The History of the Diadochoi in Book XIX of Diodoros’ ›Bibliotheke‹: A Historical and Historiographical Commentary

Alexander Meeus

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The History of the Diadochoi in Book XIX of Diodoros’ ›Bibliotheke‹

A Historical and Historiographical Commentary

Alexander Meeus

Languages: English, Ancient Greek

Published/Copyright: 2022

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This book is in the series

Volume 149 | Untersuchungen zur antiken Literatur und Geschichte

About this book

Diodoros of Sicily’s book XIX is the main source for the history of the Diadochoi, Alexander the Great’s Successors, from 317 to 311 BCE. With the first full-scale commentary on this text in any language Alexander Meeus offers a detailed and reliable guide to the complicated historical narrative and the fascinating ethnographic information transmitted by Diodoros, which includes the earliest accounts of Indian widow burning and Nabataean culture.

Studying both history and historiography, this volume elucidates a crucial stage in the creation of the Hellenistic world in Greece and the Near East as well as the confusing source tradition.

Diodoros, a long neglected author indispensable for much of our knowledge of Antiquity, is currently enjoying growing scholarly interest. An ample introduction discusses his historical methods and sheds light on his language and style and on the manuscript transmission of books XVII-XX. By negotiating between diametrically opposed scholarly opinions a new understanding of Diodoros’ place in the ancient historiographical tradition is offered.

The volume is of interest to scholars of ancient historiography, Hellenistic history, Hellenistic prose and the textual transmission of the Bibliotheke.

Author / Editor information

Alexander Meeus, University of Mannheim, Germany.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	1
Part I: Diodoros and His Work
1 Diodoros of Agyrion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	7
2 The Bibliotheke Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	9
3 The Problem of the Sources Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	58
4 The Chronology of the Years 317–311 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	91
Part II: Commentary
§ 2.1 Chronographic Formula for the Year 317/6 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	109
§ 11 Olympias’ Return, the Deaths of Arrhidaios and Eurydike, and Olympias’ Revenge on the Antipatrids for the Death of Alexander Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	109
§ 12–13 Eumenes in Babylonia and the Crossing of the Tigris Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	131
§ 14 Eumenes’ Alliance with the Governors and Generals from the Upper Satrapies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	151
§ 15 The Power Struggle of the Commanders of the Satrapal Alliance and the Alexander Tent Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	167
§ 16 The End of the Perdikkan Captives Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	176
§ 17–19 Antigonos’ Crossing into the Upper Satrapies and the First Skirmishing Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	183
§ 20 Rest, Recovery and Replenishment in Media Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	202
§ 21–24 The Struggle for Power in the Satrapal Coalition Surfaces Again Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	204
§ 25–26 The Prelude to the Battle of Paraitakene Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	223
§ 27–31 The Battle of Paraitakene Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	231
§ 32 The Aftermath of the Battle Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	259
§ 33–34 Keteus’ Widows Compete to Join Their Husband in Death Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	260
§ 35–36 Kassandros’ Return to Macedonia and the Struggle against Polyperchon and Olympias Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	269
§ 37–39 The Build Up to the Battle of Gabiene Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	281
§ 40–43 The Battle of Gabiene Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	290
§ 44 The Aftermath of the Battle Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	306
§ 45 The Flood of Rhodes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	314
§ 46–48 The Establishment of Antigonos’ Supremacy in Asia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	319
§ 49–51 The Defeat and Death of Olympias Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	333
§ 52–54 The Establishment of Kassandros’ Power in Europe Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	344
§ 55–57 Seleukos’ Flight and the Coalition against Antigonos Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	367
§ 58–60 Antigonos’ Preparations for the War and the Siege of Tyre Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	391
§ 61 Antigonos’ Propagandistic Proclamation at Tyre Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	401
§ 62 The Reaction of Ptolemaios Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	407
§ 63–64 The First Phase of the War in Europe and the Aegean Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	414
§ 66–69 The Second Year of the War Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	421
§ 73–75 The Third Year of the War Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	437
§ 77–78 Polemaios in Greece Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	455
§ 79 Ptolemaios’ Interventions in Kyrene and Cyprus, and the Raids on the Syrian and Kilikian Coasts Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	466
§ 80–84 The Battle of Gaza Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	474
§ 85–86 The Aftermath of the Battle Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	488
§ 87 Telesphoros’ Revolt in the Peloponnese Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	499
§ 88–89 Kassandros’ Operations in Epeiros and Illyria Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	501
§ 90–92 Seleukos’ Return to Babylon Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	504
§ 93 Ptolemaios’ Loss of Syria Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	520
§ 94–100.2 The Antigonid Campaigns against the Nabataians Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	523
§ 100.3–7 Demetrios’ Expedition in Babylonia Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	539
§ 105.1–4 The Peace of the Dynasts and the Deaths of Alexander IV and Rhoxane Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	543
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	550
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	552
Appendix: Textual Variants Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	618
Index Graecitatis Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed	620

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

February 21, 2022

eBook ISBN:

9783110743821

Hardcover published on:

March 7, 2022

Hardcover ISBN:

9783110741957

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Front matter:

10

Main content:

625

Coloured Illustrations:

1

Tables:

4

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110743821

eBook ISBN: 9783110743821

Hardcover ISBN: 9783110741957

Keywords for this book

Diodoros; Hellenistic history; Greek historiograpy; Koinè

Audience(s) for this book

Scholars and students of Classical Studies and Ancient history

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Walter de Gruyter GmbH
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10785 Berlin
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The History of the Diadochoi in Book XIX of Diodoros’ ›Bibliotheke‹

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

Bibliographic data