Wars of the Diadochi (the “Twelve” generals),

 

“To the strongest”

“Funeral Games”

 

322-315

      Perdiccas became regent for Philip III Arrhidaeus

            coalition against him

            Antigonus, Ptolemy

            Murder of Philip III by Olympias

            Murder of Olympias and Alexander IV by Cassander (310)

      Series of battles over control

            Pretense of fighting for Alexander’s heirs

            Antigonus = Anatolia and Syria

            Seleucus = Babylon and Persia

            Ptolemy = Egypt

            Cassander = Macedonia

            Antiogonus is nearing victory, so all others join against him

 

315-307  Coalition defeat Antiogonus and his son Demetrius

      Egypt takes Syria, Seleucus takes Babylon

 

306-304

      Pretense of fighting for Alexander’s heirs abandoned (Alexander V)

      Each general takes the title of king.

      302 Failure of the siege of Rhodes

            Antigonids unable to gain complete naval superiority     

 

301 Battle of Ipsus:  Defeat of Antigonus, division of his domains

 

281

      Seleucus captures Anatolia, nearing Supremacy

      but is assassinated by Ptolemy

 

279 Celtic invasions of Greece

      Sack of Delphi

      Cross to Anatolia and form Galatia

 

277-276  Demetrius's son, Antigonus Gonatas,

      recovered Macedon from the Celts and established the Antigonid dynasty (to 168)

 

304-281 SELEUCUS I NICATOR (“conqueror”)

      Captured Babylon (311-308)

      Assumes royal title (304)

      Initially ruled from Syria to India

      Defeated by Chandragupta, cedes northwestern India (receives elephants) (303)

      Victory at battle of Issus (301)

            Ptolemy takes Palestine and S Syria

      Failed to defeat Mithridates I of Pontus

      Gained control of Asia Minor on the defeat of Lysimachus (281).

 

 

Period 1, 323-217:

      Establishment of Ptolemaic Dynasty

      Survival in the Wars of the Diodoche

      Creation of Naval supremacy in eastern Mediterranean

            Control of trade

      Alexandria as greatest center of Hellenism

      Survival in wars with Seleucids

            Slow loss of outside domains

 

Major Results

      Disunity and wars throughout the Near East

      Cultural supremacy of the Greeks remains in the west

 

 

Revival of Independent non-Greek kingdoms

      Armenia

            Ruled by dynasty of Persian Satrap Mithanes (Orontids)

      Pontus

            Ruled by dynasty of Persian Satrap

      Parthia (247)

            Arsaces

      Mauryans

            Chandragupta (321-297)

            Unites India

            Defeats Seleucus (305)

      Bactria (248)

            Menander (155-130), conversion to Hinduism

            100, kingdom destroyed by the Yue-zhi (Kushans)