule all of Asia.
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. For the moment, all of the various generals continued to recognize the dead Alexander as king, since Cassander did not publicly announce the deaths, but it seemed 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 311–309 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, 308–301 BC
War soon broke out again. 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
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.
Soon Lysimachus made the fatal mistake of having his son
The Gallic invasions and consolidation, 280–275 BC
Ptolemy Ceraunus was also not to enjoy the rule of Macedon for very long. The death of Lysimachus had left the
Now, at long last, 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 vast 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.
- ISBN 9781526760746.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - 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.
- 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.
Category:Macedonian Empire Category:4th century BC in Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Category:3rd century BC in Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Category:290s BC conflicts Category:280s BC conflicts Category:270s BC conflicts Category:Wars involving Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Category:Wars of succession