Wars of the Diadochi > First War of the Diadochi

First War of the Diadochi

Background

The First War of the Diadochi (322-320 BCE) occurred when officers trying to save Alexander III the Great's fledgling empire were defeated by those who sought to enhance their own personal power. When Perdiccas tried to marry Alexander's sister Cleopatra it led the previous Macedonian generals and Alexander's friends known as the Diadochi to join together and contest this. These included the men who had served with Alexander throughout his entire campaign and known him his entire life such as Antipater, Craterus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Ptolemy I Soter.

The onset of fighting was actually triggered when Ptolemy seized Alexander's body as it was being transported to Macedon and rerouted it to Egypt. During this event Craterus fell in battle and Perdiccas was murdered by his own generals, Peithon, Selecus I Nicator and Antigenes during his invasion of Egypt. The assassination of Perdiccas led Ptolemy to discuss peace terms with his own friends and made Peithon and Arrhidaeus regents of the empire. Another agreement called the Partition of Triparadisus made Antipater the regent of Alexander's empire and carved up the rest.

Partition of Triparadisus

See Partition of Triparadisus

Following the Partition of Triparadisus Antigonus remained in control of the satrapies of Phyrgia, Lycia, Lycaonia and Pamphylia. Ptolemy was still in control of Egypt and Lysimachus gained Thrace. The three generals that murdered Perdiccas were all given territory as well. Seleucus I was given Babylon along with the satrapy of Babylonia along with the eastern portion of Alexander's empire in what would later become the Seleucid Empire. Peithon was given the territory of Media and Antigenes was given the territory of Susiana. The former regent Arrhidaeus received the Hellespontine Phyrgia.

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