The Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, "successors") were the rival successors of Alexander the Great, and their Wars of the Diadochi followed Alexander's death. For the astronomer see Ptolemy; for others named "Ptolemy" or "Ptolemaeus" see Ptolemy (disambiguation. Cassander ( Greek: Κάσσανδρος, Kassandros; ca 350 - 297 BC King of Macedon (305 - 297 BC was a son of Antipater Lysimachus ( Greek: Λυσίμαχος Lysimachos; 360 BCE - 281 BCE was a Macedonian officer and diadochus (i Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Colonies in antiquity were City-states founded from a mother- City Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' This was the beginning of the Hellenistic period of Greek history, the time when many people who were not Greek themselves adopted Greek philosophy and styles, Greek urban life, and aspects of the Greek religion. This article focuses on the historical aspects of the Hellenistic age for the cultural aspects see Hellenistic civilisation. They are also referred to as Epigonoi (Greek: Επίγονοι, "offspring"),
Death of Alexander, 323 BC
When Alexander the Great died (June 10, 323 BC), he left behind a huge empire which was composed of many essentially independent territories. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Events By place Macedonian Empire 10 June — In Babylon, Alexander the Great dies ten days after being taken ill Alexander's empire stretched from his homeland of Macedon itself, along with the Greek city-states that his father had subdued, to Bactria and parts of India in the east. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country It included Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black See also Names of the Levant The Levant (lə'vænt is a geographical term that denotes a large area in Western Asia, roughly bounded on the north by the This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia
Upon Alexander's untimely death, there was almost immediately a dispute among his generals as to who 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. Meleager ( Greek: Mελεαγρος Meleagros; died 323 BC son of Neoptolemus was a Macedonian officer of distinction in the service of Alexander Philip III Arrhidaeus ( Greek:; ca 359 BC &ndash December 25, 317 BC king of Macedon from June 10 323 BC until his death was a son of King Philip Perdiccas ( Greek: Περδίκας, Perdikas; died 321 BC or 320 BC was one of Alexander the Great 's generals Roxana ( Bactrian, Persian: Roshanak; Bactrian definition literally "luminous beauty" Persian definition "the dawn" was a 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). Alexander IV Aegus (in Greek, Ἀλέξανδρος Aἰγός &mdash 323&ndash309 BC was the son of Alexander the Great (Alexander III of Macedon Perdiccas himself would become Regent of the entire 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. The Partition of Babylon designates the attribution of the territories by Alexander the Great between his generals soon after his death in 323 BCE. See also the related deity Satrapes. Satrap (Persian ساتراپ was the name given to the governors of the Provinces of ancient 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. For the astronomer see Ptolemy; for others named "Ptolemy" or "Ptolemaeus" see Ptolemy (disambiguation. Laomedon (in Greek Λαoμέδων; lived 4th century BC) native of Mytilene and son of Larichus was one of Alexander the Great 's Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun Philotas (in Greek Φιλωτας; lived 4th century BC) was a Macedonian officer in the service of Alexander the Great, who commanded Geography Cilicia extended along the Aegean coast east from Pamphylia, to Mount Amanus ( Gavurdağı Mount) which separated it from Syria Peithon (about 355 BC - about 314 BC was the son of Crateuas, a nobleman from Eordaia in western Macedonia One of the bodyguards of Alexander the The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed" (382 BC - 301 BC son of Philip from Elimeia, was a Macedonian nobleman general and Satrap In antiquity Phrygia (Φρυγία was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now modern-day Turkey. "Sidyma" redirects here For the Moth Genus named thus see Sidyma (moth. Origins of the Pamphylians There can be little doubt that the Pamphylians and Pisidians were the same people though the former had received colonies from Greece and other For the General and King of the Bosporan Kingdom, see Asander (Bosporan King. Municipalities of Caria Cramer's detailed catalog of Carian towns in Classical Greece is based entirely on ancient sources Menander (in Greek Mενανδρoς; lived 4th century BC) was an officer in the service of Alexander the Great. Defining Lydia Aside from a legend related by Herodotus, who states that the name Lydia came from king Lydus at the time of the fall of Troy Lysimachus ( Greek: Λυσίμαχος Lysimachos; 360 BCE - 281 BCE was a Macedonian officer and diadochus (i Thrace (Тракия Trakiya or "Trakija" or Trakia, Θράκη Thráki, Trakya is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe Leonnatus (356 BC - 322 BC Macedonian officer of Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. Neoptolemus (in Greek Νεoπτόλεμος; died 321 BC was a Macedonian officer of Alexander the Great. Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani 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. Antipater ( Greek: Ἀντίπατρος Antipatros; ca 397 BC — 319 BC was a Macedonian general and a supporter of kings Philip II of Macedon For other uses, see Craterus (disambiguation Craterus (ca 370 BC - 321 BC Greek: Κρατερός) was a Macedonian general Eumenes of Cardia ( Greek: Ευμένης ca 362 BC—316 BC was a Greek general and scholar Cappadocia (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía which in turn is from the Persian: Geography The greater part of Paphlagonia is a rugged mountainous country but it contains fertile valleys and produces a great abundance of hazelnuts and fruit – particularly plums
In the east, Perdiccas largely left Alexander's arrangements intact - Taxiles and Porus ruled over their kingdoms in India; Alexander's father-in-law Oxyartes ruled Gandara; Sibyrtius ruled Arachosia and Gedrosia; Stasanor ruled Aria and Drangiana; Philip ruled Bactria and Sogdiana; Phrataphernes ruled Parthia and Hyrcania; Peucestas governed Persis; Tlepolemus had charge over Carmania; Atropates governed northern Media; Archon got Babylonia; and Arcesilas ruled northern Mesopotamia. Taxiles (in Greek Tαξίλης or Ταξίλας lived 4th century BC) was the Greek chroniclers' name for a prince or king who reigned over the tract Conflict alliance and comradeship with Alexander Unlike his neighbour Ambhi (in Greek Omphis, King Porus chose to fight Alexander the Great in Oxyartes (in Persian: وخشارد Vaxš-ard from Vaxšuvadarva was a Bactrian father of Roxana, the wife of Alexander of Macedon. Sibyrtius ( Greek: lived 4th century BC) was a Greekofficer from Crete in the service of Alexander the Great, who was appointed by Arachosia (ˌærəˈkoʊʒə, Arakhōsia) or Arachotae (əˈrækəˌtiː, Arakhōtai) is the latinized form of Greek name of an Achaemenid Gedrosia (dʒɨˈdroʊʒə Γεδρωσία is the ancient name of an area that corresponds to today's Balochistan Stasanor (in Στασάνωρ; lived 4th century BC was a native of Soli in Cyprus who held a distinguished position among the officers of Alexander Drangiana (Δραγγιανή from Old Persian: Zranka "waterland") was a historical region of the Achaemenid Empire, now part of Afghanistan Philip (in Greek Φιλιππoς; died 318 BC was Satrap of Sogdiana, to which government he was first appointed by Alexander the Great "Bactrian" redirects here For the camel see Bactrian camel. History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great Phrataphernes (in Greek Φραταφέρνης lived 4th century BC was a Persian who held the government of Parthia and Hyrcania, under the Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran Hyrcania was the the name of a Satrapy located in the territories of present day Golestan, Mazandaran, Gilan and part of Turkmenistan Peucestas (in Greek Πευκεστας;lived 4th century BC) was son of Alexander a native of the town of Mieza, in Macedonia and Fars (pronounced/fɑː(ɹs ( Persian: فارس Fârs) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. Tlepolemus (in Greek Tληπoλεμoς; lived 4th century BC) was the son of Pythophanes and one of the etairoi, or body-guard of Alexander Kermān is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the south-east of the country Atropates ( Greek Aτρoπάτης from Old Persian Aturpat "protected by fire" c Archon ( Ancient Greek:; 4th century BC) was a Pellaean appointed Satrap of Babylonia after the death of Alexander the Great Babylonia was an Amorite state in lower Mesopotamia (modern southern Iraq) with Babylon as its capital Mesopotamia (from the Greek meaning "land between the rivers" is an area geographically located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers largely corresponding
Revolt in Greece, 323-322 BC
Meanwhile, the news of Alexander's death had inspired a revolt in Greece, known as the Lamian War. The Lamian war ( 323 &ndash 322 BC) also called the Greek War was a War in Greece between Athens, along with her allied city-states The Lamian war ( 323 &ndash 322 BC) also called the Greek War was a War in Greece between Athens, along with her allied city-states Athens and other cities joined together, ultimately besieging Antipater in the fortress of Lamia. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Lamia (Λαμία is a city in central Greece. It is a site of Archaeological excavation (a castle dating from the pre-classical years reconstructed in the 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. Leonnatus (356 BC - 322 BC Macedonian officer of Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. The Battle of Crannon ( 322 BC) fought between the Macedonian forces of Antipater and Craterus and rebellious Greek forces led by the Athenians Events 1590 - Alexander Farnese 's army forces Henry IV of France to raise the siege of Paris. Events By place Macedonian Empire In Babylon, the struggle for the succession to Alexander the Great develops 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. Cappadocia (or Capadocia, Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía which in turn is from the Persian:
Wars of the Diadochi (322-301 BC)
First War of the Diadochi, 322-320 BC
Soon, however, conflict broke out. Perdiccas' marriage to Alexander's sister Cleopatra led Antipater, Craterus, Antigonus, and Ptolemy to join together in rebellion. Perdiccas ( Greek: Περδίκας, Perdikas; died 321 BC or 320 BC was one of Alexander the Great 's generals See Cleopatra (disambiguation for other people with or meanings of the name The actual outbreak of war was triggered by Ptolemy's theft of Alexander's body, and diversion of it to Egypt. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Although Eumenes defeated the rebels in Asia Minor, in a battle at which Craterus was killed, it was all for nought, as Perdiccas himself was murdered by his own generals Peithon, Seleucus, and Antigenes during an invasion of Egypt. Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Antigenes (in Greek Aντιγενης; died 316 BC was a general of Alexander the Great, who also served under Philip II of Macedon, and lost
Ptolemy came to terms with Perdiccas's murderers, making Peithon and Arrhidaeus regents in his place, but soon these came to a new agreement with Antipater at the Treaty of Triparadisus. Arrhidaeus (in Greek Aρριδαιoς or Aριδαιoς; lived 4th century BC) one of Alexander the Great 's generals was entrusted The Partition of Triparadisus was a power-sharing agreement passed at Triparadisus in 321 BCE between the generals ( Diadochi) of Alexander the Great Antipater was made regent of the Empire, and the two kings were moved to Macedon. Antigonus remained in charge of Phrygia, Lycia, and Pamphylia, to which was added Lycaonia. In ancient geography Lycaonia was a large region in the interior of Asia Minor, north of Mount Taurus. Ptolemy retained Egypt, Lysimachus retained Thrace, while the three murderers of Perdiccas--Seleucus, Peithon, and Antigenes--were given the provinces of Babylonia, Media, and Susiana respectively. Elam is the name of an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Arrhidaeus, the former Regent, received Hellespontine Phrygia. Antigonus was charged with the task of rooting out Perdiccas's former supporter, Eumenes. In effect, Antipater retained for himself control of Europe, while Antigonus, as leader of the largest army east of the Hellespont, held a similar position in Asia. See also Dardanelles Hellespont ( Turkish, Greek; ie "Sea of Helle" variously named in classical literature Hellespontium Pelagus
Second War of the Diadochi, 319-315 BC
War soon broke out again, however, following the death of Antipater in 319 BC. The Second War of the Diadochi is the conflict between Polyperchon and Cassander, following the death of Cassander's father Antipater. Passing over his own son, Cassander, Antipater declared Polyperchon his successor as Regent. Cassander ( Greek: Κάσσανδρος, Kassandros; ca 350 - 297 BC King of Macedon (305 - 297 BC was a son of Antipater Polyperchon ( Greek Πολυπέρχων 394–303 BC son of Simmias from Tymphaia in Epirus, was a Macedonian general who served under A civil war soon broke out in Macedon and Greece between Polyperchon and Cassander, with the latter supported by Antigonus and Ptolemy. Polyperchon allied himself to Eumenes in Asia, but was driven from Macedonia by Cassander, and fled to Epirus with the infant king Alexander IV and his mother Roxane. Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian In Epirus he joined forces with Olympias, Alexander's mother, and together they invaded Macedon again. Olympias (in Greek, Ὀλυμπιάς; ca 376&ndash316 BC was an Epirote Princess, the fourth wife of the king Philip II of They were met by an army commanded by King Philip Arrhidaeus and his wife Eurydice, which immediately defected, leaving the king and Eurydice to Olympias's not so tender mercies, and they were killed (317 BC). Eurydice ( Greek Eυρυδικη Eurydike, died 317 BC was daughter of Amyntas IV, son of Perdiccas III, king of Macedonia and Soon after, though, the tide turned, and Cassander was victorious, capturing and killing Olympias, and attaining control of Macedon, the boy king, and his mother.
In the east, Eumenes was gradually driven back into the east by Antigonus's forces. After great battles at Paraitacene in 317 BC and at Gabiene in 316 BC, Eumenes was eventually betrayed and murdered by his own troops in 315 BC, leaving Antigonus in undisputed control of the Asian territories of the Empire. The Battle of Paraitacene ( 317 BC) was a Battle in the wars of the successors of Alexander the Great (see Diadochi) between Antigonus I Battle of Gabiene ( 316 BC) was a second great battle (after Paraitacene) between two of Alexander the Great 's successors Antigonus and
Third War of the Diadochi, 314-311 BC
In this war, Antigonus, who had grown too powerful for the other rulers to tolerate him, faced Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander. Antigonus invaded Syria, under Ptolemy's control, and besieged Tyre for more than a year. Tyre ( Arabic صور Ṣūr, Phoenician Phoenician wawsvg|12px|ו]] Ṣur, Hebrew Antigonus allied himself to Polyperchon, who still controlled part of the Peloponnese, and proclaimed freedom for the Greeks to get them on his side. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula But although Cassander was tempted to conclude peace with Antigonus, in Asia the war turned against the one-eyed general, with Ptolemy invading Syria (and defeating Antigonus' son, Demetrius Poliorcetes, in the Battle of Gaza, 312 BC) and Seleucus securing control of Babylon, and thus, of the eastern reaches of Alexander's empire. Demetrius I (337-283 BC Greek: Δημήτριος) called Poliorcetes (Greek Πολιορκητής) ("The Besieger" son of The Battle of Gaza was a battle of the Third war of the Diadochi between Ptolemy (satrap of Egypt) and Demetrius (son of Antigonus Events By place Seleucid Empire Ptolemy and Seleucus, the Satrap of Babylonia, invade the satrapy of Seleucus I (surnamed for later generations Nicator, Greek: Σέλευκος Νικάτωρ, i Babylon was a City-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which can be found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq Although Antigonus now concluded a compromise peace with Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander, he continued the war with Seleucus, attempting to recover control of the eastern reaches of the Empire. Although he went so far as to besiege Babylon in 309 BC, Antigonus was ultimately defeated by Seleucus and forced to withdraw. Events By place Asia Minor Ptolemy personally commands a fleet that captures the coastal regions of Lycia and Caria
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. The Argead dynasty ( Ancient Greek:, the Argeads) was the ancient Greek ruling house of Macedon from about 700 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 the other of them would claim the Kingship.
Fourth War of the Diadochi, 308-301 BC
War soon broke out again. Ptolemy had been expanding his power into the Aegean and to Cyprus, while Seleucus went on a tour of the east to consolidate his control of the vast eastern territories of Alexander's Empire. Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía Antigonus resumed the war, sending his son Demetrius to regain control of Greece. Demetrius I (337-283 BC Greek: Δημήτριος) called Poliorcetes (Greek Πολιορκητής) ("The Besieger" son of In 307 he took Athens, expelling Demetrius of Phaleron, Cassander's governor, and proclaiming the city free again. Demetrius Phalereus (Δημήτριος Φαληρεύς also known as Demetrius of Phaleron (c Demetrius now turned his attention to Ptolemy, invading Cyprus and defeating Ptolemy's fleet at the battle of Salamis. The naval Battle of Salamis took place in 306 BC near Salamis Cyprus between the fleets of Ptolemy I of Egypt and Demetrius, two of the In the aftermath of this victory, Antigonus and Demetrius both assumed the crown, and they were shortly followed by Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus, and eventually Cassander.
In 306, Antigonus attempted to invade Egypt, but storms prevented Demetrius's 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 Rhodes, which was besieged by Demetrius's forces in 305 BC (see siege of Rhodes). Rhodes (Ρόδος Ródos, ˈɾo̞ðo̞s Rodi ردوس Rodos; Ladino: Rodi or Rodes) is a Greek island Events By place Seleucid Empire Seleucus establishes Seleucia on the Tigris River as his capital The Siege of Rhodes ( 305 BC / 304 BC) was one of the most famous Sieges of Antiquity when Demetrius Poliorcetes, son of Antigonus I The island was reinforced by troops from Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander. Ultimately, the Rhodians reached a compromise with Demetrius - they would support Antigonus and Demetrius against all enemies, save their great ally Ptolemy. Ptolemy took the title of Soter ("Savior") for his role in preventing the fall of Rhodes, but the victory was ultimately Demetrius's, as it left him with a free hand to attack Cassander in Greece. Demetrius returned to Greece, defeated Cassander, and formed a new Hellenic League, with himself as General, to defend the Greek cities against all enemies (and particularly Cassander).
In the face of these catastrophes, Cassander sued for peace, but Antigonus rejected the claims, and Demetrius invaded Thessaly, where he and Cassander faced off against each other in inconclusive engagements. Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. But now Cassander called in aid from his allies, and Anatolia was invaded by Lysimachus, forcing Demetrius to leave Thessaly and send his armies to Asia Minor to assist his father. With assistance from Cassander, Lysimachus overran much of western Anatolia, but was soon (301 BC) isolated by Antigonus and Demetrius near Ipsus. Events By Place Asia Minor In The Battle of Ipsus in Phrygia, the armies of Antigonus, the ruler of Syria Here came the decisive intervention from Seleucus, who arrived in time to save Lysimachus from disaster and utterly crush Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus. The Battle of Ipsus was fought between some of the Diadochi (the successors of Alexander the Great) in 301 BC near the village of that name in Antigonus was killed in the fight, and Demetrius fled back to Greece to attempt to preserve the remnants of his rule there. Lysimachus and Seleucus divided up Antigonus's Asian territories between them, with Lysimachus receiving western Asia Minor and Seleucus the rest, except Cilicia and Lycia, which went to Cassander's brother Pleistarchus. Pleistarchus (in Greek Πλεισταρχος; lived 4th century BC) was son of Antipater and brother of Cassander, king of Macedonia
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, Antipater and Alexander, proved weaklings. Events By place Roman Republic The Samnites defeat the Romans under Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus in the Battle Antipater II was the son of Cassander and Thessalonica of Macedon, who was a half-sister of Alexander the Great. Alexander V (d 294 BC was the third and youngest son of Cassander and Thessalonica of Macedon, who was a half-sister of Alexander the Great. After quarreling with his older brother, Alexander V called in Demetrius, who had retained control of Cyprus, the Peloponnese, and many of the Aegean islands, and had quickly seized control of Cilicia and Lycia from Cassander's brother, as well as Pyrrhus, the King of Epirus. Pyrrhus (318-272 BC ( Greek: Πύρρος Aιακιδης Pyrros Aiakides was one of the most successful ancient Greek generals of the Hellenistic Epirus (from Ionic Greek Ήπειρος - Ēpeiros, Doric Greek: Ἅπειρος - Apeiros, in Albanian After Pyrrhus had intervened to seize the border region of Ambracia, Demetrius invaded, killed Alexander, and seized control of Macedon for himself (294 BC). Ambracia, occasionally Ampracia ( Greek: ancient Ἀμπρακία modern Αμβρακία was an ancient Corinthian colony situated about 7 miles from Events By place Greece Archidamus IV, king of Sparta, son of Eudamidas I and grandson of Archidamus III While Demetrius consolidated his control of mainland Greece, his outlying territories were invaded and captured by Lysimachus (who recovered western Anatolia), Seleucus (who took most of Cilicia), and Ptolemy (who recovered Cyprus, eastern Cilicia, and Lycia).
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. Antigonus II Gonatas (lit "knock-knees" ( Greek Αντίγονος B΄ Γονατᾶς ca Events By place Roman Republic A new law Lex Hortensia, gives much greater power to the Plebeian Assembly compared to the Senate Although initially successful, Demetrius was ultimately captured by Seleucus (286 BC), drinking himself to death two years later. Events By place Greece As Demetrius Poliorcetes and his army are chased across Asia Minor to the Taurus Mountains
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. Ptolemy II Philadelphus ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Philádelphos, 309 BC&ndash246 BC was the king of Ptolemaic Egypt from 283 BC to 246 BC Ptolemy Keraunos ( Greek Πτολεμαίος Κεραυνός - 279 BC was the King of Macedon from 281 BC to 279 BC Ceraunus fled to Seleucus. The eldest Ptolemy died peacefully in his bed in 282 BC, and Philadelphus succeeded him. Events By place Asia Minor The city of Pergamum in Asia Minor ends its allegiance to Lysimachus.
Soon Lysimachus made the fatal mistake of having his son Agathocles murdered at the say-so of his second wife, Arsinoe (282 BC). Agathocles ( Greek: Aγαθoκλής died 284 BC was the son of Lysimachus by an Odrysian woman who Polyaenus calls Macris Arsinoe II (Greek Αρσινόη (316 BC-July 270 BC queen of Thrace and Macedonia and later co-ruler of Egypt with her brother and husband Ptolemy II Events By place Asia Minor The city of Pergamum in Asia Minor ends its allegiance to Lysimachus. Agathocles's widow, Lysandra, fled to Seleucus, who now made war upon Lysimachus. Lysandra (in Greek Λυσανδρα; lived 3rd century BC) was daughter of Ptolemy I Soter and Eurydice, the daughter of Antipater Seleucus, after appointing his son Antiochus ruler of his Asian territories, defeated and killed Lysimachus at the battle of Corupedium in Lydia in 281 BC, but Seleucus did not live to enjoy his triumph for long - he was almost immediately murdered by Ptolemy Ceraunus, for reasons that remain unclear. Antiochus I Soter (unknown - 261 BC was a king of the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire. The Battle of Corupedium (also called Corupedion is the name of the last battle of the Diadochi, the rival successors to Alexander the Great. Events By place Asia Minor The Battle of Corupedium in Lydia is the last battle of the Diadochi, the rival successors
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 Danube border of the Macedonian kingdom open to barbarian invasions, and soon tribes of Gauls were rampaging through Macedon and Greece, and invading Asia Minor. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj "Barbarian" is a pejorative term for an uncivilized person either in a general reference to a member of a nation or Ethnos perceived Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Ptolemy Ceraunus was killed by the invaders, and after several years of chaos, none other than Antigonus Gonatas emerged as ruler of Macedon. In Asia, Seleucus's son, Antiochus I, also managed to defeat the Celtic invaders, who settled down in central Anatolia in the part of eastern Phrygia that would henceforward be known as Galatia after them. Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Ancient Galatia was an area in the highlands of central Anatolia in modern Turkey.
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. Coele-Syria, meaning 'hollow' Syria was the region of southern Syria disputed between the Seleucid dynasty and the Ptolemaic dynasty. Antiochus ruled the vast Asian territories of the Empire, while Macedon and Greece (with the exception of the Aetolian League), fell to Antigonus. The Aetolian League was a confederation of states in Ancient Greece centered on the cities of Aetolia in central Greece
Decline and fall
This division was to last for a century, before the Antigonid Kingdom finally fell to Rome, and the Seleucids were harried from Persia by the Parthians. This article focuses on the historical aspects of the Hellenistic age for the cultural aspects see Hellenistic civilisation. The Antigonid dynasty was a dynasty of Macedonian Hellenistic kings descended from Alexander the Great's general Antigonus I Monophthalmus ("the One-eyed" The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran A rump Seleucid kingdom limped on in Syria until finally put to rest by Pompey in 64 BC. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation Year 64 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Servilius Rullus, Roman Tribune The Ptolemies lasted longer in Alexandria: Egypt finally fell to Rome in 30 BC. The Ptolemaic dynasty (sometimes also known as the Lagids, from the name of Ptolemy I's father Lagus) was a Hellenistic Macedonian royal family Alexandria ( Egyptian Arabic: اسكندريه Eskendereyya; Standard Arabic: ar الإسكندرية Al-Iskandariyya; Ἀλεξάνδρεια Year 30 BC was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar.
Other historical uses as a title
Aulic rank title
Ironically in the formal 'court' titulature of the Hellenistic empires ruled by dynasties we know as Diadochs, the title was not customary for the Monarch, but has actually been proven to be the lowest in a system of official rank titles, known as Aulic titulature, conferred -ex officio or nominatim- to actual courtiers and as an honorary rank (for protocol) to various military and civilian officials. Aulic titulature is a term derived from the Greek Aulè and Latin Aula (in the meaning palace for hierarchic systems of titles specifically in use for court protocol Notably in Ptolemaic Egypt, it was reported as the lowest aulic rank, under Philos, during the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes. Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra Ptolemy V Epiphanes ( Greek:, Ptolemaĩos Epiphanḗs, reigned 204 – 181 BCE) son of Ptolemy IV Philopator and Arsinoe
Modern revival
In the modern Kingdom of Greece, established in 1832 after Greece attained independence from the Ottoman Empire (1830), under a Bavarian dynasty, the title of Diadochos was 'revived' as particular princely style for the heir, apparent or presumptive, to the constitutional royal throne, as unique as the Dauphin of France, but not linked to any territory. The history of modern Greece began with the recognition of Greek independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832 after the Greek War of Independence. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Dauphin of France (Dauphin de France—strictly Dauphin of Viennois ( Dauphin de Viennois)—was the title given to the Heir apparent of the The Diadochos usually enjoyed the specific geographic style Duke of Sparta. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη
References
- 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)
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 Diodochi.
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