Chronology of the Diadochi

Diadochi ("successors"): name of the first generation of military and political leaders after the death of theĀ Macedonian king and conqueror Alexander the Great in 323 BCE. To settle the question whether his empire should disintegrate or survive as a unity, and, if so, under whose rule, they fought several full-scale wars. The result, reached by 300, BCE, was a division into three large parts, which more or less coincided with Alexander's possessions in Europe, Asia, and Egypt.

During the next quarter of a century, it was decided whether these states could endure. As it turned out, there were no great territorial changes, although there were dynastic changes. After 280, the period of state-forming came to an end with three great states: Antigonid Macedonia, Ptolemaic Egypt, and the Seleucid kingdom in Asia.

The chronology of the events offered here is based on:

   
Europe
Anatolia
Near East
Iraq and Iran
323 June     11. Death of Alexander  
  Late July Begin Lamian War      
  Autumn Begin siege of Lamia     Veterans' revolt
322 Spring   Perdiccas in Cappadocia   Peithon defeats veterans
  Sept. 5. Battle of Crannon      
321 Dec. First Diadoch War First Diadoch War First Diadoch War  
320 April   Eumenes defeats Craterus    
  May     Perdiccas killed in Egypt  
  Summer     Intervention by Antipater  
  Late Summer     Triparadisus conference  
319 Summer   Antigonus defeats Eumenes Ptolemy occupies Phoenicia  
  Autumn Death of Antipater Eumenes besieged in Nora    
318 Spring Second Diadoch War Second Diadoch War Second Diadoch War  
  Summer     Eumenes in Cilicia Revolt of Peithon
  Autumn Antigonus defeats Polyperchon   Eumenes in Phoenicia  
317 Winter     Antigonus pursues Eumenes Peithon defeated
  Spring Cassander regent     Eumenes in Susa
  Dec. Death of king Philip      
316 Winter Death of Olympias   Antigonus defeats Eumenes Chandragupta Maurya
occupies the Punjab
  Summer     Seleucus' flight to Egypt  
    Cassander founds Cassandria; restoration of Thebes      
  Nov/Dec     Antigonus in Cilicia  
315 Spring Cassander founds Cassandria and Thessaloniki   Antigonus in Syria  
    Third Diadoch War Third Diadoch War Third Diadoch War  
  Summer Antigonus declares the freedom of Greece; Cassander in Nemea   Antigonus in Phoenicia; capture of Joppa and Gaza; siege of Tyre  
  Autumn     Ptolemy seizes Cyprus  
314 Nov Peloponnese sides with Antigonus   Fall of Tyre  
313 Summer   Liberation of Miletus    
312 Summer   Ptolemy in Cilicia    
  Autumn Ptolemy in Greece   (Late) Battle of Gaza  
311 Winter        
  May     Ptolemy invades Syria Babylonian war
Seleucus in Babylon
  Summer     Ptolemy evacuates Syria  
  Sept.       Seleucus conquers
Media and Elam
  Dec. Peace treaty Peace treaty Peace treaty  
310 Spring       Demetrius in Babylon
  Sept.       Antigonus in Babylonia
309 Spring     Ptolemy conquers Cyprus Antigonus in Babylon
  Summer   Ptolemy in the Aegean    
  Aug. Ptolemy in Greece     Antigonus defeated
  Autumn     Antigonus in Syria  
  Dec. Lysimachus founds Lysimachia      
308 Winter Ptolemy leaves Greece   Ptolemy returns  
  Spring Polyperchon sides with Cassander   Antigonus founds Antigonia Seleucus' eastern war
307 Spring Fourth Diadoch War Fourth Diadoch War Fourth Diadoch War  
  June 10. Liberation of Athens     Seleucus in Bactria
306 Spring     Battle of Salamis  
  Summer     Antigonus becomes king  
  Autumn     Failed attack on Egypt  
305 Summer Siege of Rhodes      
304 January     6. Ptolemy crowned king  
304 Summer Armistice at Rhodes     Seleucus in India
  Autumn Demetrius in Greece     Peace with Chandragupta
303 Summer Greek League      
302 Summer   Lysimachus invades Asia    
  Autumn Demetrius in Thessaly      
301 Winter Armistice
Foundation of Halos
  Ptolemy in Syria  
  Summer   Battle of Ipsus    
  Autumn   Lysimachus occupies Phrygia Ptolemy occupies Phoenicia  
300       Seleucus founds Seleucia, Laodicea, Apamea, and Antioch Seleucus founds Seleucia
    Marriage alliances between Lysimachus and Ptolemy   Marriage alliances between Lysimachus and Ptolemy  
299   Marriage alliance between Demetrius and Seleucus   Marriage alliance between Demetrius and Seleucus  
298   Death of Cassander Demetrius occupies Cilicia Seleucus raids Samaria  
297          
296 Spring Pyrrhus king of Epirus      
  Summer Demetrius besieges Athens      
295 Summer Athens surrenders      
  Autumn Civil war in Macedonia      
294 Spring Pyrrhus in Macedonia Seleucus invades Cilicia Ptolemy occupies Cyprus  
  Summer Demetrius in Macedonia      
  Autumn Demetrius proclaimed king      
293     Lysimachus occupies Ionia Ptolemy occupies Lycia  
292   War between Demetrius and Pyrrhus   Antioch made capital  
291          
290   Demetrius founds Demetrias      
289   Demetrius defeats Pyrrhus      
288   Revolt against Demetrius   Ptolemy takes Sidon and Tyrus  
287 Spring Gonatas made governor Ptolemy in Athens    
  Summer Lysimachus and Pyrrhus divide Macedonia Demetrius invades Asia    
286   Pyrrhus attacks Gonatas Demetrius defeats Seleucus    
285 Winter   Demetrius surrenders
to Seleucus
Ptolemy succeeded by Ptolemy II  
  Summer Lysimachus sole ruler in Macedonia      
284          
283     Death of Demetrius    
282 January     Death of Ptolemy I  
  August War betw. Seleucus and Lysimachus War betw. Seleucus and Lysimachus War betw. Seleucus and Lysimachus War betw. Seleucus and Lysimachus
281 February   Battle of Corupedium    
  Sept. Seleucus murdered      
  Oct. Ptolemy Keraunos king Antiochus becomes king Antiochus becomes king Antiochus becomes king
280       First Syrian War  
279 Summer Galatian war      
  Winter Ptolemy Keraunos killed   Armistice  
278   Attack on Delphi Galatian invasion of Asia    
277   Gonatas defeats Galatians      
276   Gonatas king of Macedonia      
275     Antiochus defeats Galatians