The Diadochi

[pawpaw]

Spring cleaning on the ole hard drive.

OPENING ACT


The man laying on the bed was dying. He had never been a large man but now was smaller, shrunken and wasted by disease. Around him stood a dozen warriors, hard men who had conqueror the civilized world. They looked on at the small man with reverence and sorrow. The dying one crooked his finger and one of them leaned down to hear his words, man placed something in the followers hands and laid back down, never to draw another breathe. The others moved forward “ what did he say?” The man opened the palm of his hand showing the royal seal and replied” to the strongest”

It was June 11, 323 BC in Babylon and Alexander of Macedonia had just crossed over to the other side. The age of the conqueror had ended, the age of the Diadochi was beginning.

The Players

Perdiccas-- Commander of the Companion cavalry, member of the Somatophylax.

Ptolemy--member of Somatophylax ( Alexander’s 7 bodyguards and trusted friends, often used for special jobs or independent commands)

Antipater--Macedonian commander of European forces.

Craterus--One Alexander’s leading generals.

Antigonus one eye--commanded the Greek troops attached to Alexander’s army

Seleucus--Commander of the shield bearers

Lysimachus--former bodyguard to King Phillip II and member of Somatophylax.

Peithen--Son of Craterus, member of Somatophylax.

Polyperchon--Macedonian General

Eumenes-- Alexander’s secretary, only non Macedonian

Cassander--Antipatar’s son

Demetrious--Antigonus’s son

In the middle of the tent was the royal throne with Alexander’s crown, sword and ring upon it. Alexander’s heir was his ½ brother Arrdaeus, but he was mentally unbalanced and illegitimate. Perdiccas wanted to postpone a decision till Roxanne ( Alexander’s 6 month pregnant wife) gave birth, if it was a male child he would be king. Nearchus, commander of Alexander’s navy put forth Heracles, Alexander’s son by Barsine. This was shot down as Nearchus was married to Barsines daughter and no one wanted Nearchus as regent.

Ptolemy spoke against both saying neither was of pure Macedonian blood. He wanted a council of Alexander’s advisors ( them) to rule. They were evenly split between Roxanne’s son with Perdiccas as regent, Heracles with Nearchus as regent and Ptolemy’s council when Aristonous, a Somatophylax spoke up says Alexander had selected his successor--his had given his ring to Perdiccas in front of all of them. All but Meleager commander of the Phalanx were in favor of this. He argued that ½ blood child kings and regents were not needed or wanted when Alexander’s brother Arridaeus of pure Macedonian blood was available. Meleager’s men brought Arridaeus to the tent were they hailed him Phillip III. Only a compromise prevented open warfare between the infantry and companion cavalry.

Perdiccas was regent for Phillip III and Roxanne’s child if it was a male ( and it was, Alexander IV) Barsine who was with child by Alexander was put to death. Perdiccas called a review of the army to parade before king Phillip, Meleager was arrested and executed on “King Phillip’s” orders for disloyalty ( it was acourse Perdiccas calling the shots as Phillip was not capable of ruling)

Alexander's Empire 323BC

 

[pawpaw]

Perdiccas as regent divides the empire up.

Regent-Perdiccas

Satraps-

Ptolemy-Egypt, Libya and Arabia

Laomedon-Syria

Eumenes-Cappadocia

Antigonus-Lycia and Phrygia

Menander-Lydia

Lysimachus-Thrace

Peithon-Media

Philotas-Cilcia

Antipatar-Europe

Craterus-Macrdonia, Epirus and Illyria

Lamian War:

The peace did not last, as soon as word of Alexander’s death reached Greece Athens rose up in revolt, several near by cities joined her. They sent a force to block the pass at Thermophye. Antipatar attempts to force the pass and is defeated. He retreats to the city of Lamia and is soon under siege. Leonnatus arrives from Phrygia with a relief force but they are beaten and he killed. Meanwhile Craterus has gathered 11,000 veterans and a fleet Alexander was building for a later campaign against Carthage and crosses into Greece. He meets the rebels at Crannon and defeats them, ending the revolt. The city states of Greece which had been under loose self control are now absorbed into Macedonia.

At the same time as the Greek uprising, news of Alexander’s death caused many of the military colonists that he had planted thru out the east ( defeated Greeks from his fathers wars, Greeks in Persia’s service during the invasion ) tried to return home. The majority of them were in Bactria and Sogdia. The satrap Peithon defeated them and forced them back.

Divisions at Treaty of Babylon

 

[pawpaw]

ACT II THE FIRST DIADOCHI WAR

During the Lamian war, Perdiccas had been campaigning in Cappedocia against the last Persian satrap.Ariarathes. A dispute between Perdiccas and Antigonus led him not to support Perdiccas in the campaign. Perdiccas stripped Antigonus Monophthalmus ( one eye ) of his satrap . Antigonus fled to Antipatar in Macedonia. Antipatar was already disillusioned with Perdiccas himself. Perdiccas had been engaged to his daughter but had broken it off to marry Cleopatra, Alexander’s sister. With Philip III and Alexander IV illegimate, Perdiccas sons would be the only legitimate heirs to Alexander’s throne.

Fearing Perdiccas’s growing influence, Antipatar, Antigonus ,Lysimachus and Craterus rose against Perdiccas. But it would be an unknown conspirator that would light the fuse--Ptolemy of Egypt. Perdiccas arranged for Alexander’s remains to be transferred to Aegae, Macedonia’s religious capital. Ptolemy intercepted it and had it buried at Zeus temple in Alexandria. This is important because Macedonian kings asserted their right to the throne by burying their predecessor, Ptolemy’s heist prevented Perdiccas from legitimizing his rule. Perdiccas immediately planned an invasion of Egypt. The rebel alliance sealed their agreement by a series of marriages between members, Anitipatar marring a daughter to each Craterus, Ptolemy and Lysimachus. Perdiccas planned for Egypt leaving Eumenes to deal with Antipater and Craterus. Eumenes, Alexander’s Greek secretary with no military experience met Craterus, Alexander’s most experienced general near the Hellespont and utterly crushed him ( Craterus was killed )

It was 320BC before Perdiccas reached Egypt. He attempted to cross the Nile near Pelusium but was blocked, a second attempted near the delta at Heliopolis was also blocked. With stalemate at hand Perdiccas called a meeting of his lieutenants. Seleucus and Peithon not wanting more civil war killed Perdiccas at the meeting. They negotiated with Ptolemy and the surviving Diadochi met at Tripardisus, Syria to plan the new order.

Regent-Antipatar

Satraps:

Ptolemy-Egypt

Seleucus-Babylon

Peithon-Media

Antigenes-Elam

Arridaeus-Phrygia

Lysimachus-Thrace

Antigonus- Primphylia and Lycia

Antipatar as commander of all forces in Macedonia and Antigonus as commander of all forces in Asia were the most powerful. Antigonus took his army to search for Eumenes.

The seeds of the empires destruction were planted, the satraps began to see themselves as rulers, not caretakers. But stability had been achieved--but only for one year ( 319BC ) Antipatar died of old age and the empire was again leaderless.

 

[pawpaw]

ACT III THE SECOND DIADOCHI WAR

On his death bed Antipatar named Polyperchon his successor as regent, this offended Cassander, Antipatars son and second in command. Cassander led a Greek uprising and appealed to Ptolemy for aid. Ptolemy agreed and immediately invaded Syria and Phoenicia. The true motives of the Diadochi become more open as time goes on--invading Syria helps Cassander by drawing Polyperchons troops to it aid but it aids Ptolemy more who convents those lands. Antigonus quickly joins Ptolemy’s cause, this is key because while Antigonus’s satrap is small, as commander of the Macedonian army in Asia he is the most powerful man in the world. This is a temporary alliance at best and can not last. Ptolemy wants a completely independent Egypt now with him as its leader while Antigonus still wants an united empire--just with him at the top, no more infant kings or regents. Polyperchon was an experienced commander, he released Eumenes ( who had been seized by Antigonus following Perdiccas’s death ) for a pledge of loyalty. Eumenes took with him a letter from Philip III calling for loyalty to Alexanders dynasty. Whole units of veterans deserted Antigonus’s army to join “Alexanders brothers army” including the unit guarding the imperial treasures at Perepolis. With both money and men Eumenes marches towards Phoenicia to drive Ptolemy out. Eumenes arrives and begins to build a fleet. Meanwhile Polyperchon to undermined Cassanders support offers to return self rule to the Greek city states. All but Piraeus accept leaving Cassander temporarily trapped.

318BC Antigonus defeats Polyperchons fleet in the Bosporus gaining control of the Aegean sea and trapping Polyperchon in Macedonia/Greece.. Polyperchons position goes from bad to worst as the Greece city states rise again for Cassander and by 317BC he is driven completely out of Macedonia. He flees to Epirus with Olympia--Alexander’s mother, Roxanne and her son Alexander IV. All the women are trapped in Pydna which Cassander besieges and takes. He has Olympia killed and Roxane and Alexander IV imprisoned--never to be seen again. Now only Cassander has a legitimate connection to the old dynasty thru his wife Thessalonia, Alexanders ½ sister ( Perdiccas’s wife Cleopatra, Alexanders sister “ disappeared “after his death )

Eumenes abandoned Phoenicia and his fleet and marches inland with new letters from Philip III naming him supreme commander of the armies of the east. At Babylon Seleucus refuses to honor them and attacks Eumenes forces. Eumenes flees to Susa and calls a council of eastern satraps. The satraps had already mobilized their forces, having defeated Peithon, satrap of Media and his attempt to expand his territories at their expense. The satraps pledge loyalty to Philip III. Antigonus follows Eumenes and forces him into battle in Media near Esfahan or Paraitacene. Antigonus has 39,000 men to Eumenes 40,000, Eumenes has the advantage of elephants but Antigonus has twice the cavalry. He uses this cavalry to roll up both of Eumenes flanks, his victory is denied because Eumenes has placed the Argyrasides in the center of his lines--the Argyrasides are an elite unit of the Hypaspists and most likely the best unit in the world at this time. They easily repulse Antigonus’s phalanx attack and dominate the center of the battlefield. The battle ends as a drawn and both retreat with Antigonus suffering twice the loses as Eumenes. Antigonus continued to dog Eumenes foot steps following him into Persia were Eumenes stopped to give battle near Gabiene in 315BC. Antigonus massed his numerically superior cavalry on his right wing led by his son Demetrius. Eumenes matched it with his own cavalry led by Peucestas, satrap of Persia. Before the battle opens, Antigenes, leader of the Argyrasides rides before Antigonus’s phalanx and begins taunting them, asking if they dared face Alexanders veterans who had fought and won from Greece to India? It was with great difficulty that the phalanx officers kept their ranks from routing before the battle even started. With Antigonus’s center in confusion, Eumenes struck, on both wings elephants attacked. The dry nature on the battlefield caused huge dust clouds to arise, blocking all view. Antigonus took advantage by looping his right wing around Eumenes to come out behind him unnoticed and seized his camp. Meanwhile Peucestas of Persia had been bought by Antigonus and now withdrew from the field leaving Eumenes cavalry alone and soon routed. Only in the center did things go right for Eumenes as the Argyrasides easily routed Antigonus’s phalanx. The day belonged to Antigonus but the Argyrasides escaped by forming a square and marched off under harassment from cavalry. Eumenes escaped with a huge portion of his army, but the eastern satraps wanted to leave to defend their own lands. In the end it was the Argyrasides who decided Eumenes fate, they had marched to war with everything they owned, wife’s, slaves and the booty of 30 years of campaigning under Alexander and his father Philip. All of this was in the camp Antigonus had captured. The only way to get their lives back was to turn Eumenes over to Antigonus, Eumenes was executed as was Antigenes leader of the Argyrasides. The Argyrasides themselves were not trusted by Antigonus and exiled to garrison Arachosia in Afghanistan.

 

[pawpaw]

Antigonus was the ruler of Asia, he reorganized the eastern satraps, executing Peithon ( Craterus’s son ) of Media because he did not trust him. Snubbed in all this was his ally Seleucus satrap of Babylon who gained nothing for his loyalty. Seleucus angrily switched his allegiance to Ptolemy.


ACT IV THE THIRD DIADOCHI WAR

The second war had been fought to prevent Pochperchon from achieving overwhelming power, the third would be fought to prevent Antigonus from the same goal. Ptolemy saw Egypt could not resist Antigonus alone and allied himself with Cassander and Lysimachus. They demanded Antigonus divide all the satraps and money equally among the surviving Diadochi, Antigonus a course refused to give up his gains of the last 3 years so once again war broke out. Antigonus invaded Phoenicia laying siege to Tyre. While he was tied down in a long siege Seleucus led an invasion of Cyprus soon overrunning the whole island. Antigonus reached out to Polyperchon who still controlled Peloponnese ,together they demanded Cassander produce Olympia, Roxane and Alexander IV ( who had not been seen in public for some time ) They promised to uphold Polyperchons earlier pledge of self rule for the Greek city states. This affected Ptolemy as well as his self appointed roll as protector of Greek city rights he was forced to except this even though it went against his ally Cassander. Antigonus ploy worked as Peloponnese joined him and Cassander was brought to the brink of defeat. He opened negotiations with Antigonus and only the promise of immediate aid from Ptolemy and Lysimachus kept him in the war. Antigonus invaded Thrace but was not able to force a decisive battle with Lysimachus and withdrew.

Tyre fell and Demetrius advanced into Gaza where Ptolemy waited. The battle of Gaza 311BC had Ptolemy with 22,000 men to Demetrius 17,000 plus war elephants. Demetrius cavalry and elephants destroy Ptolemy’s left but the superior Egyptian phalanx crushes Demetrius center and left and he is routed losing 8500 men out of 17,000 and 43 elephants. Ptolemy advances into Syria were Antigonus has arrived and Ptolemy quickly retreats back to Egypt. A side note to Ptolemy’s retreat is that Seleucus leaves Ptolemy service with his followers and returns to Babylon and reestablishes his old satrap. A small footnote but huge in the long run considering the role Seleucus is to play in the future. The war had reached a stalemate, neither side could achieve complete victory over the other. A truce was negotiated which confirmed all satraps in their lands and that Alexander IV would rule all when he reached adulthood in 305BC. Only Cassander knew he was already dead. No one truly wanted peace, only time to reorganize for another attempt to gain their goals.


ACT V SELEUCUS

Antigonus was forced to turn his focus eastward where Seleucus was establishing himself. Antigonus began to see in him a future rival. As Seleucus had not signed the truce, Antigonus could wage war on him without igniting all out war with the other Diadochi. Antigonus sent the satraps of Media and Aria towards Babylon where Seleucus crushed them, absorbing their men into his army. He swept through Media and Susa adding them to his satrap. He adopted the nickname “Nicator “ meaning victor. He was now a player on the level of Ptolemy and Lysimachus in the Diadochi game. Demetrius arrived in the east with advance elements of his fathers army in 310BC. He laid siege to Babylon and when Antigonus arrived they were fighting in the streets but unable to completely take the city. Seleucus was outside the city fighting guerilla warfare that lasted 2 years. Finally events in the west demanded Antigonus withdraw to Syria. Seleucus let him go as he needed to reestablish his hold on the eastern satraps. He immediately began campaigning in Bactria and the Indus valley.

 

[pawpaw]

ACT VI THE FORTH DIADOCHI WAR

It was Ptolemy’s actions in Cyprus and the Aegean sea brought Antigonus back from the east. He sent Alexander’s son by Barsine, Heracles to Polyperchon in Peloponnese to raise support against Cassander. But Polyperchon fearing Antigonus growing power much as people had feared his earlier defected to Cassander taking Heracles which him. Cassander quickly put Heracles to death. Ptolemy landed forces to aid them but his self rule stance for the city states put him at odds with his partner and strained the alliance. Luckily for them Antigonus army appeared in Syria causing Ptolemy to rush back to Egypt. In 307 BC the forth war began when Demetrius landed in Greece and most of the city states defected from Cassander. Seriously weakened, Cassander could not aid Ptolemy who faced Antigonus alone in Egypt. Demetrius invaded Cyprus and laid siege to Salamis which was held by Meneleus, Ptolemy’s brother. Ptolemy gathered the Egyptian fleet to break the siege but his fleet was utterly destroyed. Salamis would fall. When he heard of the victory, Antigonus finally accepted and was crowned king in his capital of Antigonia in Syria.. Word had finally leaked out that Philip III and Alexander IV were death and it was time to crown a new dynasty. The allies were reeling and Antigonus was on the verge of total reunification of Alexander’s empire.

306BC Antigonus concentrated his forces to invade Egypt. The invasion was successful till a series of storms wrecked his fleet making it too difficult to supply his army and he withdrew. He still held the upper hand, Egypt was severely weakened by the invasion, Seleucus was bogged down campaigning in the east and Cassander was still trying to recover his Greek territories. With Egypt temporary no threat, Antigonus turns to Cassander. 305BC Demetrius lands and besieges Rhodes, with Ptolemy’s fleet destroyed at Salamis and Rhodes providing a major portion of Cassanders naval strength, its lost would give Antigonus total control of the sea. Demetrius uses every siege tactic know to man but can not take the city. Cassander, Ptolemy and Lysimachus all send aid to Rhodes to prevent its fall. After a year under siege a compromise is reached, Rhodes agrees to surrender and aid Antigonus as long as it is not called on to war against Egypt. At his wits end trying to take the city, Demetrius agrees. He takes the nickname “ Poliorcetes” meaning taker of cities. Demetrius leaves Rhodes and returns to Greece and breaks Cassanders siege of Athens and proceeds to retake Corinth and most of Peleponnese back. Cassander asks for terms but Antigonus terms are too harsh and Cassander continues the fight. Demetrius invades Thessaly but is unable to bring Cassander to battle and withdraws. The alliance is beaten but luck is on their side, for from the east Seleucus has reentered the fight. To withdraw his army to face Seleucus, Antigonus gives Cassander easy terms for peace.

Lysimachus chose this time to launch an invasion of Asia minor from his lands in Thrace. After his peace with Antigonus, Cassander begins to secretly send as many of his troops as he can to “join” Lysimachus army. They over run Sardes and Ephesus when Antigonus army from Syria arrives to confront them. Lysimachus cannot retreat because Demetrius has landed behind him with his army from Greece. No help can come anymore from Cassander or Ptolemy as Antigonus fleet position themselves off the coast to prevent it. Lysimachus is trapped near Ipsus in Phrygia when Seleucus arrives. Seleucus arrives with a veteran army victorious in countless eastern campaigns. He brings 500 war elephants gained in his Indus valley campaigns, added to Lysimachus they have 75,000 men against Antigonus 80,000. Antigonus as his norm masses his numerically superior cavalry on his right under Demetrius who breaks the allied left. However Seleucus has kept several hundred elephants in reserve who stop, then break Demetrius attack. In the center Seleucus and Lysimachus have an unusual amount of lightly armed javelin and archers who rain down a constant barrage on the unprotected phalanx which breaks under the hail. Antigonus trying to rally his men is hit by a javelin and dies. His army routs leaving the field to Seleucus and Lysimachus.

Diadochi before Ipus 301BC

 

[pawpaw]

Diadochi after Ipus 301BC

 

[pawpaw]

ACT VII LAST ATTEMPT AT UNIFICATION

Lysimachus and Seleucus divide up Antigonus lands with Lysimachus taking Europe ( lands in Asia just across the Hellespont ) Seleucus taking the eastern satraps plus Syria and Phoenicia. He was not pleased to reach Syria and Phoenicia to find Ptolemy already there. Cassander brother Pleistardus got Lycia and Cilicia. Meanwhile Demetrius still controlled Cyprus and Peloponnese. Cassander and Lysimachus looked eastward and saw in Seleucus as a replacement for Antigonus as the beast of the east and feared his growing power. They renewed their alliance with Ptolemy with Ptolemy daughter marring Lysimachus. Ptolemy aware of Seleucus anger at being cheated out of Syria and Phoenicia was glad for the aid in case of war.

Seleucus was aware of the allies fears and soon allied himself with Demetrius and in 298BC supported his invasion of Cassanders brothers lands in Lycia and Cilicia quickly overrunning them. Cassander, dying was unable to come to his brothers aid. Demetrius now returned to Greece-he no longer as popular as he had been before after taking thousands young men off to fight for his father and them not returning after Ipsus. When Athens offers to meet with Cassander Demetrius immediately besieges their city, which falls in 295BC. There will be no more “self rule”, garrisons are placed in every city. He campaigns through Peloponnese reoccupying it by 294BC. His real goal is not Greece but Macedonia itself, Cassander has died leaving the throne to his son, who follows his father within 2 months. 2 brothers, Cassanders grandsons share the throne but war on each other. In 294BC one brother Alexander appeals to Demetrius and Pyrrhus, king of Epirus for aid. Pyrrhus immediately crosses the boarder and restores order. When Demetrius arrives Alexander trys to have him assassinated but fails and himself is killed by Demetrius. Alexander’s army proclaims Demetrius king of Macedonia. Demetrius attacks Alexander’s brother Antiparar and drives out of the country where he flees to Lysimachus. Lysimachus and Ptolemy quickly shallow up Demetrius lands in Lycia, Cilicia and Cyprus. Demetrius busy campaigning in Greece is unable to prevent it.. By 290BC he controls all of Greece and Macedonia except Sparta and Aetolia. It is while campaigning against Aetolia that Demetrius finds unexpected trouble--Aetolia is under the protection of Pyrrhus, angered by Demetrius invasion he launches his own into Macedonia. Only the quick appearance of Demetrius and his army from Aetolia turn Pyrrhus back, the two quickly patch things up.

In 289BC the strongest man in the world is not Seleucus or Ptolemy but Demetrius , for he controls Macedonia and Greece thus controlling the manpower of soldiers that is the backbone of all the Diadochi armies. The others have more wealth and soldiers but these soldiers are not Hellenic soldiers, as the military colonies planted by Alexander and the early Diadhochi can not supply enough to keep up with demand. Slowly they rely on native sources and their armies begin to look like the late Darius of Persia’s forces. Demetrius did not have these problems. But power causes fear, Ptolemy’s navy sails into the Aegean sea blockading the Greek coastline while Lysimachus and Pyrrhus invade Macedonia. Things go from bad to worst for Demetrius as Macedonia itself rises for the invaders against Demetrius. Knowing he could not fight external and internal enemies at the same time he abdicated his throne to his son Antigonus Gonatas. He chose to roll the dice, he gathered all loyal naval and army units and sailed for Asia. He brushed aside Ptolemy’s fleet and landed near Sardes, capturing the city in 287BC But here his army refused to march further and began to desert in droves. When Lysimachus arrived there was no battle and Demetrius was given to Seleucus, his father in law. He lived out his last 2 years as a drunkard, dying in 283BC.

At the time of Demetrius defeat Lysimachus and Pyrrhus had conquered ½ of Macedonia and Pyrrhus was driving into Thessaly. Antigonus only controlling Central Greece and Peloponnesus made peace with Pyrrhus at the cost of all of Thessaly. But now with Demetrius gone, Lysimachus and Pyrrhus were no longer allies but competitors in conquering Macedonia. Lysimachus with unlimited wealth solved the problem by simply bribing Pyrrhus armies to join him, leaving Pyrrhus no choice but to retreat with his few loyal troops back to Epirus.

Soon the last few Diadochi would go to war one last time. Ptolemy was dying and had named his second son Philadephs as his heir. The overlooked eldest son Keraunos fled to Seleucus court for aid. At nearly the same time strife inside the royal family of Lysimachus led to him executing his eldest son Agathocles, Agathocles wife and his son fled to Seleucus. For Seleucus this was a dream come true, both legitimate heirs to his rivals needed his support and gave him the right to intervene in both counties. At worst both would become puppets under his control, at best he would simply take the thrones. Seleucus invaded Lysimachus Asia possessions and the last two original Diadochi met near Corupedium 281BC in western Asia. Seleucus elephants carried the day and Lysimachus was killed. Seleucus ( 77 years old ) marched west towards a nearly undefended Thrace and Macedonia and the near total reunionifcation of Alexander’s empire. Isolated and weak Egypt would offer little resistance after that. But it was not to be, he is assassinated by Keraunos who realizes that in a reunited empire he still will not be king of Egypt because there will be no Egypt.

Diadochi 287BC

 

[pawpaw]

EPILOGUE: END OF AN ERA

After Seleucus’s death his son Antiochus was his successor. He was forced to abandon Macedonia and Thrace to deal with revolts in Syria, Bithynia and Cappadocca. He was unable to reestablish control over Bithynia or Cappadocca and attempts in Syria led to the first Syrian war with Egypt. Next in 278 BC Celtic tribes were pouring in from their invasion of Macedonia which Antiochus crushed with his use of elephants ( which the Celts had never seen ) and took the name Sotar ( savior) He would spent the rest of his years on and off at war with Egypt and keeping one eye on his restless eastern territories.

Ptolemy II succeeded his father and had the most stable of the successor states. Only limited warfare in Syria far from the heart of Egypt.

Ptolemy Ceraunos oldest son of Ptolemy I and murder of Seleucus seized the throne of Macedonia. He married his ½ sister Arsinoe ( wife of Lysimachus ). He allied with Pyrrhus to secure his hold on the throne. Arsinoe immediately plotted against her husband/brother but was detected and the revolt crushed with her 2 sons executed. Arsinoe fled to Egypt were she married Ptolemy II ( her ½ brother) When it seemed he had secured his throne reports of Celtic tribes invading Thrace reached his court. Raised at court with no military experience Ceraunos unwisely lets the Celts ravish Thrace thinking to weaken two foes at once. Instead the Thracians join the Celts and invade Macedonia. Ceraunos moves to meet them and is overwhelmed. The barbarians ravish the country for 2 years but can not take wall cities. A second wave of Celts invades Greece but is defeated by Antigonus Gonatas, son of Demetrius Poliocetes and grandson of Antigonos one eye the Diadochi general. A third wave of Celts invades Asia Minor were Antiochus Sotar defeats them. Meanwhile Antigonus invades Thrace defeating and driving the Celts out. He roots out the surviving Celts in Greece and Macedonia and claims the Throne.

The nature of warfare changed greatly from the time of Alexander’s death to the last of the Diadochi. The limited manpower of Macedonia/Greece/ and the military colonies set up by Alexander could not supply the needs of 3 great empires. Soon the successor states began to look more and more like the armies of their Persian predecessors. While the phalanx remained the core of an army, formations of unwieldy light infantry and hordes of light cavalry because part of their armies. The non mobility of these troops brought back the scythed chariot and increased the effectiveness of the elephant. With armies more and more of an mercenary nature gold was good as swords or even better when it was time for battle or to take a city. The use of assassins increased also as killing a general was cheaper than raising an army plus you could absorb the victims army after the deed.

The death of the last Diaochi was the end of the attempts to reunite Alexander’s empire. The 3 states recognized each other and now fought for a city or region, never again to totally overcome their opponent. The 3 states faced different problem in their immediate future. Macedonia, home to Alexander while rated a superpower was in fact a hollow shell, @50 years of her gold and sons flowing out into the world and never to return had left her a shell of the nation of Phillip II or Alexander. She would never hold sway over Thrace or Greece again. Within 80 years she would face rising power Rome and could but put 15,000 men in the field and her famed phalanx would be crushed. Selcucid while the largest of the 3 states and had the largest resources faced the biggest challenges. The vast empire faced a rival in Egypt in Syria, rebellious city states in Asia Minor and restless nomads in her eastern provinces. Strong rulers could hold it together but too many cycles of civil war slowly drained the life of the empire and rebellious regions pulled away one by one. She like Macedonia would face the future within @90 years when Rome would show her to be a paper power in face of the newest superpower. Egypt was maybe the richest state but her reluctance to arm the native population till the end of the Syrian wars wasted any chance to increase her power at Selcucid’s expense. Internal problems consumed her till Rome put her out of her misery.

Finalization of the Kingdoms 275BC

 

[Knight-Dragon]

Thanks for posting this. I will link to it in the sticky.

 

[vogtmurr]

Excellent job - the first time I think I really understood the convoluted story of the Diadochi. You need a little bit of proof-reading though.