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The Wars of Alexander's Successors 323 - 281 BC, Volume 1: Commanders and Campaigns
When the dying Alexander the Great was asked to whom he bequeathed his vast empire, he supposedly replied "to the strongest." There ensued a long series of struggles between his generals and governors for control of these territories. Most of these Diadochi (Successors) were consummate professionals who had learnt the art of war under Alexander or even his father, Philip. Few died a peaceful death and the last survivors of this tough breed were still leading their armies against each other well into their seventies. Colourful characters, epic battles, treachery and subterfuge make this a period with great appeal to anyone interested in ancient history and ancient warfare in particular. The wars shaped the map from the Balkans to India for the next couple of centuries.
This first volume introduces the key personalities - characters such as Antigonos "Monopthalmus" (the One-eyed) and his son 'Demetrius 'Poliorcetes' (the Besieger), Seleucus 'Nicator' ('the Victorious') and Ptolemy "Soter" ("the Saviour") - and gives a narrative of the causes and course of these wars from the death of Alexander to the Battle of Corupedium (281 BC) when the last two original Diadochi faced each other one final time.
This first volume introduces the key personalities - characters such as Antigonos "Monopthalmus" (the One-eyed) and his son 'Demetrius 'Poliorcetes' (the Besieger), Seleucus 'Nicator' ('the Victorious') and Ptolemy "Soter" ("the Saviour") - and gives a narrative of the causes and course of these wars from the death of Alexander to the Battle of Corupedium (281 BC) when the last two original Diadochi faced each other one final time.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 16, 2012
This is the book that I have been searching for for almost two decades - a readable, consiste narrative of the events during so called Diadochi (Successors) period. In its 220 pages, the book covers the events from Alexander the Great's death at Babylon to the demise of Seleucus, last of his generals and subsequent empire-builders.
I believe that if we exclude primary sources that had managed to survive to our times, this book is the only widely available publication that deals with this period in history in detail. This makes the comparison of its merits rather difficult, but I can attest that the authors make an excellent job in dealing with the subject. It's not the easiest read, partly because of the complexity of the period, partly because records concerning some crucial events didn't survive, making it difficult to present a coherent narrative of the events. I would also recommend at least rudimentary knowledge of the history of Alexander's life, if the reader wants to get most out of this book.
Nevertheless, regardless of the difficulty of the material and almost complete lack of the maps, I must recommend this book without any reservations to anyone wanting to find out what happened after Alexander's drew his last breath.
I believe that if we exclude primary sources that had managed to survive to our times, this book is the only widely available publication that deals with this period in history in detail. This makes the comparison of its merits rather difficult, but I can attest that the authors make an excellent job in dealing with the subject. It's not the easiest read, partly because of the complexity of the period, partly because records concerning some crucial events didn't survive, making it difficult to present a coherent narrative of the events. I would also recommend at least rudimentary knowledge of the history of Alexander's life, if the reader wants to get most out of this book.
Nevertheless, regardless of the difficulty of the material and almost complete lack of the maps, I must recommend this book without any reservations to anyone wanting to find out what happened after Alexander's drew his last breath.
December 24, 2020
I absolutely loved reading this book- it took me back to a Semester in College I took Courses on Classical Greece, Hellenistic Greece, Republican Rome, and Central Asian History all at once. Professor Erich S Gruen, Cal's "Star" Hellenistic Professor (Just another prof to me then- but a leader in the field) gave the Alexandrian/Hellenistic Class- and every lecture was like having an incredible historical story told by a master storyteller. Bob Bennett and Mike Roberts have brought this epic of true epics alive in that same way - trying to synthesise all the sources into one semi-coherent saga. We start with Alexander's sudden Death in 323 - on the return passage from Central and South Asian conquests - throwing the massive Macedonian Empire into chaos. Basically- from then - until the coming of the Romans in the First Century BC- Alexander's possessions broke into 5 pieces Greece, Macedonia, Anatolia, Persia, and Egypt- and the "Successors" (Diodachi in Greek), usually from bases in the latter four places- all trying to control Greece- and each other's Domains.
Frankly, I can't believe this has not been done as a Mini-series. At the Start, Lysimachus is in Macedon, Cassander in Greece, Ptolemy in Egypt, Seleucus in Persia/Afghanistan, and the most engaging character of them all Antigonus -the One-Eyed holds the Central position in Anatolia. Former Generals of Alexander's, they all hope to hold their position- and take one or two of their rivals out. Then they fight each other in various combinations and with all sort of tricks and turns- for the next 40 years! There are never quite enough Macedonian Phalangites , the dominant soldier type of the era with a 20 foot pike, in any one army to totally dominate the wars. The powers are always in need of alliances- and Greece is soon enough back to small states and groups of cities that seek to hold and change those alliances every few years. That's how Characters like Pyrrhus of Epirus-(Yeah- that guy that would fight the Romans) get involved- as well as a ton of other smaller characters with amazing and often bloody stories. I found it as madly compelling as I had in my youth- and am resolved to read a lot more on this period- a mark of a good book.
With a lot of adult themes, many creepy family dynamics, and some intense violence descriptions this is a book for a Junior reader over about 13 with an appreciation of the ancient world. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, this book is quite interesting. Almost every single year of the period brings multiple campaigns in several part of the arena- often a few naval as well as on land. Armies can be totally Greek style Hellenistic with Hoplites and Bow/javelin support- or Persian style with lots of Persian Medium Infantry and Cataphract Cavalry- or Elephants- or any possible combination of period warriors. The sheer volume, breadth and ferocity of combat across the era and the massive geographical area is truly amazing. Living in this period of clashing warrior Diodachi must have been scary- but reading about it is amazingly compelling. I was all in.
Frankly, I can't believe this has not been done as a Mini-series. At the Start, Lysimachus is in Macedon, Cassander in Greece, Ptolemy in Egypt, Seleucus in Persia/Afghanistan, and the most engaging character of them all Antigonus -the One-Eyed holds the Central position in Anatolia. Former Generals of Alexander's, they all hope to hold their position- and take one or two of their rivals out. Then they fight each other in various combinations and with all sort of tricks and turns- for the next 40 years! There are never quite enough Macedonian Phalangites , the dominant soldier type of the era with a 20 foot pike, in any one army to totally dominate the wars. The powers are always in need of alliances- and Greece is soon enough back to small states and groups of cities that seek to hold and change those alliances every few years. That's how Characters like Pyrrhus of Epirus-(Yeah- that guy that would fight the Romans) get involved- as well as a ton of other smaller characters with amazing and often bloody stories. I found it as madly compelling as I had in my youth- and am resolved to read a lot more on this period- a mark of a good book.
With a lot of adult themes, many creepy family dynamics, and some intense violence descriptions this is a book for a Junior reader over about 13 with an appreciation of the ancient world. For the Gamer/Modeller/Military Enthusiast, this book is quite interesting. Almost every single year of the period brings multiple campaigns in several part of the arena- often a few naval as well as on land. Armies can be totally Greek style Hellenistic with Hoplites and Bow/javelin support- or Persian style with lots of Persian Medium Infantry and Cataphract Cavalry- or Elephants- or any possible combination of period warriors. The sheer volume, breadth and ferocity of combat across the era and the massive geographical area is truly amazing. Living in this period of clashing warrior Diodachi must have been scary- but reading about it is amazingly compelling. I was all in.
October 1, 2019
The Wars of Alexander’s Successors follows the history and major players in the struggle to control the empire that Alexander the Great left behind. After Alexander’s death, his family, generals, and associates maneuvered, intrigued, and ultimately battled for the power to rule his nascent empire. Few other times in history are so packed with uncertainty, reversals of fortune, and ruthless characters – played out on the grandest of stages. Generals and armies rise and fall (and often rise and fall again), alliances form and are almost immediately broken, marriages seal pacts and then lead to disaster, and only those who are both lucky and strong survive.
I’ve read several works on this era, and this is one of the stronger general histories. It’s thoughtfully researched and argued, and creates a readable narrative out of the fragmentary primary sources. It has several strengths. First, it follows each of the major players so the reader has a sense of the overall direction of their lives. Second, it is thoughtful about the sources and their meaning, generating creative conclusions unseen in other works (for example, it offers a clever interpretation of the demands made of Antigonus after his defeat of Eumenes, joining Asander to the anti-Antigonid alliance). The footnotes, in particular, often highlight notable discrepancies in the sources and how they have been interpreted by academics. Third, it focuses in on some very interesting characters that are given short shrift by other histories, including Cratesipolis and Demetrius of Phalerum, which adds color and interest to the telling.
One downside to the approach of following individuals, rather than taking a purely chronological approach, is the potential to confuse the reader. In the latter sections of the book, the curious organization flips back-and-forth in time so quickly that the reader is surprised when a person who just died is back to fight another day, or an epic event (say, Demetrius’ assumption of the Macedonian kingship) is only referred to at first and not described until many pages later.
But this work makes an excellent introduction to the epoch and a contribution to our understanding of a complex and chaotic time.
I’ve read several works on this era, and this is one of the stronger general histories. It’s thoughtfully researched and argued, and creates a readable narrative out of the fragmentary primary sources. It has several strengths. First, it follows each of the major players so the reader has a sense of the overall direction of their lives. Second, it is thoughtful about the sources and their meaning, generating creative conclusions unseen in other works (for example, it offers a clever interpretation of the demands made of Antigonus after his defeat of Eumenes, joining Asander to the anti-Antigonid alliance). The footnotes, in particular, often highlight notable discrepancies in the sources and how they have been interpreted by academics. Third, it focuses in on some very interesting characters that are given short shrift by other histories, including Cratesipolis and Demetrius of Phalerum, which adds color and interest to the telling.
One downside to the approach of following individuals, rather than taking a purely chronological approach, is the potential to confuse the reader. In the latter sections of the book, the curious organization flips back-and-forth in time so quickly that the reader is surprised when a person who just died is back to fight another day, or an epic event (say, Demetrius’ assumption of the Macedonian kingship) is only referred to at first and not described until many pages later.
But this work makes an excellent introduction to the epoch and a contribution to our understanding of a complex and chaotic time.
November 21, 2019
If you've been looking for a comprehensive and vivid amalgam of the sources surrounding the Successor Wars, then this very well may interest you! However, if you value source clarity and analytics, this book might vex the living shit out of you, as it did me. Specifically as someone who has followed the individual sources and seen myriad discussion on each of their agendas and fancies, to have a tome of this magnitude, which was clearly well researched in its own right, completely forgo any discussion on source clarity (even in a supplementary chapter!) was quite frustrating.
Especially in cases like Olympias' death, which seems to be Bennett and Roberts' chimera of the accounts of Diodorus, Pausanias, and Justin, all of which vary wildly and yet are neatly wrapped up into one Frankenstein's monster within the end of B&R's Chapter 3. Even scouring the notes did little to help, and although the citation style is likely pleasing for casual readers, it is downright infuriating for academics.
For a casual read with vivid language and straightforward readability? Certainly! But if you're looking to beef up your bibliography, I'd forgo this for something a little more nuanced in its reading of the sources.
Especially in cases like Olympias' death, which seems to be Bennett and Roberts' chimera of the accounts of Diodorus, Pausanias, and Justin, all of which vary wildly and yet are neatly wrapped up into one Frankenstein's monster within the end of B&R's Chapter 3. Even scouring the notes did little to help, and although the citation style is likely pleasing for casual readers, it is downright infuriating for academics.
For a casual read with vivid language and straightforward readability? Certainly! But if you're looking to beef up your bibliography, I'd forgo this for something a little more nuanced in its reading of the sources.
June 4, 2025
Thorough examination of probably one of the most violent 40 years in ancient history.
This author thoroughly investigated every ancient source to create a very complex text, filled with amazing stories. As I stated, it seems to be one of the most brutal times in history filled with wars, assassins, matricide,, patricide, and infanticide in a struggle for power between all the generals and companions of Alexander the great after his untimely and anticlimactic death in 323 BC. Highly recommend.
This author thoroughly investigated every ancient source to create a very complex text, filled with amazing stories. As I stated, it seems to be one of the most brutal times in history filled with wars, assassins, matricide,, patricide, and infanticide in a struggle for power between all the generals and companions of Alexander the great after his untimely and anticlimactic death in 323 BC. Highly recommend.
March 29, 2024
Nice overview of the succession of Alexander
Covers the main battles and rivalries of the Generals who were left to fight it out for Alexander the Great's empire. Written in a style that's easy to read and very enjoyable.
Covers the main battles and rivalries of the Generals who were left to fight it out for Alexander the Great's empire. Written in a style that's easy to read and very enjoyable.
July 1, 2020
Filling in the gap between The death of Alexander the Great and the eventual Hellenic World is very well captured by this tome of the battles of Alexander’s generals to rule his empire.
March 27, 2023
Enjoyable read, always been interested in ancient history. I have been looking for books about Alexander the Great, and what happened after his death
February 15, 2026
A confusing mess
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December 12, 2012This book has provided me with so much information that I never knew before, or probably wouldn't have ever known without this book. While it is fairly hard to read and it des skip around a lot, the authors do present the facts very well and also have a good structure to the order of the book.
I think that the detail on Ptolemy, Seluceus, Lysimachus, and the Antigonids are superb and really help reading this book and also the next book. The authors provide lots of background facts and also very important but little-known facts. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the Diadochi (successors).
I think that the detail on Ptolemy, Seluceus, Lysimachus, and the Antigonids are superb and really help reading this book and also the next book. The authors provide lots of background facts and also very important but little-known facts. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the Diadochi (successors).
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews