Dividing The Spoils Book Review

Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Great's Empire written by Robin Waterfield dissects the conflicts, cultural developments in the fields of art, literature, and philosophy, and the inevitable downfall of the empire which, occurred throughout the Hellenistic period (323– 281 B.C.E), after the death of Alexander the Great. Waterfield main purpose in this book was to revive the memory of the successors and demonstrate that the early Hellenistic period was not a period of decline and disintegration.
This historical record begins with the confusion around Alexander’s death. Rumors began about how he died and there was claims of assassination. There was no rightful heir, since both of Alexander’s children, Hercules and Alexander IV, were not full-blooded Macedonians. Perdiccas was

given control by Alexander and summoned the senior officers and somatophylakes (bodyguards) to Babylon to make future arrangements. The committee decided that Perdiccas and Leonnatus should act in Asia as regents for Alexander IV, while Antipater and Craterus acted for the kingdom in Europe (39).

A revolt in Greece, the Lamian War, began once news of a decree that forced Athens and the Aetolian League to surrender the cities of Oeniadae and the island of Samos. Athens, Aetolian, and Thessaly began with a few victories against Antipater; however, were outmatched by the fortifications at Lamia and suffered the loss of their commander, Leosthenes, leading to a retreat. Tension was rising, with war looming, as two factions emerged: Perdiccas and his staff; Antipater, Craterus, and their allies. Alexander’s corpse was hijacked by Ptolemy’s soldiers. Ptolemy decided Egypt should be the final resting place of Alexander. Seen as an act of war, it commenced the First War of the Diadochi. Eumenes defeated the rebels in Asia Minor, Craterus was killed. Perdiccas was murdered by his own generals Peithon, Seleucus, and Antigenes during an invasion of Egypt. There was a second gathering at Triparadisus; Ptolemy retained Egypt, Peithon given general oversight of the eastern provinces, Antigenes got Susiana, Seleucus was given Babylonia, Antipater

retained Europe, and Antigonus was given Asia. This was called the Partition of Triparadisus (72/73). Antipater soon passed away, granting power to Polyperchon, which sparked the Second War of the Diadochi. Polyperchon was forced to flee to Epirus with the Alexander IV and Rhoxane to join forces with Olympias to invaded Macedon again. King Philip III and his wife Eurydice were killed in the invasion. Cassander captured and killed Olympias, attaining control of Macedon, while imprisoning Alexander IV, and his mother. In Asia, Eumenes was betrayed by his own troops and was executed, leaving Antigonus in control of the Asian territories.
Bibliography:
Waterfield, R. (2011). Dividing the spoils. [electronic resource]: the war for Alexander the Great's empire. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.