The Diadochoi - Successors of Alexander the Great

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Biographies in Brief

Philip II (382 - 336 BC) - King of Macedonia during the Argead Dynasty
Alexander III / Alexander the Great (356 - 323 BC) - Son of Philip II, initially King of Macedonia, and eventually King of his own empire from Greece across to western India
Ptolemy I Soter (c. 367 - c. 283 BC) - Macedonian General of Alexander the Great
Antipater (c. 397 - 319 BC) - Macedonian General of Alexander the Great. Helped secure the succession of the Macedonian throne for Alexander. Made Regent of Macedonia, and General in Europe, when Alexander departed for his conquest of Asia (334 BC)
Cassander (c. 358 - 297 BC) - Son of Antipater
Lysimachus (c. 360 - 281 BC) - Macedonian General, and bodyguard to Alexander the Great during his conquest of Asia
Arsinoe II (c. 316 - 270 BC) - daughter of Berenice and Ptolemy I Soter
Antigonus I Monophthalmos (382 - 301 BC) - Macedonian General. Appointed Satrap of Phrygia by Alexander the Great in 333 BC
Demetrius I Poliorcetes (336 - 283 BC) - Son of Antigonus I Monophthalmos
Perdiccas (c. 365 - 321 BC) - Macedonian General under Alexander the Great
Craterus (c. 370 - 321 BC) - Macedonian General (considered to be quite brilliant). Accompanied Alexander the Great on his conquest of Asia
Seleucus I Nicator (358/354 - 281 BC) - Macedonian army officer, son of Antiochus: a general in the army of Philip II
Eumenes (c. 362 - 316 BC) - Greek General

Events

323 BC (Death of Alexander the Great)

Kingdom is divided
Perdiccas supports ascensions of Philip III and Alexander IV, and acts as Regent
Antiginous retains Phrygia - Governor. Antigonus also receives governership of Pamphylia and Lycia from Perdiccas
Antipater retains Macedonia - as Governor
Ptolemy claims Egypt - Governor
Lysimachus is given Thrace - Governor
Resentment grows against Perdiccas, and an alliance against him forms between Ptolemy, Antigonus, Craterus, Antipater and Lysimachus

322 BC

After conquering Cappadocia, Perdiccas appoints Eumenes as Satrap
Antigonus flees to Europe, and persuades Antipater and Craterus that Perdiccas must be destroyed
Ptolemy acquires the area of Cyrenaica

321 BC

Perdiccas leaves the defence of Asia Minor in the hands of Eumenes, and marches towards Egypt (Seleucus was an officer in this army)
Perdiccas is murdered by his own officers (including Seleucus) after failing to cross the Nile due to a coalition between Ptolemy, Antipater and Craterus
A redistribution of Satrapies is carried out at Triparadisus in northern Syria
Antipater becomes Regent of the Macedonian Empire
Ptolemy is confirmed in Egypt and Cyrene
Seleucus receives the governorship (satrapy) of Babylon
Ptolemy marries Eurydice, the third daughter of Antipater
Antipitar appoints Antigonus Commander in Chief of his army in Asia
Eumenes defends Asia Minor against Craterus and Antigonus
Craterus dies while fighting Eumenes
Antigonus defeats Eumenes, and besieges him unsuccessfully at the mountain fortress Nora - Eumenes escapes
Antipater becomes Regent of the Macedonian Empire

319 BC

Antipater dies, and Polyperchon succeeds him as Regent.
An alliance forms against Polyperchon between Antigonus, Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Eumenes
Eumenes defects to Polyperchon
Roxana (wife of Alexander the Great) and Alexander IV join Olympias (mother of Alexander the Great) in Epirus

319 - 317 BC

Cassander (with the help of Antigonus) ousts Polyperchon and expands the Macedonian territory to include most of Greece, including Athens
Eumenes resists combined forces of Antigonus, Seleucus and Peithon (Governor of Media)

317 BC

Ptolemy marries Berenice I, granddaughter of Cassander

316 BC

Roxana and Alexander IV captured by Cassander
Eumenes is finally defeated by Antigonus at Gabiene
Antigonus attempts to kill all rivals - he kills Eumenes and Peithon, but Seleucus escapes to Egypt

315 - 311 BC (First Coalition War)

Antigonus intends to claim the old Alexandrian territory for himself
An alliance against Antigonus is formed between Cassander, Ptolemy, Seleucus and Lysimachus in what is called the First Coalition War
Antigonus occupies Syria and proclaims himself Regent
Antigonus drives out Casander from the Islands of the Aegean and proclaims the "League of the Islanders", including the city of Rhodes
Ptolemy obtains possession of Cyprus

312 BC

Demetrius (Antigonus' son) is defeated at Gaza by Ptolemy and Seleucus
Seleucus returns to his former province of Babylonia and re-conquers it
Antigonus makes peace with everyone except Seleucus - and reduces his own rank from Regent to Strategos (officer in charge) over the whole of Asia, while ruling from Syria

310 BC

Cassander murders Roxana and Alexander IV
Ptolemy attacks Cilicia, and the Second Coalition War (310 - 301 BC) breaks out

308 BC

Ptolemy conquers Corinth, Sicyon and Megara, but does not hold them for long

307 BC

Cassander loses Athens to Antigonus - Cassander's governor of Athens, Demetrius of Phaleron, loses to Antigonus' son, Demetrius
Antigonus restores the Athenian constitution - the Athenians regard Antigonus and Demetrius as Divine Saviours

306 BC

Demetrius defeats Ptolemy fleet near Salamis on the Island of Cyprus, and conquers the Island
Antigonus now has control over the Aegean, the eastern Mediterranean, and the all of the Near East except Babylonia
Antigonus is proclaimed King by his army

305 BC

Antigonus unsuccessfully attacks Egypt
Ptolemy proclaims himself King
Cassander, Lysimachus, and Seleucus also proclaim themselves Kings
Antigonus sends Demetrius to conquer Rhodes (who had refused to help in attacking Egypt)
Cassander invades Attica and besieges Athens

304 BC

After a year's siege, Antigonus establishes a peace treaty with Rhodes, guaranteeing it autonomy and neutrality from any future conflicts with Egypt - this was as a result of Ptolemy aiding the inhabitants of Rhodes: therefore they accorded him the title of Soter (Saviour)
Demetrius drives Cassander out of Central Greece

303 BC

Cassander loses possessions south of Thessaly to Antigonus
Antigonus occupies Corinth, Sicyon, and Argos in the Peloponnese, and Achaea, Elis, and almost all of Arcadia joins his side

302 BC

Antigonus and Demetrius renew the pan-Hellenistic league, which Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great) had formed in 337
Ambassadors from all the Hellenic states (except Sparta, Messenia, and Thessaly) elect Antigonus and Demetrius protectors of the new league at Corinth
Antigonus demands the unconditional submission of Cassander, wanting to establish his authority over Alexander's former empire
Seleucus, Ptolemy and Lysimachus join forces against Antigonus
From Babylonia, Seleucus attacks Asia Minor
Ptolemy attacks Syria
Lysimachus moves into the western part of Asia Minor
Docimus (Regent of Phrygia) and Phoenix (Strategos of Lycia) desert Antigonus
Antigonus recalls Demetrius, leaves his Capital City, and marches across the Taurus Mountains
Lysimachus, who is waiting for Seleucus, avoids a conflict with Antigonus
Antigonus sends a corps of raiders to Babylonia, to try and divided his enemies forces

301 BC

Lysimachus and Seleucus defeat Antigonus and Demetrius at the Battle of Ipsus - Antigonus is killed
Cassander's control over Macedonia is secured

300 BC

An alliance is settled between Ptolemy and Lysimachus
Ptolemy gives his daughter Arsinoe II to Lysimachus in marriage

298 BC

Ptolemy gives his step-daughter to Agathocles, the Tyrant of Syracuse
Seleucus marries Stratonice, the daughter of Demetrius
Ptolemy brings Cyrene into subjection

296 BC

Ptolemy makes peace with Demetrius, and gives him his daughter Ptolemais in marriage
Ptolemy gives his step-daughter Atigone to Pyrrus of Epirus (Brother-in-Law of Demetrius), who was being held at the Egyptian court as a hostage

294 BC

Demetrius takes Macedonia, reoccupying Athens - and proclaims himself as king of Macedonia
Ptolemy gains control over Cyprus and the Phoenician coastal towns of Tyre and Sidon
Scandal in the court of Seleucus - Antiochus (Seleucus' son by Apama) falls in love with Stratonice (his step-mother). Seleucus gives Statonice to Antiochus, assigns him Commander in Chief of the upper satrapies, and appoints him co-Regent.

290 BC

Ptolemy makes his wife, Berenice, queen of Egypt

288 - 286 BC (Last Coalition War)

Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus and Pyrrhus oppose Demetrius
Egyptian fleet are instrumental in liberating Athens from Macedonian rule
Ptolemy obtains the protectorate over the League of Islanders (established by Antigonus in 315 BC) - in the years to come, Egypt's maritime dominance in the Mediterranean was based on this alliance

285 BC

Lysimachus drives Demetrius from Macedonia
Seleucus takes Demetrius prisoner, and interns him at Apamea
Ptolemy I appoints his son, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, as co-Regent and successor

283 BC

Demetrius dies
Ptolemy I dies - peaceful transition to Ptolemy II as Ptolemy I had named his son successor and co-Regent while he was still alive
(approx date) Arsinoe II accuses Lysimachus' son and heir apparent, Agathocles, of plotting to kill his father - as a result Lysimachus has Agathocles executed. By doing this, it seems clear that Arsinoe was trying to secure the succession of the throne for her eldest son.
As a result of Agathocles' death, an ally of Agathocles asks Seleucus for assistance, and war breaks out between Seleucus and Lysimachus

281 BC

Lysimachus is killed by Seleucus in the battle of Corupedium in Lydia
Arsinoe II flees to Cassandrea (a city in northern Greece which Lysimachus had given her)
Seleucus gains control of Lysimachus' kingdom
Seleucus approaches Macedonia, but is killed by Ptolemy Ceraunus (son of Ptolemy I Soter, but passed over by his father when a successor was decided). Seleucus' ashes were entombed in Seleucia by his son Antiochus I, who became king of the Seleucid Empire
Ptolemy Ceraunus persuades Arsinoe II to marry him, but when he arrives at Cassandrea to meet her he assisinates her two younger sons - Arsinoe escapes and eventually makes her way to Alexandria

279 BC

Arsinoe II arrives in Alexandria, Egypt

278 BC

Ptolemy II's wife is accused of plotting to murder Ptolemy, and Ptolemy has her exiled. The accusation was probably instigated by Arsinoe II

277 BC

Arsinoe II marries Ptolemy II (her brother) - marrying one's sibling was a customary practice in Egypt, but the Greeks considered it scandalous. Consequently, both Ptolemy and Arsinoe were given an additional name of "Philadelphoi" (Brother-loving) - Hence "Ptolemy II Philadelphoi"

274 - 271 BC (First Syrian War)

Arsinoe II plays an important part in aiding Ptolemy II

270 BC

Arsinoe II dies

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