On June 10, 323 BCE Alexander the Great died in Babylon. Although historians have debated the exact cause most agree that the empire he built was left without adequate leadership for there was no clear successor or heir. The military commanders who had followed the king for over a decade across the sands of Asia were left to fight each other over their small piece of the territorial pie. These were the Wars of Succession or Wars of the Diadochi. What followed were over three decades of intense rivalry. In the end three dynasties would emerge, remaining in power until the time of the Romans.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 366 BCE - 282 BCELife of Ptolemy I Soter.
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323 BCEDeath of Alexander the Great, beginning of The Hellenistic Period / The Hellenistic World.
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322 BCE - 320 BCEFirst Successor War between Alexander's successors.
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322 BCE - 275 BCEThe Wars of the Diadochi, also known as the Wars of Alexander's Successors.
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321 BCELysimachus marries Antipater's daughter Nicaea.
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321 BCE - 315 BCESeleucos rules the satrapy of Babylon.
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319 BCEDeath of Antipater, regent of Macedon.
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319 BCE - 315 BCESecond Successor War between Alexander's successors.
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316 BCEDeath of Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great.
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314 BCE - 311 BCEThird Successor War between Alexander's successors.
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312 BCEDemetrius I of Macedon loses the Battle of Giza against Ptolemy I and Seleucus I Nicator.
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312 BCEEvagros is killed in battle by Seleucos I. Persis comes under Seleucid rule.
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312 BCESeleucos conquers Babylon and founds the Seleucid dynasty.
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310 BCEAssassination of Roxanne and Alexander IV, wife and son of Alexander the Great.
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308 BCE - 301 BCEFourth Successor War between Alexander's successors.
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306 BCEDemetrius I of Macedon defeats Ptolemy's fleet at Salamis, off the coast of Cyprus.
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305 BCELysimachus assumes the title of king.
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305 BCEEmperor Chandragupta signs a treaty with Seleucos I, establishing borders and giving the Punjab to Chandragupta in return for 500 war elephants.
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305 BCE - 297 BCECassander is self-proclaimed king of Macedon.
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301 BCEThe Battle of Ipsus in central Phrygia where Lysimachus and Seleucos I defeat Antigonus I and Demetrius I of Macedon.
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301 BCE - 299 BCEAntioch founded by Seleucos I Nicator.
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c. 300 BCELysimachus marries Arsinoe II, the daughter of Ptolemy I.
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c. 299 BCEDemetrius I marries Stratonice, daughter of Seleucus I and in return Demetrius is given Cilicia.
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c. 295 BCESeleucos I makes an alliance with local Persis dynast, Ardaxsir, becoming the first frataraka of Persis.
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294 BCE - c. 288 BCEDemetrius I rules as king of Macedon.
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293 BCEAntiochos is appointed vice-king of the Upper-Satrapies by his father Seleucus I Nicator.
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292 BCELysimachus is captured by Dromichaites, the king of Getae and forced to surrender Trans-Danubian territories.
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285 BCEDemetrius I surrenders to Seleucus I and lives as a prsioner for three years until his death.
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284 BCELysimachus drives Pyrrhus out of Macedon.
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282 BCE - 263 BCEPhiletaerus, founder of the Attalid Dynasty, governs Pergamon.
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281 BCELysimachus is defeated by Seleucus I Nicator at Corupedium.
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263 BCE - 241 BCEReign of Eumenes I at Pergamon.
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241 BCE - 197 BCEReign of Attalus I at Pergamon.
