Alexanders Heirs by Edward M. Anson

Author:Edward M. Anson [Anson, Edward M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Published: 2014-06-30T00:01:56+00:00

The End of a Dynasty

107

dated that same summer (Boiy 2000: 118 and n. 15). These dates may reflect, how-

ever, the uncertain nature of the political situation in Babylon (Del Monte 1997: 186). After executing the royal couple, Olympias murdered 100 prominent

Macedonians as “friends of Cassander,” including that commander’s brother

Nicanor (Diod. 19.11.8). Her hatred of the family of Antipater even carried over

to those already dead. The tomb of another of Cassander’s brothers, Iolaus, was

destroyed. Olympias associated this young man with an alleged poison plot that

supposedly killed Alexander (Diod. 19.11.8).

When these acts became known, and apparently all were known to him before

he acted, Cassander, who was in the Peloponnesus conducting a siege of Tegea,

immediately curtailed these activities and hurried to Macedonia (Diod. 19.35.1).

When Diodorus (19.35.1) summarizes the events leading to this invasion, he

gives the false impression that everything happened virtual y at the same time, i.e., Cassander learned of Olympias’ return to Macedonia, the deaths of Eurydice and

Philip occurred, and even that the desecration of his brother’s tomb took place.

These atrocities likely occurred over months, not weeks or days. Moreover, given

the initial favorable reaction to Olympias’ return with the total col apse of

Eurydice’s coup, Cassander was unlikely to attempt another invasion of Macedonia.

But, with the subsequent atrocities and the apparent disgust of the Macedonians at these, such an invasion became more likely to garner success. Even after Cassander made the decision to invade, there were still delays. First, he had to settle affairs with the Tegeans, then, finding that the Aetolians, “wishing to please Olympias

and Polyperchon,” had blocked Thermopylae, he gathered boats from Euboea and

Locris and sailed to Thessaly around the pass (Diod. 19.35.2). The Parian Marble

( FGrH 239 B 14) dates Cassander’s “return to Macedonia” in 316/15, as does Diodorus (19.17.1). Cassander’s invasion, then, occurred in the summer of 316.

Also, supporting this date is the apparent lack of any knowledge of the col apse of Polyperchon’s Macedonian regime in the east. Antigonus had moved in August

of 316 (or in 317 by the high chronology) to Ecbatana (Diod. 19.19.6–8; cf. 19.19.2).

If Cassander, as many have assumed (recently, Yardley, Wheatley, and Heckel 2011: 202), successful y invaded Macedonia in the fall of 317, given that Ecbatana was a major Median city on the “Great East Road,” a main communication line (Cary

1949: 192), this news would have reached Antigonus in a matter of weeks. Yet news of Cassander’s successful invasion of Macedonia appears to have been unknown to

either Antigonus or Eumenes up to and including their final confrontation. None

of our sources makes reference to such knowledge.

Once in Macedonia, Cassander divided his forces, sending an army under his

general Cal as into northeast Thessaly to confront Polyperchon, and another

under Deinias to oppose Aristonous, who was acting on behalf of Olympias, and

to occupy the passes leading into Macedonia. Cassander proceeded to the coastal

city of Pydna, where Olympias had fled, and began a siege of that city (Diod.

19.35.3–36.1). While the siege of Pydna was in its infancy, Aeacides organized

a relief force, but most of the Epirote army did

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