Successors, Wars of (original) (raw)

A study of the rivalry and interaction between the Argead women, particularly Adea-Eurydike and Olympias, and their role, responsibility, and perception in the early Diadochoi Wars. Master's thesis from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

Phillip II and his son Alexander the Great created the Macedonian empire that stretched from the Danube to the Indus. After Alexander's death, his generals dismantled the empire and established their own rule over certain territories. Their names and deeds are preserved in the sources together with a few mentions of their wives, mothers, sisters, or daughters. In the background of it all, women played important roles that are frequently overlooked by the sources due to their gender. They were mostly used by men to ensure alliances, but some were ambitious enough to strive for leadership. This article will portray the lives of these notable women who used their influence to gain power, or were used by others to secure their own position. Most influential are Olympias, Kleopatra, Antipater's daughters, Kynane, Adaia-Eurydike, Thessalonike, Barsine, Roxane, Apama, Amastris, Stratonice, Berenike, Arsinoe II, and the hetairai. The article will determine the importance of these women and the role they played in the world of ambitious men.

H. Hauben & A. Meeus (edd.), The Age of the Successors and the Creation of the Hellenistic Kingdoms (323-276 B.C.) (Studia Hellenistica 53), Leuven: Peeters 2014.

The Territorial Ambitions of Ptolemy I

The vast majority of modern scholars hold that very soon or even immediately after Alexander’s death Ptolemy became a separatist who wanted to secede the satrapy of Egypt from the Macedonian empire. His conquest of areas outside Egypt is then interpreted as defensive imperialism. This article will question that assumption, and argue that it is more likely that Ptolemy was not less ambitious, but simply more careful than his rivals. The combination of his actions and his propaganda seems to suggest that like all other Successors, he wanted to become Alexander’s one and only true successor over the entire empire.

"Abstract: In the Diadochoi Chronicle from Babylon it is stated that when in spring 311 B.C. Seleukos recovered Babylon, he took the title of “general of Asia” (strategos tes Asias) from Antigonos. This decision was not accepted by his allies Ptolemy, Kassandros and Lysimachos and evidently not by Antigonos, with whom the allies made peace in the same year. This is an extra argument that Seleukos was not a partner in the peace treaty. Seleukos himself was probably officially satrap of Babylonia, but appointed Patrokles as strategos of Babylonia to defend the satrapy while he was absent. In the ensuing Babylonian war Antigonos’ son Demetrios tried to reconquer Babylonia from August 310 to March 309 B.C. In March 309 Demetrios left Babylon for Asia Minor leaving behind Archelaos as rival satrap (or strategos?) of Babylonia to carry on the war. Probably some time after 305 B.C. (when Seleukos became king) a new satrap of Babylonia was appointed. The first possible attestation is in chronicle BCHP 7 (301 B.C.?); the first certain attestation is in an astronomical diary concerning 274 B.C., acting side by side with a strategos."

R. Strootman, ‘“Men to whose rapacity neither sea nor mountain sets a limit”: The aims of the Diadochs’, in: H. Hauben and A. Meeus eds., The Age of the Successors and the Creation of the Hellenistic Kingdoms (323–276 B.C). Studia Hellenistica 53 (Leuven: Peeters, 2014) 307–322.

The Aims of the Diadochs (2014)

This paper aims to give an alternative to the perceived idea that the political ambitions of Seleucus, Ptolemy and other Diadochs were limited as compared to those of Antigonus and Demetrius, and that they and their successors maintained some kind of balance of power. By examining the aspirations of the Diadochs in the context of the Near Eastern tradition of empire, and the ways in which imperial competition functioned in the early Hellenistic period, it is argued that the Diadochs had no other option than to claim world hegemony.