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AHST 222 /322,  Lecture 6: Sources, Bibliography, Dramatis Personae, Terminology

The Succession Crisis

Primary Sources:

  • Arrian, "After Alexander" (lost except for fragments: originally very detailed).
  • Diodorus Siculus
  • Quintus Curtius Rufus
  • Justin's "Epitome" of Pompeius Trogus
  • "Liber de Morte Testamentumque Alexandri Magni"
  • The "Metz Epitome"
  • Polybius
  • Plutarch's Lives of Eumenes & Demetrius
  • Appian's Syrian Wars
  • Other scraps.
    • Underlying Sources:
  • Hieronymus of Cardia (lieutenant of Eumenes)
  • Cleitarchus (writing for Ptolemy)
  • Others
    • Modern Authors:
  • E.N. Borza, In the Shadow of Olympus
  • A.B. Bosworth, "The Death of Alexander the Great: Rumour and Propaganda"
  • A.B. Bosworth, The Legacy of Alexander: Politics, Warfare and Propaganda under the Successors
  • G. Cohen, "The Marriage of Lysimachus and Nicaea"
  • R.M. Errington, "From Babylon to Triparadeisos"
  • R.M. Errington, "The Nature of the Macedonian State under the Monarchy"
  • W.J. Goralski, "Arrian's Events after Alexander".
  • P. Green, Alexander to Actium.
  • P. Green, ed., Hellenistic History and Culture.
  • N.G.L. Hammond, "The Macedonian Imprint on the Hellenistic World", in Green, ed., Hellenistic History and Culture.
  • C.A. Kincaid, Successors of Alexander the Great.
  • R. Lock, "The Macedonian Army Assembly in the time of Alexander the Great"
  • J.M. O'Brien, Alexander the Great: the Invisible Enemy.
  • F.E. Peters, The Harvest of Hellenism.
  • G. Shipley, The Greek World after Alexander.
    • The cast of characters:
  • Barsine (1), eldest daughter of Darius
  • Barsine (2), widow of Memnon, daughter of Artabazus
  • Herakles, possible son of Alexander by Barsine (2)
  • Parysatis, daughter of Artaxerxes III Ochus
  • Stateira, daughter of Darius III
    • In Babylon:
  • Eumenes of Cardia, Alexander's personal private secretary and later a cavalry hipparch and independent general. Greek, not Macedonian.
  • Leonnatus, one of Alexander's personal bodyguard
  • Lysimachus, one of Alexander's personal bodyguard, satrap of Thrace
  • Meleager, an infantry commander
  • Perdiccas, one of Alexander's personal bodyguard, and his best friend after the death of Hephaestion.
  • Ptolemy, another member of the personal bodyguard.
  • Philip Arrhidaeus, Alexander's half-brother: a son of Philip
  • Roxanne, and the unborn Alexander IV.
  • Seleucus, another personal bodyguard.
    • In Macedon:
  • Antipater, the regent in Macedonia.
  • Cassander, Antipater's son.
  • Olympias, Alexander's mother.
    • Half-way between:
  • Craterus and Polyperchon (two of the phalanx battalion commanders: Craterus was the more senior), taking home the veterans.
    • Elsewhere:
  • Antigonus Monophthalmus (One-Eyed), Governor of Phrygia
  • His son Demetrius, later "Poliorcetes", "City-breaker".
    • Terminology
  • "Lamian War" (Athenian revolt)
  • Triparadeisos agreement.
  • Chandragupta
  • The Battle of Ipsus / Ipsos