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Diadochoi

Greek history
Also known as: Diadochi

Quick Summary

The Diadochi, meaning "Successors," were the generals who, after the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, fought for control of his vast empire. These wars, known as the Wars of the Diadochi, lasted for decades and involved figures like Antigonus, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and Ptolemy. The conflict was marked by shifting alliances and major battles, such as the Battle of Ipsos in 301 BCE, where Antigonus was defeated by a coalition of rivals, notably due to their superior numbers of war elephants. Ultimately, the empire fragmented into several Hellenistic kingdoms, ruled by these generals and their descendants, such as the Seleucid Empire and the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt.123

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