Perdiccas and the Bloody Birth of the Diadochi Wars

Perdiccas and the Bloody Birth of the Diadochi Wars

When Alexander the Great died in Babylon on June 11, 323 BCE, his generals faced an impossible question: who should rule the largest empire the world had ever seen? This episode zooms in on the chaotic first weeks after Alexander's death, focusing on Perdiccas, the senior general who tried to hold the empire together. We explore the Babylon Settlement, the immediate power struggles between the infantry and the Companion cavalry, the role of Alexander's half-brother Philip Arrhidaeus, and the harsh reality that the empire's unity was a fiction from the start. Why did Perdiccas, once the most powerful man in Asia, fail so spectacularly? How did the ambitions of Ptolemy, Antipater, and Craterus unravel his plans? And what does the Partition of Babylon tell us about the nature of Alexander's empire? Drawing on the accounts of Diodorus Siculus, Arrian, and Curtius Rufus, we piece together the pivotal council where the Diadochi first drew their battle lines. No romance, no heroism — just the raw politics of succession that set the stage for forty years of war. #Perdiccas #Diadochi #AlexanderTheGreat #BabylonSettlement #HellenisticPeriod #PartitionOfBabylon #PhilipArrhidaeus #Craterus #Antipater #PtolemySoter #Meleager #Arrian #DiodorusSiculus #CurtiusRufus #MacedonianEmpire #SuccessionCrisis #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Agathocles of Syracuse and the Hellenistic West

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable career of Agathocles of Syracuse, the tyrant-king who brought the Hellenistic world to the shores of North Africa. From his rise as a radical democrat in Syracuse to his audacious invasion of Carthage in 310 BCE, Agathocles reshaped the western Mediterranean. They discuss his siege of Carthage, his use of mercenaries and brutal tactics, and how his story connects to the Diadochi in the east. The episode also examines the cultural and political impact of the Hellenistic model on Sicily and Carthage, including Agathocles' self-fashioning as a basileus and the legacy of his reign for later figures like Pyrrhus of Epirus and the Punic Wars. No prior knowledge of Agathocles is needed, but listeners familiar with the Hellenistic period will find new connections between east and west. #Agathocles #Syracuse #Carthage #HellenisticWest #Diadochi #GreekHistory #Sicily #AncientWarfare #Tyrant #Punic #Basileus #Mercenaries #NorthAfrica #310BCE #ClassicalHistory #Siege #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Lysimachus: The Last Diadochi Who Ruled Thrace

After Alexander's death, one of his most loyal bodyguards carved out a kingdom in Thrace and Asia Minor that rivaled the empires of Ptolemy and Seleucus. Lysimachus was a brilliant general who fought alongside Alexander, survived the brutal wars of the Diadochi, and built a wealthy realm centered on Lysimacheia. But his later years were marred by family tragedy: he executed his own son Agathocles on suspicion of treason, prompted by his ambitious wife Arsinoe II. The resulting civil war led to his defeat and death at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 BC. This episode explores Lysimachus's military campaigns, his innovative coinage featuring the deified Alexander, his rivalry with Demetrius Poliorcetes, and the strange story of how his kingdom's treasury was later found by modern archaeologists. We also touch on the cult of Lysimachus and how his fall opened the door for the Gallic invasion of Greece. #Lysimachus #Diadochi #Thrace #Hellenistic #AlexanderTheGreat #Lysimacheia #ArsinoeII #Agathocles #BattleOfCorupedium #DemetriusPoliorcetes #SeleucusINicator #Macedonian #Coinage #AncientHistory #FexingoHistory #History #AncientGreece #HellenisticKingdoms Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Siege of Halicarnassus 334 BC Alexander's Forgotten Battle

Before Issus and Gaugamela, before the epic sieges of Tyre and Gaza, Alexander faced his first serious test of urban warfare at Halicarnassus in 334 BC. This episode of What Happened After Alexander the Great Died takes you deep into that overlooked campaign. Lucas and Luna explore how the Persian satrap Orontobates and the Greek mercenary commander Memnon of Rhodes mounted a desperate defense of the Carian capital. They examine the role of Artemisia II — a Carian queen who defied Persian norms a century earlier — and how her legacy shaped the city's resistance. They discuss the innovative siege tactics Alexander employed, including siege towers, mining operations, and the use of his elite hypaspists. They also untangle the political aftermath: how Alexander installed Ada of Caria as satrap, granting her autonomy while securing his supply lines. This episode covers the battle's tactical details, the strategic importance of Caria, and the broader implications for Alexander's campaign against the Achaemenid Empire. A must-listen for anyone fascinated by ancient warfare, military strategy, or the early years of Alexander's conquest. #AlexanderTheGreat #SiegeOfHalicarnassus #BattleOfHalicarnassus #MemnonOfRhodes #Orontobates #AdaOfCaria #ArtemisiaII #Caria #AchaemenidEmpire #HecatomnidDynasty #Hypaspists #SiegeWarfare #AncientGreece #MacedonianEmpire #AncientHistory #FexingoHistory #Podcast #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ptolemy Soter's Forgotten War: The Struggle for Syria

In the decades after Alexander the Great's death, his former generals fought not only for control of his empire but for the wealthiest land in the eastern Mediterranean: Coele-Syria. This episode tells the story of the First Syrian War (274–271 BCE), the opening clash between Ptolemy II Philadelphus of Egypt and Antiochus I Soter of the Seleucid Empire. We follow the campaign that saw Ptolemaic armies push into Seleucid territory, the naval battle of Cos, and the diplomatic maneuvering that reshaped the region. Along the way, we meet the mysterious 'Syrian tetrapolis,' the fortress of Apamea, and the Ptolemaic queen Arsinoe II, whose influence may have turned the tide. Lucas and Luna explore how this war set the pattern for a century of conflict, why Ptolemy II was called 'Philadelphus' (sister-loving), and how the rivalry between these two Hellenistic superpowers created the conditions for the rise of Rome. Specific details include the Battle of Cos (c. 258 BCE), the role of the Ptolemaic navy, and the territorial prizes that made Syria a battleground for generations. #PtolemyII #AntiochusI #FirstSyrianWar #CoeleSyria #PtolemaicKingdom #SeleucidEmpire #ArsinoeII #BattleOfCos #HellenisticPeriod #Diadochi #AncientNavalWarfare #SyrianTetrapolis #Apamea #HellenisticEgypt #AlexandersSuccessors #AncientHistory #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]