Second War of the Diadocs

In 323 BC e. Alexander of Macedon suddenly died, leaving a huge empire that included a significant part of the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean Sea basin and vast territories in Asia. His legacy was divided among himself by his commanders, the diadochi .

In 319 BC e. Antipater, who ruled the European possessions of the former empire, died. Before his death, he appointed his successor not the son of Cassander , but the diadochus Polyperchon . Cassander did not come to terms with this and, slipping out of Macedonia, arrived in Asia Minor to Antigone .

Polyperchon first strengthened his position in Greece by issuing a manifesto on the freedom and autonomy of Greek cities. Then he made an alliance with Eumenes , who was in Phrygia, promising him the post of Asian auto-strategist strategist. Finally, Polyperchon invited the Queen Mother Olympiad to return from Epirus to Pella and start raising a grandson, young Alexander .

In the meantime, the satrap of Egypt Ptolemy I Soter captured Syria and entered into an alliance with Antigonus.

Fighting in Europe

When Polyperchon’s manifesto on the freedom of policies was announced in Athens, the Athenians demanded the withdrawal of the Macedonian garrison, led by a friend of Kassandra - Nicanor. Nicanor asked for a few days of delay, after which he occupied the harbor of Piraeus , as well as the Long Walls . The Athenians sent to negotiate with Nikanor Fokyona , but Nikanor did not want to lose a strategically advantageous point.

In the middle of 318, the son of Polyperchon, Alexander, arrived in Athens . Instead of, as his father demanded, free the harbor, he tried to agree with Nikanor on joint actions. The Athens National Assembly accused Fokion of betraying his fatherland and, chained him in a chain, sent him to Polyperchon, but the execution of Fokion did not help to expel Nicanor from Piraeus. Alexander, who camped near Piraeus, did not prevent the landing of Kassandra with 4 thousand soldiers. Nicanor handed over to Cassandra Piraeus, and he again occupied the Athenian Munich.

Upon learning of what had happened, Polyperchon approached Athens with his entire army (20 thousand infantry, 1,400 horsemen, 65 elephants) and besieged the city. However, the siege dragged on, and Polyperchon, leaving Alexander as many warriors as was required to observe the harbor, moved to the Peloponnese in order to achieve the fulfillment of his manifesto. The Corinthian Union of Cities that existed before the Lamian War was renewed.

Only Polygalon refused to follow the order of Megalopolis , who entered into an alliance on joint military operations with Kassander. Polyperchon besieged Megalopolis, but, having suffered significant losses, was forced to retreat. This failure shook the reputation of the Macedonian weapon in the eyes of the Hellenes. Meanwhile, Cassander captured Aegina and the island of Salamis , defeating the Athenians in a naval battle.

Meanwhile, information came that Antigonus was coming from Asia to the Hellespont . To prevent the crossing, Polisperkhon sent Navarte Klita with the Macedonian fleet to the strait. Upon learning of the departure of Klit, Cassander handed over to Nikanor his 35 ships and ordered to move to the Hellespont to join the fleet of Antigonus. In the first battle, the Macedonians defeated the combined fleets of Nicanor and Antigonus, but the next day, Nicanor took revenge, and completely defeated Clit.

Meanwhile, Greece increasingly lost confidence in Polyperchon, cities one by one passed to the side of Kassandra. In the winter of 318-317, Kassander was so strengthened in Greece that he expanded his sphere of influence up to the Peloponnese and began to consider a campaign in Macedonia, which remained virtually defenseless.

Polyperchon, having retreated to Aetolia , entered into an alliance with the king of Epirus, Aacides . Polyperchon and Eakid managed to persuade the Olympics to return to Macedonia, where at that time Eurydice ruled (the wife of the demented Philip Arriday , who had removed her husband). Eurydice gathered the army and tried to prevent the return of the Olympics, but the warriors of Eurydice said they would not fight against the mother of the great king, and went over to the side of the Olympics. Returning to Pella, the Olympics embarked on brutal reprisals.

When rumors reached of Kassandra about the atrocities of the Olympics, he immediately moved to Macedonia. Having passed by sea the Thermopylae occupied by the Aetolians, he landed in Thessaly . Polyperchon again retreated to Aetolia, his son Alexander took refuge in the Peloponnese, the Epirots overthrew Eakid and entered into an alliance with Kassander, and the Olympics was besieged in the fortress of Pidna . In the spring of 317, the besieged surrendered; Cassander included the soldiers in his army, and the Olympics, Roxanne, and six-year-old Alexander were taken into custody. The military assembly convened by Kassander sentenced the Olympics to death. Preparing to take the Macedonian throne, Cassander married Thessalonica (Philip's side daughter).

Fighting in Asia

In the spring of 318, Eumenes left Cilicia with a detachment of 10 thousand foot soldiers and 2 thousand horsemen. Instead of rushing to the aid of Polyperchon, Eumenes struck Ptolemy in the rear, occupying the coastal cities of Phenicia . The unexpected appearance of the fleet of Antigonus, returning with victory from the Hellespont, did not give Eumenes the opportunity to cross to Hellas by sea. When information came that Antigonus himself was moving towards Phenicia with 20 thousand infantry and 4 thousand cavalry, Eumenes, fearing to get into ticks between the enemy army and navy, moved into the interior of the mainland. Having sent messengers to the satraps of Bactria and Parthia and the satrap of Babylonia to Seleucus with copies of the tsar’s decree appointing Eumenes to be the strategist of Asia, he invited them to unite to fight Antigonus. Seleucus declared that he could not enter into an alliance with the one whom the Macedonians had sentenced to death, and suggested that the Macedonians leave Eumenes.

In the spring of 317, Eumenes crossed the Tiger and moved to Babylon . Passing Babylon, he went to the Suzah , where the treasury of the eastern satrapies was kept. The satrap of Persian Pevkest , the satrap of Karmania Tlepol , the satrap of Arachosia Siberia , the satrap of India Evdam and the satrap of Bactria and Sogdiana Stasanor arrived there ; the total strength of the combined army was 37 thousand foot soldiers, about 6 thousand horsemen and 125 elephants , and Pevkest was elected commander. Antigonus near Babylon connected with Seleucus and the satrap of Midia Python , and spoke to the Susa. All armies spent the summer of 317 in maneuvers, only in the fall a battle took place in the Gabien region, after which the opponents dispersed into winter apartments.

At the end of December 317, Antigonus unexpectedly again attacked Eumenes with allies. Despite the fact that Eumenes’s troops gradually won the battle, seeing that part of Antigone’s troops began to rob their camp, the Macedonians entered into negotiations with Antigone, who promised them to return their property in exchange for the extradition of Eumenes. The condition was accepted, and Eumenes was executed. Python decided to try to rebel and, having got rid of Antigonus, become the sole ruler of Asia, but Antigonus arrested him and executed him.

In the spring of 316 BC e. Antigonus arrived in Babylon, where he demanded a report from Seleucus in the monetary affairs of satrapy. Seleucus with 50 horsemen fled from Babylon and galloped to Egypt to seek protection from Ptolemy. Meanwhile, in the north of the satrap of Caria, Asander , taking advantage of the war of Antigonus with Eumenes, captured Cappadocia .

In the summer of 316, Cassander issued a decree on the restoration of Thebes . Relying on Thebes located in the center of Greece, he began to control the territory from Macedonia to the Peloponnese. Encouraged by the increased popularity among the Greeks, Cassander moved to the Peloponnese, where Alexander was strengthened. Since the only land route through the Isthmian Isthmus was occupied by Alexander, Kassander crossed the Gulf of Saronia, landed in Epidaurus and forced all Peloponnese oblasts to be obeyed, except Laconic . However, when Alexander opposed him, Cassandra was informed of the successes of Antigonus in Asia. Upon learning that Antigonus began to call himself regent, and intended to come to Europe to confirm his rights to this title, Kassander, leaving two thousand people to capture the Isthmian Isthmus, urgently returned to Macedonia and began to prepare for defense.

Antigonus sent messengers to Ptolemy, Cassander and Lysimachus with a proposal to renew the allied treaty against Polyperchon and activate it also against Seleucus; meanwhile, he himself invaded Syria and captured the coast with its harbors. The invasion of Antigonus into Syria forced Cassander, Lysimachus and Ptolemy to conclude an alliance against Antigonus. The allies replied that they were ready to maintain friendly relations with Antigonus on the following conditions:

• Syria and Phenicia are recognized as possessions of Ptolemy
• Hellespont Phrygia departs to Lysimachus
• Babylonia returns to Seleucus
• Asander receives Lydia and Cappadocia
• Cassander retains Macedonia and Hellas
• Antigonus must share the treasures that he captured in Persia

Antigonus rejected the demands of the Allies, and the third war of the Diadocs began .

• Korolev K. Wars of the Ancient World: The Macedonian Gambit. - M .: LLC "Publishing house AST", 2003. - ISBN 5-17-012401-5