Hellenistic Kingdoms

What were the main Hellenistic kingdoms

• Ptolemaic

• Antigonid

• Seleucid

Sources

• Plutarch:
  - Lives of approach
  - have to construct wider context

• Didorus
  - books 18-20
  - covers years 323-302
  - after that is in fragments

• Justin, Epitome of Popeius Trogus book 13 -

• Inscriptions:
  - Fewer than from the Classical period
  - decrees put up in public

Who were the 2 main candidates for King after Alexader’s death

• Footsoldiers support:
  - Arrhidaios (becomes Philip III)
  - half brother of Alexander, considered incapable

• Officers (led by Perdikkas) support:
  - Alexander IV. Son of Alexander (unborn at time of Alex death)

• Compromise of joint ‘rule’
  - neither thought to be capable of ruling
  - Perikkas acting as regent

Who were the senior figures in Macedonian leadership in 323 BCE

• Perdikkas → in Babylon
  - prime position
  - had Alexander’s soldiers

• Antipater → Macedon
  - been in charge there throughout Alexander’s reign

• Krateros → Asia Minor
  - sent to Macedon to replace Antipater at the time of Alexander’s death

How did these senior men die

• none of the most important figures last more than 4 years after Alex’s death

• Perdikkas: killied by own soldiers in 321 BCE

• Krateros: killed in battle against Eumenes in 321 BCE

• Antipater: Natural causes in 319 BCE ages 76

Who are influential commanders who were age contemporaries of Alexander

• Antigonos: Phrygia (Asia Minor)

• Lysimachos: Thrace

• Seleukos: Babylon

• Ptolemy: Egypt

Fighting over Alexander’s body

• Supposed to go back to Macedon and be buried there
  - Perdikkas took it
  - then Ptolemy intercepted it and brought it Egypt
  - placed it in a mausoleum in Alexandria

How was the empire spilt

• All Satraps profess loyatly to the kings (Philip III and baby alexander)
  - all satrapies look out for themselves by work as if they were united

• Others start to band together against Antigonos
  - in control of Asia minor, had started getting more powerful

317 BCE

• Philip III dies

• Seems to be Olympias fault
  - her grandson is now in a more favourable position

Peace of 311 BCE

• Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachos came to terms with Antigonos
  - Cassander be regent of Europe untill little Alexander came of age

• empire fragmenting

• Diodorus writes that they did not abide by the agreements
  - each sought to increase his own power

End of Alexander IV

• Cassander knew that as he grew up many would want him to take power
  - had little Alexander and his mother Roxane killed

Taking the title of king

• 306: Antigonos and his son take the title of basileus
  - Others soon follow

301 BCE

• Other leaders of satrapies band together against Antigonos after his continuing expansion
  - killed at the battle of Ipsos by a coalition of Cassander, Lysimachos and Seleukos

• Antigono’s son Demetrios escapes
  

Ptolemy I

• Dies of natural causes in 283 at around 85
  - succeeded by son and co-ruler Ptolemy II
  - smooth transition of power

Lysimachos (Thrace and Asia Minor)

• Killed in 281 during a battle against Seleukos i

• No dynasty

• Seleukos takes over Asia Minor while Thrace is absorbed into other kingdoms

Battle of Kouropedion (281)

• Defeat of Lysimachos by Seleukos

• S had started advancing into L’s territory
  - Trying to gain more land and power or just wanted to get home?
  - hadn’t been in Macedon for 50 years

Seleukos I

• Assassinated by Ptolemy Keraunos in 281 BCE
  - succeeded by son and co-ruler Antiochos I

By the 270s….

• Everything is mostly settled down

• All kingdoms ruled by Macedonians
  - spreading Greek culture

• Rivals, but collaborated and intermarried

• Seleucids and Ptolemies ruled a non-Greek native population
  - had to cater to 2 audiences
  - seen in statues of Ptolemy