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

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.

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Frontmatter
i

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Preface
vii

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Contents
ix

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Introduction
1

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Part I: Diodoros and His Work
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1 Diodoros of Agyrion
7

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2 The Bibliotheke
9

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3 The Problem of the Sources
58

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4 The Chronology of the Years 317–311
91

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Part II: Commentary
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§ 2.1 Chronographic Formula for the Year 317/6
109

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§ 11 Olympias’ Return, the Deaths of Arrhidaios and Eurydike, and Olympias’ Revenge on the Antipatrids for the Death of Alexander
109

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§ 12–13 Eumenes in Babylonia and the Crossing of the Tigris
131

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§ 14 Eumenes’ Alliance with the Governors and Generals from the Upper Satrapies
151

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§ 15 The Power Struggle of the Commanders of the Satrapal Alliance and the Alexander Tent
167

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§ 16 The End of the Perdikkan Captives
176

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§ 17–19 Antigonos’ Crossing into the Upper Satrapies and the First Skirmishing
183

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§ 20 Rest, Recovery and Replenishment in Media
202

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§ 21–24 The Struggle for Power in the Satrapal Coalition Surfaces Again
204

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§ 25–26 The Prelude to the Battle of Paraitakene
223

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§ 27–31 The Battle of Paraitakene
231

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§ 32 The Aftermath of the Battle
259

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§ 33–34 Keteus’ Widows Compete to Join Their Husband in Death
260

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§ 35–36 Kassandros’ Return to Macedonia and the Struggle against Polyperchon and Olympias
269

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§ 37–39 The Build Up to the Battle of Gabiene
281

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§ 40–43 The Battle of Gabiene
290

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§ 44 The Aftermath of the Battle
306

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§ 45 The Flood of Rhodes
314

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§ 46–48 The Establishment of Antigonos’ Supremacy in Asia
319

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§ 49–51 The Defeat and Death of Olympias
333

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§ 52–54 The Establishment of Kassandros’ Power in Europe
344

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§ 55–57 Seleukos’ Flight and the Coalition against Antigonos
367

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§ 58–60 Antigonos’ Preparations for the War and the Siege of Tyre
391

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§ 61 Antigonos’ Propagandistic Proclamation at Tyre
401

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§ 62 The Reaction of Ptolemaios
407

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§ 63–64 The First Phase of the War in Europe and the Aegean
414

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§ 66–69 The Second Year of the War
421

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§ 73–75 The Third Year of the War
437

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§ 77–78 Polemaios in Greece
455

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§ 79 Ptolemaios’ Interventions in Kyrene and Cyprus, and the Raids on the Syrian and Kilikian Coasts
466

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§ 80–84 The Battle of Gaza
474

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§ 85–86 The Aftermath of the Battle
488

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§ 87 Telesphoros’ Revolt in the Peloponnese
499

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§ 88–89 Kassandros’ Operations in Epeiros and Illyria
501

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§ 90–92 Seleukos’ Return to Babylon
504

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§ 93 Ptolemaios’ Loss of Syria
520

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§ 94–100.2 The Antigonid Campaigns against the Nabataians
523

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§ 100.3–7 Demetrios’ Expedition in Babylonia
539

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§ 105.1–4 The Peace of the Dynasts and the Deaths of Alexander IV and Rhoxane
543

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Abbreviations
550

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Bibliography
552

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Appendix: Textual Variants
618

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Index Graecitatis
620

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

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Preface

Contents

Introduction

1 Diodoros of Agyrion

2 The Bibliotheke

3 The Problem of the Sources

4 The Chronology of the Years 317–311

§ 2.1 Chronographic Formula for the Year 317/6

§ 11 Olympias’ Return, the Deaths of Arrhidaios and Eurydike, and Olympias’ Revenge on the Antipatrids for the Death of Alexander

§ 12–13 Eumenes in Babylonia and the Crossing of the Tigris

§ 14 Eumenes’ Alliance with the Governors and Generals from the Upper Satrapies

§ 15 The Power Struggle of the Commanders of the Satrapal Alliance and the Alexander Tent

§ 16 The End of the Perdikkan Captives

§ 17–19 Antigonos’ Crossing into the Upper Satrapies and the First Skirmishing

§ 20 Rest, Recovery and Replenishment in Media

§ 21–24 The Struggle for Power in the Satrapal Coalition Surfaces Again

§ 25–26 The Prelude to the Battle of Paraitakene

§ 27–31 The Battle of Paraitakene

§ 32 The Aftermath of the Battle

§ 33–34 Keteus’ Widows Compete to Join Their Husband in Death

§ 35–36 Kassandros’ Return to Macedonia and the Struggle against Polyperchon and Olympias

§ 37–39 The Build Up to the Battle of Gabiene

§ 40–43 The Battle of Gabiene

§ 44 The Aftermath of the Battle

§ 45 The Flood of Rhodes

§ 46–48 The Establishment of Antigonos’ Supremacy in Asia

§ 49–51 The Defeat and Death of Olympias

§ 52–54 The Establishment of Kassandros’ Power in Europe

§ 55–57 Seleukos’ Flight and the Coalition against Antigonos

§ 58–60 Antigonos’ Preparations for the War and the Siege of Tyre

§ 61 Antigonos’ Propagandistic Proclamation at Tyre

§ 62 The Reaction of Ptolemaios

§ 63–64 The First Phase of the War in Europe and the Aegean

§ 66–69 The Second Year of the War

§ 73–75 The Third Year of the War

§ 77–78 Polemaios in Greece

§ 79 Ptolemaios’ Interventions in Kyrene and Cyprus, and the Raids on the Syrian and Kilikian Coasts

§ 80–84 The Battle of Gaza

§ 85–86 The Aftermath of the Battle

§ 87 Telesphoros’ Revolt in the Peloponnese

§ 88–89 Kassandros’ Operations in Epeiros and Illyria

§ 90–92 Seleukos’ Return to Babylon

§ 93 Ptolemaios’ Loss of Syria

§ 94–100.2 The Antigonid Campaigns against the Nabataians

§ 100.3–7 Demetrios’ Expedition in Babylonia

§ 105.1–4 The Peace of the Dynasts and the Deaths of Alexander IV and Rhoxane

Abbreviations

Bibliography

Appendix: Textual Variants

Index Graecitatis

Bibliographic data