Hellenistic World Midterm 2

What internal crisis occurred in Central Asia in 328 BCE that highlighted the growing friction between Alexander and his traditionalist Macedonian officers?

Alexander killed Cleitus the Black during a drunken symposium in Central Asia after Cleitus criticized Alexander for adopting Persian customs and downplaying Philip II's achievements.

What major military milestone occurred in India in 326 BCE, and what political outcome followed?

Alexander defeated the Indian King Porus. Impressed by Porus's bravery, Alexander allowed him to keep his kingdom as a client ruler.

Why did Alexander's eastern campaign officially halt at the Hyphasis River in 326 BCE?

Exhausted by years of campaigning, monsoon rains, and the prospect of facing massive Indian armies further east, Alexander's army mutinied and refused to march any further, forcing him to turn back.

What near-fatal event happened to Alexander in 325 BCE during the return journey from India?

Alexander was seriously wounded by an arrow to the lung while storming a Mallian town in the Indus Valley after leaping into the citadel ahead of his men.

What environmental catastrophe did Alexander’s army face in 325 BCE on their journey back toward Babylon?

Alexander led his troops through a brutal, arid desert (modern southern Pakistan/Iran), resulting in catastrophic losses of life due to heat, thirst, and starvation.

What major social engineering event did Alexander orchestrate at Susa in 324 BCE to merge Greco-Macedonian and Persian elites?

Alexander forced mass weddings between 80 top Macedonian officers and noble Persian/Iranian women. Alexander himself married Stateira (daughter of Darius III) and Parysatis.

What events took place at Opis in 324 BCE that nearly caused a permanent rift between Alexander and his troops?

Alexander attempted to demobilize 10,000 veteran soldiers. The army mutinied, feeling they were being replaced by Asian recruits. Alexander pacified them with an emotional speech, followed by a massive banquet of reconciliation.

What decree did Alexander have read at the Olympic Games in 324 BCE, and why did it upset mainland Greek cities?

It commanded Greek cities to allow all political exiles to return and reclaim their confiscated property. This directly threatened local governments, particularly in Athens and the Aetolian League.

Why did Antipater send his son Cassander to Babylon in 324 BCE, and how did Alexander receive him?

Cassander was sent to defend his father against political accusations, as Alexander’s relationship with his European regent was deteriorating. Alexander treated Cassander harshly, allegedly slamming his head against a wall.

Where did Craterus find himself in the summer of 323 BCE, and what had been his original mission?

He was in Cilicia (Anatolia) with 10,000 demobilized veterans. Alexander had ordered him to march to Macedonia to replace Antipater as regent, but Alexander died before the transfer of power could happen.

When and where did Alexander the Great die, and what immediate issue did this create?

He died without a clear, capable heir, sparking an immediate crisis over who would rule his massive empire.

What compromise political arrangement was struck in Babylon in 323 BCE to handle the royal succession?

A joint rule was established between Alexander's mentally disabled half-brother (Philip III Arrhidaeus) and his unborn infant son (Alexander IV), with the general Perdiccas serving as the supreme Regent (Chiliarch).

What major localized rebellion broke out in the far eastern edge of the empire immediately following Alexander's death in 323 BCE?

Thousands of Greek mercenaries settled by Alexander in Central Asia staged a mass uprising, attempting to force their way back home to Greece.

What major war broke out in mainland Greece from 323–322 BCE immediately following news of Alexander's death?

An Athenian-led coalition of Greek cities revolted against Macedonian hegemony and besieged the regent Antipater at the fortress of Lamia.

What 322 BCE battle ended the Lamian War, and what were its political consequences for Athens?

The Battle of Crannon: Antipater and Craterus crushed the Greek coalition. Antipater subsequently abolished democracy in Athens, established a strict oligarchy, and installed Macedonian military garrisons.

How did Antipater use his daughter Phila politically in 322 BCE to secure a crucial alliance?

He married Phila to Craterus to cement their military partnership against the rebellious Greeks and the growing power of the Regent Perdiccas.

What actions did Antipater and Craterus take in 321 BCE, and what major casualty resulted?

They invaded Anatolia to wage war against Perdiccas and his ally Eumenes. Craterus was killed in battle, making Phila a widow.

What matrimonial dynamic sparked the First War of the Successors in 321 BCE?

Perdiccas' Marriage Dilemma: Antipater offered his daughter Nicaea to Perdiccas, but Alexander's mother Olympias simultaneously offered her daughter Cleopatra (Alexander’s full sister) to Perdiccas. Perdiccas' leanings toward Cleopatra alienated Antipater.

What major geopolitical provocation did Ptolemy commit in Syria in 321 BCE?

Hijacking Alexander’s Funeral Carriage: Ptolemy intercepted the mummified body of Alexander on its way back to Macedonia and diverted it to Egypt (Memphis, later Alexandria) to legitimize his own rule and insult the Regent Perdiccas.

How did Antipater redistribute his family alliances via marriage around 321–320 BCE?

• He married Nicaea to Lysimachus (Satrap of Thrace).

• He married the widowed Phila to Demetrius (son of Antigonus).

• He married Eurydice to Ptolemy (Satrap of Egypt).

What became of the Regent Antipater in 319 BCE, and what shocking succession choice did he make?

Antipater died of old age. On his deathbed, he passed the regency to the veteran general Polyperchon, bypasssing his own ambitious son, Cassander, which ignited the Second War of the Successors.

How did Polyperchon attempt to win the support of mainland Greece against Cassander in 318 BCE?

He issued a decree restoring democracy to Athens and ordered the removal of Macedonian garrisons from Greek cities.

Whom did Polyperchon appoint as "General of Asia" in 317 BCE, and what was his mission?

Eumenes of Cardia: He was appointed to lead the royalist coalition in the eastern satrapies to fight against the rising power of Antigonus the One-Eyed.

What major political maneuver did Polyperchon execute in Macedonia in 317 BCE involving the Argead royal family?

He invited Alexander's mother, Olympias, to return from exile in Epirus to take up royal authority and protect her young grandson, Alexander IV.

What bloody act did Olympias commit late in 317 BCE, and what political structure did it bring to an end?

She executed King Philip III Arrhidaeus and his wife Eurydice II, effectively ending the dual kingship and leaving her grandson Alexander IV as the sole monarch.

How did Cassander retaliate against Olympias in 316 BCE?

He cornered and besieged her at Pydna, forced her surrender, and had her executed. He then took control of the Macedonian government.

How did Cassander neutralize the remaining royal heirs, Roxane and Alexander IV, in 316 BCE?

He isolated them under heavy military guard at the fortress of Amphipolis, separating them from any potential political allies.

How did Cassander project legitimacy as the ruler of Macedonia in 316 BCE through city building, marriage, and burials?

• He founded Cassandreia.

• He married Thessalonike (half-sister of Alexander the Great/daughter of Philip II).

• He gave formal royal burials to Philip III Arrhidaeus and Eurydice II at Aegae.

What event in 310 BCE marked the absolute end of the ancient Argead royal dynasty?

The Execution of Roxane and Alexander IV: Cassander secretly ordered both of them to be poisoned/murdered at Amphipolis and quietly buried them at Aegae, wiping out Alexander’s bloodline and clearing his own path to the throne.