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Alexander the Great: THE DEFINITIVE DOCUMENTARY (ANCIENT HISTORY)
Alexander the Great - National Geographic
Alexander's Empire Divides
What Happened to Alexander the Greats Empire after his Death?
Almost as soon as each general took control of his new "nation" they began to fight among themselves until, and within only a few decades of Alexander's death, three major kingdoms had emerged: Greece, Egypt, and Syria-Mesopotamia.
The ruler in Egypt, a Macedonian named Ptolemy, claimed that he was descended from Heracles (Hercules) and Dionysus. He staffed his administration with Greeks rather than Egyptians, and many Egyptians continued to view his rule as foreign.
The Grecian kingdom consisted of the former city-states of Classical Era Greece, the Aegean Islands, and the northern third of modern day Turkey. The former kingdom of Egypt was ruled by the descendents of Ptolemy (Cleopatra was the last Ptolemy), while Syria-Mesopotamia became known as the Seleucid Empire.
It was the latter kingdom that, by virtue of its control over what was then known as Judea, would set the course of history.
Seleucus I Nicator (c. 358 BC – 281 BC) was one of the Diadochi, having previously served as an infantry general under Alexander the Great, he eventually assumed the title of basileus and established the Seleucid Empire over much of Alexander's Near Eastern territories.
After the death of Alexander, Seleucus initially supported Perdiccas, the regent of Alexander's empire, and was appointed Commander of the Companions and chiliarch at the Partition of Babylon in 323 BC. However, at the outbreak of the Wars of the Diadochi, Perdiccas' military failures against Ptolemy in Egypt led to the mutiny of his troops in Pelusium.
Perdiccas was betrayed and assassinated in a conspiracy by Seleucus, Peithonand Antigenes in Pelusium sometime in either 321 or 320 BC.
At the Partition of Triparadisus, Seleucus was appointed Satrap of Babylon under the new regent Antipater. But almost immediately, the wars between the Diadochi resumed and Antigonus forced Seleucus to flee Babylon. Seleucus was only able to return to Babylon in 312 BC with the support of Ptolemy.
From 312 BC, Seleucus ruthlessly expanded his dominions and eventually conquered the Persian and Median lands. Seleucus did not only rule Babylonia, but the entire enormous eastern part of Alexander's empire:
"Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he [Seleucus] acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia, 'Seleucid' Cappadocia, Persis, Parthia, Bactria, Arabia, Tapouria, Sogdia, Arachosia, Hyrcania, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander.
The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus."
— Appian, The Syrian Wars
Seleucus' wars took him as far as India, where, after two years of war, he made peace with the Indian Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, and exchanged his eastern satrapies in the Indus River Valley for a considerable force of 500 war elephants, which would play a decisive role against Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC and against Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 BC.
"The Indians occupy [in part] some of the countries situated along the Indus, which formerly belonged to the Persians: Alexander deprived the Ariani of them, and established there settlements of his own. But Seleucus Nicator gave them to Sandrocottus in consequence of a marriage contract, and received in return five hundred elephants."
—Strabo, Geographica
Following Seleucus' victories against Antigonus and Lysimachus, the Seleucid dynasty was virtually unopposed in Asia and in Anatolia. However, Seleucus also hoped to take control of Lysimachus' European territories, primarily Thrace and Macedon itself. But upon arriving in Thrace in 281 BC, Seleucus was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, whom had taken refuge at the Seleucid court with his sister Lysandra.
The effect of the assassination of Seleucus destroyed Seleucid prospects in Thrace and Macedon, and paved the way for Ptolemy Ceraunus to absorb much of Lysimachus' former power in Macedon. Seleucus was succeeded by his sonAntiochus I as ruler of the empire.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seleucus_I_Nicator
Greek Mythology: Ancient Gods & Goddesses (Part 1)
Greek Mythology: Ancient Gods & Goddesses (Part 2)
