Wars of the Diadochi The Wars of the Diadochi ( or Wars of Alexander ' s Successors ) , ( Greek : Πόλεμος των Διαδόχων , " Polemos ton Diadochon " ) were a series of conflicts fought between Alexander the Great ' s generals over the rule of his vast empire , after his death . They occurred between 322 and 275 BC . Background . When Alexander the Great died ( June 10 , 323 BC ) , he left behind a huge empire which was composed of many essentially independent territories . Alexander ' s empire stretched from his homeland of Macedon itself , along with the Greek city - states that his father had subdued , to Bactria and parts of India in the east . It included Anatolia , the Levant , Egypt , Babylonia , and Persia . Without a chosen successor there was almost immediately a dispute among his generals as to who his successor should be . Meleager and the infantry supported the candidacy of Alexander ' s half - brother , Arrhidaeus , while Perdiccas , the leading cavalry commander , supported waiting until the birth of Alexander ' s unborn child by Roxana . A compromise was arranged – Arrhidaeus ( as Philip III ) should become king , and should rule jointly with Roxana ' s child , assuming that it was a boy ( as it was , becoming Alexander IV ) . Perdiccas himself would become regent of the entire empire , and Meleager his lieutenant . Soon , however , Perdiccas had Meleager and the other infantry leaders murdered , and assumed full control . The other cavalry generals who had supported Perdiccas were rewarded in the partition of Babylon by becoming satraps of the various parts of the empire . Ptolemy received Egypt ; Laomedon received Syria and Phoenicia ; Philotas took Cilicia ; Peithon took Media ; Antigonus received Phrygia , Lycia and Pamphylia ; Asander received Caria ; Menander received Lydia ; Lysimachus received Thrace ; Leonnatus received Hellespontine Phrygia ; and Neoptolemus had Armenia . Macedon and the rest of Greece were to be under the joint rule of Antipater , who had governed them for Alexander , and Craterus , Alexander ' s most able lieutenant , while Alexander ' s old secretary , Eumenes of Cardia , was to receive Cappadocia and Paphlagonia . In the east , Perdiccas largely left Alexander ' s arrangements intact – Taxiles and Porus ruled over their kingdoms in India ; Alexander ' s father - in - law Oxyartes ruled Gandara ; Sibyrtius ruled Arachosia and Gedrosia ; Stasanor ruled Aria and Drangiana ; Philip ruled Bactria and Sogdiana ; Phrataphernes ruled Parthia and Hyrcania ; Peucestas governed Persis ; Tlepolemus had charge over Carmania ; Atropates governed northern Media ; Archon got Babylonia ; and Arcesilas ruled northern Mesopotamia . Lamian War . The news of Alexander ' s death had inspired a revolt in Greece , known as the Lamian War . Athens and other cities joined together , ultimately besieging Antipater in the fortress of Lamia . Antipater was relieved by a force sent by Leonnatus , who was killed in action , but the war did not come to an end until Craterus ' s arrival with a fleet to defeat the Athenians at the Battle of Crannon on September 5 , 322 BC . For a time , this brought an end to Greek resistance to Macedonian domination . Meanwhile , Peithon suppressed a revolt of Greek settlers in the eastern parts of the empire , and Perdiccas and Eumenes subdued Cappadocia . First War of the Diadochi , 322 – 320 BC . Soon , however , conflict broke out . Perdiccas ' attempt to marry Alexander ' s sister Cleopatra led Antipater , Craterus , Antigonus , and Ptolemy to join together in rebellion . The actual outbreak of war was triggered by Ptolemy ' s theft of Alexander ' s body , and diversion of it to Egypt . Although Eumenes defeated the rebels in Asia Minor , in a battle at which Craterus was killed , it was all for nought , as Perdiccas himself was murdered by his own generals Peithon , Seleucus , and Antigenes during an invasion of Egypt . Ptolemy came to terms with Perdiccas ' s murderers , making Peithon and Arrhidaeus regents in his place , but soon these came to a new agreement with Antipater at the Treaty of Triparadisus . Antipater was made regent of the empire , and the two kings were moved to Macedon . Antigonus remained in charge of Phrygia , Lycia , and Pamphylia , to which was added Lycaonia . Ptolemy retained Egypt , Lysimachus retained Thrace , while the three murderers of Perdiccas — Seleucus , Peithon , and Antigenes — were given the provinces of Babylonia , Media , and Susiana respectively . Arrhidaeus , the former regent , received Hellespontine Phrygia . Antigonus was charged with the task of rooting out Perdiccas ' s former supporter , Eumenes . In effect , Antipater retained for himself control of Europe , while Antigonus , as leader of the largest army east of the Hellespont , held a similar position in Asia . Second War of the Diadochi , 319 – 315 BC . War soon broke out again , however , following the death of Antipater in 319 BC . Passing over his own son , Cassander , Antipater had declared Polyperchon his successor as Regent . A civil war soon broke out in Macedon and Greece between Polyperchon and Cassander , with the latter supported by Antigonus and Ptolemy . Polyperchon allied himself to Eumenes in Asia , but was driven from Macedonia by Cassander , and fled to Epirus with the infant king Alexander IV and his mother Roxane . In Epirus he joined forces with Olympias , Alexander ' s mother , and together they invaded Macedon again . They were met by an army commanded by King Philip Arrhidaeus and his wife Eurydice , which immediately defected , leaving the king and Eurydice to Olympias ' s not so tender mercies , and they were killed ( 317 BC ) . Soon after , though , the tide turned , and Cassander was victorious , capturing and killing Olympias , and attaining control of Macedon , the boy king , and his mother . In the east , Eumenes was gradually driven back into the east by Antigonus ' s forces . After great battles at Paraitacene in 317 BC and at Gabiene in 316 BC , Eumenes was eventually betrayed and murdered by his own troops in 315 BC , leaving Antigonus in undisputed control of the Asian territories of the empire . Third War of the Diadochi , 314 – 311 BC . In this war , Antigonus , who had grown too powerful for the other rulers to tolerate him , faced Ptolemy , Lysimachus , and Cassander . Antigonus invaded Syria , under Ptolemy ' s control , and besieged Tyre for more than a year . Antigonus allied himself to Polyperchon , who still controlled part of the Peloponnese , and proclaimed freedom for the Greeks to get them on his side . But although Cassander was tempted to conclude peace with Antigonus , in Asia the war turned against the one - eyed general . A force sent by Antigonus under the officer Athenaeus failed to subdue the Nabataeans . Ptolemy invaded Syria ( and defeated Antigonus ' son , Demetrius Poliorcetes , in the Battle of Gaza , 312 BC ) and Seleucus secured control of Babylon , and thus , of the eastern reaches of Alexander ' s empire . Although Antigonus now concluded a compromise peace with Ptolemy , Lysimachus , and Cassander , he continued the war with Seleucus , attempting to recover control of the eastern reaches of the empire . Although he went so far as to enter Babylon in 310 BC , the Babylonian War ( 311 – 309 ) ended in Antigonus ' defeat . At about the same time , Cassander had young King Alexander IV and his mother Roxane murdered , ending the Argead Dynasty which had ruled Macedon for several centuries . For the moment , all of the various generals continued to recognize the dead Alexander as king , since Cassander did not publicly announce the deaths , but it seemed clear that at some point , one or all of them would claim the kingship . Babylonian War , 311 – 309 BC . The Babylonian War was a conflict fought between 311 - 309 BC between the Diadochi kings Antigonus Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator , ending in a victory for the latter . The conflict ended any possibility of restoration of the empire of Alexander the Great , a result confirmed in the Battle of Ipsus . Fourth War of the Diadochi , 308 – 301 BC . War soon broke out again . Ptolemy had been expanding his power into the Aegean and to Cyprus , while Seleucus went on a tour of the east to consolidate his control of the vast eastern territories of Alexander ' s empire . Antigonus resumed the war , sending his son Demetrius to regain control of Greece . In 307 he took Athens , expelling Demetrius of Phaleron , Cassander ' s governor , and proclaiming the city free again . Demetrius now turned his attention to Ptolemy , invading Cyprus and defeating Ptolemy ' s fleet at the Battle of Salamis . In the aftermath of this victory , Antigonus and Demetrius both assumed the crown , and they were shortly followed by Ptolemy , Seleucus , Lysimachus , and eventually Cassander . In 306 , Antigonus attempted to invade Egypt , but storms prevented Demetrius ' s fleet from supplying him , and he was forced to return home . Now , with Cassander and Ptolemy both weakened , and Seleucus still occupied in the East , Antigonus and Demetrius turned their attention to Rhodes , which was besieged by Demetrius ' s forces in 305 BC ( see siege of Rhodes ) . The island was reinforced by troops from Ptolemy , Lysimachus , and Cassander . Ultimately , the Rhodians reached a compromise with Demetrius – they would support Antigonus and Demetrius against all enemies , save their great ally Ptolemy . Ptolemy took the title of " Soter " ( " Savior " ) for his role in preventing the fall of Rhodes , but the victory was ultimately Demetrius ' s , as it left him with a free hand to attack Cassander in Greece . Demetrius returned to Greece , defeated Cassander , and formed a new Hellenic League , with himself as general , to defend the Greek cities against all enemies ( and particularly Cassander ) . In the face of these catastrophes , Cassander sued for peace , but Antigonus rejected the claims , and Demetrius invaded Thessaly , where he and Cassander faced off against each other in inconclusive engagements . But now Cassander called in aid from his allies , and Anatolia was invaded by Lysimachus , forcing Demetrius to leave Thessaly and send his armies to Asia Minor to assist his father . With assistance from Cassander , Lysimachus overran much of western Anatolia , but was soon ( 301 BC ) isolated by Antigonus and Demetrius near Ipsus . Here came the decisive intervention from Seleucus , who arrived in time to save Lysimachus from disaster and utterly crush Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus . Antigonus was killed in the fight , and Demetrius fled back to Greece to attempt to preserve the remnants of his rule there . Lysimachus and Seleucus divided up Antigonus ' s Asian territories between them , with Lysimachus receiving western Asia Minor and Seleucus the rest , except Cilicia and Lycia , which went to Cassander ' s brother Pleistarchus . The struggle over Macedon , 298 – 285 BC . The events of the next decade and a half were centered around various intrigues for control of Macedon itself . Cassander died in 298 BC , and his sons , Antipater and Alexander , proved weaklings . After quarreling with his older brother , Alexander V called in Demetrius , who had retained control of Cyprus , the Peloponnese , and many of the Aegean islands , and had quickly seized control of Cilicia and Lycia from Cassander ' s brother , as well as Pyrrhus , the King of Epirus . After Pyrrhus had intervened to seize the border region of Ambracia , Demetrius invaded , killed Alexander , and seized control of Macedon for himself ( 294 BC ) . While Demetrius consolidated his control of mainland Greece , his outlying territories were invaded and captured by Lysimachus ( who recovered western Anatolia ) , Seleucus ( who took most of Cilicia ) , and Ptolemy ( who recovered Cyprus , eastern Cilicia , and Lycia ) . Soon , Demetrius was forced from Macedon by a rebellion supported by the alliance of Lysimachus and Pyrrhus , who divided the Kingdom between them , and , leaving Greece to the control of his son , Antigonus Gonatas , Demetrius launched an invasion of the east in 287 BC . Although initially successful , Demetrius was ultimately captured by Seleucus ( 286 BC ) , drinking himself to death two years later . The struggle of Lysimachus and Seleucus , 285 – 281 BC . Although Lysimachus and Pyrrhus had cooperated in driving Antigonus Gonatas from Thessaly and Athens , in the wake of Demetrius ' s capture they soon fell out , with Lysimachus driving Pyrrhus from his share of Macedon . Dynastic struggles also rent Egypt , where Ptolemy decided to make his younger son Ptolemy Philadelphus his heir rather than the elder , Ptolemy Ceraunus . Ceraunus fled to Seleucus . The eldest Ptolemy died peacefully in his bed in 282 BC , and Philadelphus succeeded him . Soon Lysimachus made the fatal mistake of having his son Agathocles murdered at the say - so of his second wife , Arsinoe ( 282 BC ) . Agathocles ' s widow , Lysandra , fled to Seleucus , who now made war upon Lysimachus . Seleucus , after appointing his son Antiochus ruler of his Asian territories , defeated and killed Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in Lydia in 281 BC , but Seleucus did not live to enjoy his triumph for long – he was almost immediately murdered by Ptolemy Ceraunus , for reasons that remain unclear . The Gallic invasions and consolidation , 280 – 275 BC . Ptolemy Ceraunus was also not to enjoy the rule of Macedon for very long . The death of Lysimachus had left the Danube border of the Macedonian kingdom open to barbarian invasions , and soon tribes of Gauls were rampaging through Macedon and Greece , and invading Asia Minor . Ptolemy Ceraunus was killed by the invaders , and after several years of chaos , none other than Antigonus Gonatas emerged as ruler of Macedon . In Asia , Seleucus ' s son , Antiochus I , also managed to defeat the Celtic invaders , who settled down in central Anatolia in the part of eastern Phrygia that would henceforward be known as Galatia after them . Now , at long last , almost fifty years after Alexander ' s death , some sort of order was restored . Ptolemy ruled over Egypt , southern Syria ( known as Coele - Syria ) , and various territories on the southern coast of Asia Minor . Antiochus ruled the vast Asian territories of the empire , while Macedon and Greece ( with the exception of the Aetolian League ) fell to Antigonus .