The Wars
of the Diadochi broke out after Alexander’s death in 323 BC and his huge Empire went to “the
strongest” as he may have intended to say on his deathbed in Babylon.
However, it did not go to one single ruler as none of his generals had his
vision or charisma.
After endless
battles, intermarriages, and lots of intrigues, Alexander’s generals eliminated each other and, in the end, started
four distinct dynasties. Ptolemy
initiated the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt,
and Seleucos
the Seleucid dynasty in Asia. Cassander,
the son of Antipater,
founded the Antipatrid dynasty (the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia).
In 306 BC, Antigonus
Monophthalmus (the One-Eyed) declared himself and his son Demetrios
kings. By doing so, the Antigonid dynasty replaced the Antipatrid dynasty. Antigonus may well have served under Philip
II and lost an eye during the Siege
of Perinthus in 340 BC. He later joined Alexander on his Persian campaign and was promoted to satrap of Phrygia in 334 BC. His main duty was to maintain Alexander’s line of communication and
supply. As a result of the Partition of Babylon
following Alexander’s death, he also
received Pamphylia and Lycia.
During the Wars
of the Diadochi, Antigonus
picked up momentum and managed to rule over all of Asia
Minor, Greece, Syria, Phoenicia,
and northern Mesopotamia. Fearing his
increasing power, Seleucos,
Ptolemy,
Lysimachos,
and Cassander
joined forces against him. Antigonus
was defeated and killed at the Battle
of Ipsus in 301 BC after which his realm was split between Lysimachos
and Seleucos.
However, Antigonus’
son Demetrios
Poliorcetes, by now having earned his stripes as Besieger survived said battle and took control of Macedonia in 294
BC. Cassander
died in 297 BC without a successor as his sons had eliminated each other,
paving the way for Demetrios
to become King of Macedonia. Not for long because in 288 BC he was driven out
by Pyrrhus
and Lysimachos,
and died as a prisoner of Seleucos.
It was not until
277 BC that Demetrios’
son, Antigonus
II Gonatas, regained the title of King of Macedonia. He ruled till about
239 BC to be succeeded by Demetrios II
Aetolicus followed by Antigonus
III Doson ten years later.
Meanwhile, Rome became the rising power in the eastern
Mediterranean and soon the first conflicts with Antigonid Macedonia led
by King
Philip V (221-179 BC) erupted. His successor, Perseus,
put up a fierce resistance against the expanding Roman Empire that coveted Macedonia’s
wealth. The Romans conquered Antigonid Macedonia
in 168 BC at the Battle
of Pydna, turning Alexander’s
homeland into a mere Roman
Province. Although very eventful, the Antigonid dynasty was short-lived and lasted less than 150 years.
Macedonia’s grand
palaces of Aegae,
Pella,
Bylazora,
and Dimitrias
were thoroughly looted and the houses of the wealthy Macedonians were
plundered. Statues, paintings, jewelry, and other wonderful precious artifacts
from Greece and Asia were up for grabs. Roman generals and common
soldiers alike took as much as they could carry. Only the gods know what
happened to the collection of Macedonia’s
precious libraries.
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