A Chronology of Ancient Greece

Timothy Venning

• Editore: Pen & Sword Military
• Anno: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781473879232
• Argomento: History
• Categoria: European History

This helpful reference offers a timeline of ancient Greece's political and military history. This chronological history begins with the necessarily approximate course of events in Bronze and early Iron Age, as estimated by the most reliable scholarship and the legendary accounts of this period. From the Persian Wars onwards, a year-by-year chronology is constructed from the ancient historical sources—and where possible, a day-by-day narrative is given. The geographical scope expands as the horizons of the Greek world and colonization increased, with reference to developments in politico-military events in the Middle Eastern (and later Italian) states that came into contact with Greek culture. From the expansion of the Greek world across the region under Alexander, the development of all the relevant Greek/Macedonian states is covered. The text is divided into events per geographical area for each date, cross-referencing where needed. Detailed accounts are provided for battles and political crises where the sources allow this—and where not much is known for certain, the different opinions of historians are referenced. The result is a coherent, accessible, and accurate reference to what happened and when.

Section Six

The Hellenistic Era 1 – the Successor States 323 to 200

323

‘Diadochi’ – Successor States

11 June – The late King’s seven official ‘Bodyguards’ – Ptolemy, Perdiccas, Peucestas, Peithon, Leonnatus, Lysimachus, and Aristonous – and the ‘Companions’ lead an assembly of the senior officers, among whom are crucial figures such as Seleucus, commander of the ‘Silver Shields’ regiment and the admiral Nerachus; also present in the palace but probably not at the meeting is the royal secretary and archivist Eumenes. Perdiccas probably takes charge in the decision not to wait for Craterus or his deputy Polyperchon to arrive from his army of returning veterans en route to Macedonia, now in Cilicia. The meeting is held in front of Alexander’s empty throne, on which the royal emblems are placed. Perdiccas wants no nomination of a new king until Roxane gives birth to a child, expected to be in six to eight weeks, but apparently Nearchus speaks up for Alexander’s alleged illegitimate son by Memnon’s widow Barsine, Heracles, probably aged around seven, as someone who can take over immediately but also as a relative of his wife. He is voted down by Perdiccas’ faction, (?) as the boy was not acknowledged by Alexander, and Ptolemy proposes a temporary ruling council of the senior officers with no decision on any new king to put off a clash. Aristonous proposes Perdiccas as king, as a competent adult even if from the Macedonian provincial ex-royal house of Lyncestis not the Argead dynasty, but Perdiccas is hesitant about doing this and arousing antagonism; Meleager proposes a shared regency; Peithon warns against selecting the adult but mentally deficient Arrhidaeus, Philip II’s illegitimate son, and proposes Perdiccas and Leonnatus as regents of Asia and Antipater and Craterus as regents of Europe for Roxane’s child if it is a boy. This is agreed.

The senior officers send delegates to tell the Macedonian infantry and cavalry the decisions; the cavalry agree but Meleager and Attalus tell the infantry and face hostility to the idea of a half-Persian ruler and noisy demands that the popular and wholly Macedonian Arrhidaeus be sole king. The two officers, possibly hoping to become the regents for Arrhidaeus and get rid of Perdiccas, accept this and lead them and their candidate on their march to the palace, with Arrhidaeus being given the name of ‘Philip III’ and dressed up as Alexander. The cavalry object, and the Bodyguards and Companions retreat out of the way into the palace, while the two rival factions of soldiers ‘face off’ noisily in the palace, apparently with some fighting in the royal bedchamber around Alexander’s body.

12/13 June? – Perdiccas negotiates an agreement that the leadership will accept Arrhidaeus to buy time, and Leonnatus leads the cavalry out of the city to the main army camp with the elephants – i.e. abandoning Perdiccas? Later Perdiccas slips out to join him, probably in fear of Meleager as ‘kingmaker’ killing him. The cavalry then blockades the infantry in the city.

c. 15 June? – Eumenes proposes a compromise – Arrhidaeus and Roxane’s child (if he is a son) as co-kings, with Meleager as deputy to Perdiccas in Asia, Antipater regent in Europe, and Craterus ‘protector of the kingdom’ and ?treasurer. Meleager agrees; Perdiccas agrees and ends the blockade, and the agreement is ratified in the presence of Alexander’s body.

Around this time, Roxane murders Alexander’s and Hephaistion’s Persian wives, Barsine and Dryeptis the daughters of Darius III, to ensure that she bears the only heir of the Achaemenid dynasty; traditionally she has Barsine summoned to Babylon in Alexander’s name before the news of his death reaches the princesses in Susa and throws her down a well.

Perdiccas offers his daughter to Meleager’s friend Attalus to win him over, and at the subsequent military review parade to acknowledge King Philip III Perdiccas proposes the execution of some leading mutineers, which is accepted, then reads out the names of 300 of Meleager’s supporters who are trampled to death by the elephants. A few days later, Meleager is summoned to meet Perdiccas and is killed trying to escape (official version).

The senior officers meet again and ratify Perdiccas as sole regent in Asia and ‘Protector of the Kings’; Seleucus is to be his deputy and commander of the Companion Cavalry; Antipater is to be regent in Europe and Perdiccas suggests that he marry Antipater’s daughter Nicaea, and Antipater’s eldest son, Cassander, is offered the command of the ‘Shield-Bearers’ regiment. The satrapies/governorships are rearranged – Leonnatus is to have Hellespontine Phrygia, Eumenes is to have Paphlagonia (which would normally go with H. Phrygia) plus Cappadocia, Ptolemy gets Egypt with current governor Cleomenes as his deputy, Antigonus retains Phrygia, Lycia, Pamphylia, and Lycaonia and to command in war on northern Asia Minor independent ex-Persian states with Leonnatus. Menander retains Lydia and Peucestas retains Persia; Sibyrtius gets Arachosia; Archon gets Babylonia; Stasanor gets Areia and Drangiana; Philip gets Bactria and Sogdiana; Lysimachus gets Thrace. Craterus is left without a province, and as Alexander’s planned naval expedition round Arabia is cancelled the fleet is redundant and commander Nearchus joins Antigonus’ staff. Alexander is to be buried in Aegae, Macedon, with his ancestors.

August? – Birth of Roxane’s son, who is named King Alexander IV.

Early autumn? – Revolt of most of Greece, except for Sparta and Boeotia and led by Athens; annoyance at having to receive political exiles home as per Alexander’s 324 degree is a major factor. Athens decides on revolt as soon as Alexander’s death is rumoured, and confiscates Harpalus’ treasure stored in their city to hire 8000 of his former mercenaries who are stationed at Cape Taenarum awaiting Macedonian orders. The Athenian mercenary Leosthenes is sent to become their commander and hires recruits. Once the news of Alexander’s death is definite this becomes open, and Leosthenes wins over Locris and Phocis to supply troops; Aetolia sends 7000 men. The Athenian assembly votes to enrol all men under 40 as soldiers and send envoys around inviting all Greek states to fight for liberty under their leadership as in 480; they supply 5000 infantry and 500 cavalry to the allied army. Around 25,000 men march north towards Thessaly, while in Epirus Olympias organizes an invasion of Macedon to try to overthrow Antipater.

Antipater summons Craterus from eastern Asia Minor to help him, along with Leonnatus from the north-west, as potential allies against Perdiccas as well as the Greeks, and offers them his daughters – Craterus to marry Phila. Perdiccas sends to Athens and Aetolia for alliance in retaliation.

Late autumn? – Revolt of 20,000 infantry and 3000 cavalry among Alexander’s mercenary garrisons in Bactria, who want to leave for home in Greece; they elect Philon of Athens as leader and start to march for Mesopotamia. Perdiccas sends Peithon, as the new governor of Media, with 3000 troops to put them down and wants them killed but after defeating them thanks to his secret agreement with one of their senior officers, Letodorus, who withdraws from battle, Peithon decides to send them home as requested. His annoyed Macedonian troops, however, slaughter them as Perdiccas wanted, amid suspicion of why Peithon was being so lenient, i.e. recruiting the rebels against Perdiccas later.

Ptolemy arrives in Egypt and (323/2) sacks and kills Cleomenes despite Perdiccas’ orders; Lysimachus arrives in Thrace and defeats local tribal king Seuthes but for the moment is unable to secure full control to the Danube as the Thracians hold out.

In Cyrene, Harpalus’ ex-officer Thibron and some of his mercenaries arrive from Greece to seize the city; it is retaken on Ptolemy’s behalf by his general Ophellas, who becomes governor.

Leosthenes occupies the pass of Thermopylae to hold up Antipater’s advance across Thessaly; Antipater has only 13,000 infantry and 600 cavalry as so many Macedonians are in Asia. Leosthenes surprisingly defeats Antipater in an opening skirmish north of the pass, and Antipater finds his Thessalian troops deserting; he retires into the town of Lamia and is besieged (midwinter?).

Pytheas and Callimedon, pro-Macedonian Athenians, join a pro-Macedonian delegation travelling around Greece urging the states to stay loyal to Macedon; the rebel envoys who try to win support for their cause are led by Demosthenes, with the result that the democracy votes to recall him.

322

Leosthenes is killed in a skirmish outside Lamia; this demoralizes his army but the siege continues.

As Perdiccas marches for Cilicia with the kings and court, en route to an expedition against northern Asia Minor dynasts but implicitly Antipater too, Craterus avoids him and accepts Antipater’s request; he and c.6000 veterans march for Macedon while Perdiccas sends Cleitus with the royal Mediterranean fleet into the Aegean to assist Athens. Leonnatus, now in Cappadocia with Eumenes awaiting the Perdiccan Asia Minor expedition, turns against Perdiccas too – Olympias has informed her ally Eumenes that her daughter Cleopatra will marry him, so although he officially goes to help Antipater in Macedon he has his own ambitions there as a potential regent and when he arrives refuses to marry any of Antipater’s daughters. Eumenes rejects Leonnatus’ appeal to come with him, and instead goes to warn Perdiccas that Leonnatus is intending to usurp the regency in Macedon.

June? Leonnatus arrives via Macedon with a large army to rescue Antipater, and attacks the besiegers under Antiphilus (infantry); however, the rebel Thessalian cavalry, led by Menon, gets the batter of his cavalry and he is unhorsed and killed. Both sides have heavy losses, the Macedonian infantry escapes to a secure hill that the enemy dare not attack, and the rebels hesitate. Next day, the Macedonian infantry joins up with Antipater’s army outside Lamia, and Antipater withdraws to Macedon.

June – Cleitus’s royal fleet defeats the Athenian-led allied rebel fleet off Abydos in the Hellespont, and as they withdraw south defeats them again off the island of Amorgos; Craterus is able to cross to Europe with 10,000 Macedonian and 1000 Persian infantry 1500 cavalry and arrives in Macedon to join Antipater as his deputy. They now have over 40,000 infantry and 5000 cavalry (Diodorus) as they camp together at the River Peneius in Thessaly.

Perdiccas invades Cappadocia; he defeats, captures, and executes the local ex-Persian governor and king, Ariathares, wipes out his dynasty, and installs Eumenes as governor. He then invades and ravages Lycaonia.

August – Antipater, with superiority of numbers to the c.25,000 rebel Greek infantry and 3500 rebel cavalry, advances across Thessaly and bribes some of Athens’ mercenaries to desert and offers easy terms to allied cities if they withdraw their contingents which some do; he wins the battle of Crannon, where his larger infantry pushes back and crushes the enemy phalanx but the latter manage to break off and retreat to safer high ground, protected by the cavalry, so they are not wiped out. The rebels are able to withdraw unmolested, and Antiphilus sends to Antipater for negotiations but is told that each city must negotiate separately; he and Craterus start to redu...

Indice dei contenuti

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Section One: The Persian Wars c. 560 to 479
• Section Two: The Mid-fifth Century 478 to 432
• Section Three: The Peloponnesian Wars 431 to 404
• Section Four: The Hegemonies of Sparta and Thebes: 403 to 360
• Section Five: Philip and Alexander: 359 to June 323
• Section Six: The Hellenistic Era 1 – the Successor States 323 to 200
• Section Seven: The Hellenistic Era 2 – The Triumph of Rome 200 to 145 BC
• Bibliography
• Dynastic Tables