322 BC Totally Explained

Everything about 322 Bce totally explained

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Events

By place

Macedonian Empire

In Babylon, the struggle for the succession to Alexander the Great develops. With Roxana giving birth to Alexander the Great's son, Alexander IV Aegus, a compromise is reached by the Macedonian generals so that he and Alexander the Great's young and dim-witted brother Philip III Arrhidaeus, are to be considered joint rulers. Perdiccas, regent and Macedonian commander in chief based in Babylon, tries to keep effective control with the assistance of Eumenes.
Perdiccas breaks off his engagement with Nicaea, daughter of Antipater, because Alexander the Great's mother Olympias offers him the hand of Cleopatra, a sister of Alexander the Great.
Perdiccas' most loyal supporter is Eumenes, governor of Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, which have not yet been conquered by the Macedonians. Antigonus (governor of Phrygia, Lycia and Pamphylia) refuses to undertake the task when Perdiccas orders him to do so. He is summoned by Perdiccas to Babylon to stand his trial for disobedience. In danger of his life he flees with his son Demetrius to Greece.
Antigonus persuades Antipater and Craterus that Perdiccas must be destroyed. Thus Antipater and the Macedonian generals Antigonus, Lysimachus of Thrace, Craterus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy unite in opposing the claims of Perdiccas.
Perdiccas conquers Cappadocia and installs Eumenes of Cardia as satrap.
Peithon, the Macedonian satrap of Media, suppresses a rebellion of Macedonian veterans.

Greece

The Athenians and their Greek allies' siege of the Macedonian ruler, Antipater, in Lamia is relieved by Leonnatus with an army of 20,000 infantry and 1,500 cavalry. Leonnatus is killed in the action.

September 5 — Craterus arrives with a fleet to defeat the Athenians in the Battle of Crannon. This battle marks a complete victory for Antipater in the Lamian War.

The Athenian orator and diplomat, Demades, regains his citizenship so that he and Phocian can negotiate a peace with Antipater, thus concluding the Lamian War. Before setting out he persuades the citizens of Athens to pass the death sentence upon Demosthenes and his followers (including Hypereides, leader of the Athenian patriotic party). Demades' embassy results in a peace disadvantageous to the Athenians, with the Athenians forced to accept the occupation of Athens' port, Piraeus, by the Macedonians.

Demosthenes flees from the Macedonians who demand his surrender. Upon being arrested, he takes poison and dies.

Hypereides flees to Aegina only to be captured by the Macedonians at the temple of Poseidon and put to death.

Egypt

By custom, kings in Macedonia assert their right to the throne by burying their predecessor. To pre-empt Perdiccas, the imperial regent, Ptolemy has Alexander the Great's body brought to Memphis, Egypt and buried there in a gold sarcophagus. Ptolemy then marries Alexander's mistress, Thaïs and commences to reign as king of Egypt and the adjacent Libyan and Arabian regions.

Ptolemy, taking advantage of internal disturbances, acquires the African Hellenic towns of Cyrenaica without the authority of Perdiccas.

Ptolemy executes his deputy, Cleomenes of Naucratis, on the suspicion that Cleomenes favours Perdiccas. This action removes the chief check on his authority, and allows Ptolemy to obtain the sizable funds that Cleomenes has accumulated.

India

Chandragupta Maurya becomes the first emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty as he overthrows the Nanda Dynasty.

Births

Deaths

March 7 — Aristotle, Greek philosopher and scientist (b. 384 BC)

October 12 — Demosthenes, Athenian statesman, recognized as the greatest of ancient Greek orators (b. 384 BC)

Hypereides, Athenian orator (b. 390 BC)

Leonnatus, Macedonian officer under Alexander the Great and one of the diadochi (b. 356 BC)

Cleomenes of Naucratis, Greek deputy to the Macedonian ruler of Egypt, Ptolemy

Further Information

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