Wars of the Diadochi — The Successor Wars Begin
Immediately after Alexander's death his generals met in Babylon to determine the succession. A compromise made Philip Arrhidaeus and Roxane's unborn child (Alexander IV) co-kings under a regency council — a structurally unstable arrangement. Perdiccas took the regency and commanded Alexander's army. He immediately faced challenges. Ptolemy seized Egypt and hijacked Alexander's funeral cortege. Antipater controlled Macedon. Antigonus (One-Eye) held much of Asia Minor. Within months the agreements of Babylon were being violated. The wars unfolded in phases over four decades. Perdiccas was murdered by his own officers in 321 BCE after a failed invasion of Egypt. The first Settlement of Triparadisus redistributed territories. Antigonus emerged as the most powerful figure, seeking to reunite the empire; his opponents — Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander, Lysimachus — formed repeated coalitions against him. The decisive moment came at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE, where Antigonus was killed and his army crushed. Yet Seleucus and Lysimachus then fought each other; Lysimachus was killed at Corupedium in 281 BCE. By then none of the original Diadochi survived. The wars were extraordinarily destructive but also spread Greek culture and institutions across the Near East, creating the Hellenistic civilization in which the New Testament would be written and Roman culture would form.
- Year: 323 BCE
- Category: Political
