The Date of Polyperchon’s Invasion of Macedonia and Murder of Heracles

The status and activities of Polyperchon in the period following 315 B.C. remain obscure to scholars, even after the several detailed reconstructions of the Diadochian era that were made during the 1980s. Heckel refers to him as a ‘jackal among lions’, Hornblower as one of the ‘second-class’ generals. He was propelled to prominence upon inheriting Antipater’s mantle as guardian of the young kings and supreme commander in late 319 (Diod. 18.48.4), and had ample opportunity to make himself the dominant figure among Alexander the Great’s Successors in Europe. However, he was indecisive, unlucky, and more than a little incompetent in his handling of affairs in Greece and Macedonia over the next two years, being thoroughly outmanoeuvred on the military, diplomatic, and propaganda fronts by Antipater’s son, Cassander. By 316 Polyperchon had lost custody of the royal family, and was little more than a fugitive in Aetolia, but ambiguity regarding his legal and diplomatic status in relation to the regency and the other Diadochs continued to dog him until his disappearance from recorded history some fifteen years later.

[1]  P. Wheatley.  Ptolemy Soter's annexation of Syria 320 b.c. , 1995, Classical Quarterly.

[2]  H. Lund.  Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship , 1992 .

[3]  N. Hammond,et al.  A History of Macedonia , 1987, The Classical Review.

[4]  Jane M. R. Hornblower.  Hieronymus of Cardia , 1982 .

[5]  A. K. Grayson.  Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles , 1980 .

[6]  R. Bagnall.  The Administration Of The Ptólemaic Possessions Outside Egypt , 1978 .

[7]  É. Will,et al.  Histoire Politique Du Monde Hellenistique (323-30 AV. J. C.) , 1967 .

[8]  Leonard C. Smith.  The Chronology of Books XVIII-XX of Diodorus Siculus , 1961 .

[9]  A. Sachs,et al.  A Babylonian King List of the Hellenistic Period , 1954, Iraq.

[10]  C. B. Welles,et al.  Royal correspondence in the Hellenistic period : a study in Greek epigraphy , 1935 .

[11]  I. Worthington.  Ventures into Greek history , 1994 .

[12]  B. Bosworth.  Philip III Arrhidaeus and the Chronology of the Successors , 1992 .

[13]  Waldemar Heckel.  The marshals of Alexander's empire , 1992 .

[14]  M. D. Ellis.  Nippur at the centennial: papers read at the 35e Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Philadelphia, 1988 , 1992 .

[15]  O. Mørkholm,et al.  "Early Hellenistic coinage from the accession of Alexander to the peace of Apamea (336-188 B. C.)", Otto Mørkholm, Cambridge 1991 : [recenzja] / Mariusz Mielczarek. , 1991 .

[16]  J. Grainger.  Seleukos Nikator : Constructing a Hellenistic Kingdom , 1990 .

[17]  Richard A. Billows.  Antigonos the One-eyed and the creation of the Hellenistic state , 1990 .

[18]  Burton L. Mack,et al.  Nourished with peace : studies in Hellenistic Judaism in memory of Samuel Sandmel , 1984 .

[19]  J. Seibert.  Das Zeitalter der Diadochen , 1983 .

[20]  Ludwig Schober.  Untersuchungen zur Geschichte Babyloniens und der Oberen Satrapien von 323-303 v. Chr. , 1981 .

[21]  O. Mørkholm.  Cyrene and Ptolemy I. Some Numismatic Comments , 1980 .

[22]  J. Seibert.  Untersuchungen zur Geschichte Ptolemaios' I. , 1969 .

[23]  É. Will.  Ophellas, Ptolémée, Cassandre et la chronologie , 1964 .

[24]  Hermann Bengtson,et al.  Die Strategie in der hellenistischen Zeit , 1954 .

[25]  W. E. Sweet.  Sources of Plutarch's Demetrius , 1951 .

[26]  D. M. Robinson,et al.  Transactions of the International Numismatic Congress , 1944 .

[27]  G. H. Macurdy.  Roxane and Alexander IV in Epirus , 1932, The Journal of Hellenic Studies.

[28]  G. H. Macurdy.  The Political Activities and the Name of Cratesipolis , 1929 .

[29]  W. Tarn.  Heracles Son of Barsine , 1921, The Journal of Hellenic Studies.

[30]  F. Schachermeyr.  Das Ende des makedonischen Königshauses , 1920 .