Plutarch described Antigonus the One Eyed (382-301 BC) as 'the oldest and greatest of Alexander's successors,' Antigonus loyally served both Philip II and Alexander the Great as they converted his native Macedonia into an empire stretching from India to Greece. After Alexander's death, Antigonus, then governor of the obscure province of Phrygia, seemed one of the least likely of his commanders to seize the dead king's inheritance. Yet within eight years of the king's passing, through a combination of military skill and political shrewdness, he had conquered the Asian portion of the empire. His success caused those who controlled the European and Egyptian parts of the empire to unite against him. For another fourteen years he would wage war against a coalition of the other Successors, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, Seleucus and Cassander. In 301 he would meet defeat and death in the Battle of Ipsus. The ancient writers saw Antigonus' life as a cautionary tale about the dangers of hubris and vaulting ambition. Despite his apparent defeat, his descendants would continue to rule as kings and create a dynasty that would rule Macedonia for over a century. Jeff Champion narrates the career of this titanic figure with the focus squarely on the military aspects.
Author(s): Jeff Champion
Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
Year: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 256
City: Barnsley
Preface
Chapter 1. The Macedonian Homeland
Chapter 2. Under Alexander
Chapter 3. The Rise of Antigonus
Chapter 4. The Destruction of the Perdiccans
Chapter 5. The Outbreak of the Second Successor War
Chapter 6. The March East
Chapter 7. The Battle of Paraetaceni
Chapter 8. The Battle of Gabene
Chapter 9. The Causes of the Third Successor War
Chapter 10. The Outbreak of the Third Successor War
Chapter 11. The Third Successor War Continues (314–313)
Chapter 12. The Battle of Gaza
Chapter 13. The Peace of 311 and the End of the Third Successor War
Chapter 14. Antigonus’ Campaign against Seleucus
Chapter 15. The Liberation of Athens
Chapter 16. The Conquest of Cyprus and the Kingship
Chapter 17. The Invasion of Egypt
Chapter 18. The Siege of Rhodes: The Naval Assault
Chapter 19. The Siege of Rhodes: The Land Assault
Chapter 20. The Liberation of Greece
Chapter 21. The Battle of Ipsus
Chapter 22. Conclusion and Epilogue
Appendix 1. The Chronology of the Successors
Appendix 2. The Literary Sources
Appendix 3. Antigonus and the Argeads
Appendix 4. The Cost of War
Appendix 5. Antigonus’ Policy of 'Freedom' for the Greeks
Notes
Bibliography
