The Diadochi: The History of Alexander the Great’s Successors and the Wars that Divided His Empire
Written by Charles River Editors
Narrated by Arthur Armstrong
()
About this audiobook
On his deathbed, some ancient historians claimed that when he was pressed to name a successor, Alexander the Great muttered that his empire should go “to the strongest”. Other sources claim that he passed his signet ring to his general Perdiccas, thereby naming him successor, but whatever his choices were or may have been, they were ignored. Alexander’s generals, all of them with the loyalty of their own corps at their backs, would tear each other apart in a vicious internal struggle that lasted almost half a century before four factions emerged victorious: Macedonia, the Seleucid Empire in the east, the Kingdom of Pergamon in Asia Minor, and the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt. During the course of these wars, Alexander’s only heir, the posthumously born Alexander IV, was murdered, extinguishing his bloodline for ever.
Although it was an incredibly important period in world history, it is sometimes as confusing as it is frustrating for historians because the allegiances of the generals changed constantly and historical sources are often biased in some regards and utterly lacking in others. Although none of these men were able to replicate Alexander the Great’s territorial success, a few carved out sizable empires and were able to establish long-lasting political dynasties. Ptolemy I brought Egypt back to a central position of power in the region, and Seleucus I built a strong empire on the ruins of ancient Babylonia, but other generals, such as Perdiccas, were killed early on in the fighting and slipped into relative obscurity. Some of the Macedonian generals had a significant impact on the region during their lifetimes, but they left no heirs to carry on their political memories.
This audiobook chronicles how Alexander’s legendary conquests shaped the next several centuries, and how the successor generals carved out various empires.
More audiobooks from Charles River Editors
The East India Company: The History of the British Empire's Most Famous Mercantile Company Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Project MK-Ultra: The History of the CIA’s Controversial Human Experimentation Program Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Legends of the West: Deadwood, South Dakota Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nineveh: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Assyrian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mysteries of the South: Ghosts, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in Dixie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Life and Legacy of the Father of the Atomic Bomb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arnold Rothstein and Meyer Lansky: The Lives and Legacies of the Gangsters Who Reformed Organized Crime in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Mossad: The History and Legacy of Israel’s National Intelligence Agency Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Patrice Lumumba: The Life and Legacy of the Pan-African Politician Who Became Congo's First Prime Minister Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cambrian Period: The History and Legacy of the Start of Complex Life on Earth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denisovans: The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia during the Paleolithic Era Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mysterious Midwest: Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in America's Heartland Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Hamburger Hill: The History and Legacy of One of the Vietnam War's Most Controversial Battles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Vandals: The History and Legacy of Antiquity's Most Famous Barbarians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Diadochi
Related audiobooks
The Kingdom of Pontus: The History of the Ancient Anatolian Kingdom Before It Was Conquered by Rome Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Battle of the Persian Gate: The History of the Achaemenid Persian Empire’s Last Stand against Alexander the Great Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Battle of Issus: The History of Alexander the Great’s Most Famous Victory against the Achaemenid Persian Empire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Advent of Early Modern Warfare: The History of the Transition from Medieval Military Tactics to the Age of Gunpowder Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPertinax: The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Nerva-Antonine Dynasty: The History and Legacy of the Emperors Who Ruled the Roman Empire at Its Peak Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Battle of the Granicus River: The History of Alexander the Great’s First Major Battle against the Achaemenid Persian Empire Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Landsknechts: The History and Legacy of the German Mercenaries Who Fought for the Holy Roman Empire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Byzantine Army: The History and Legacy of the Byzantine Empire’s Military during the Middle Ages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Greece Against Rome: The Fall of the Hellenistic Kingdoms 250–31 BC Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Battle of Chaldiran: The History and Legacy of the Ottoman Empire’s Decisive Victory Over the Safavid Dynasty in Anatolia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnatolia and the Bronze Age: The History of the Earliest Kingdoms and Cities that Dominated the Region Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMilitary History: Great Conquerors and Victorious Generals with Humongous Empires Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Life of Themistocles Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Great War of Antiquity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tamerlane: The Life and Legacy of the Legendary Mongol Conqueror Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Restoration of Rome: The History of the Roman Empire during the Reigns of Diocletian and Constantine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What if Alexander the Great Had Lived? An Alternative History of the Macedonian King and His Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5In the Path of Conquest: Resistance to Alexander the Great Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Byzantine-Seljuk Wars: The History and Legacy of the Battles for Asia Minor in the 11th Century Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Diadochi: The History of Alexander the Great’s Successors and the Wars that Divided His Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Soldier, Priest, and God: A Life of Alexander the Great Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Ancient History For You
The Emperor's Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hekate Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Histories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Greek Mythology: An Elaborate Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Harems, Sagas, Rituals and Beliefs of Greek Myths Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Meditations Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of An Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Epic of Gilgamesh Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Volume I Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Killing Jesus: A History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed: Revised and Updated Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History Is Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Plutarch's Lives: Volume 1 of 2 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Our Occulted History: Do the Global Elite Conceal Ancient Aliens? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Roman History 101: From Republic to Empire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Caesar: Life of a Colossus Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Egyptian Mythology: A Concise Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Sagas, Rituals and Beliefs of Egyptian Myths Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When God Had a Wife: The Fall and Rise of the Sacred Feminine in the Judeo-Christian Tradition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Babylon: Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of the Dead: The History and Legacy of Ancient Egypt’s Famous Funerary Texts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Past Mistakes: How We Misinterpret History and Why it Matters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5St. Paul: The Apostle We Love to Hate Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chariots of the Gods Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Diadochi
0 ratings0 reviews