Dr. Graham Wrightson

So we have to not only those written sources, but we have to piece together inscriptions and other archaeology from areas that these people are conquering that allow us to sort of figure things out slowly or papyri evidence comes in and letters and so on. So our sources are very difficult to

piece together especially when we have so many moving parts as we've already said with all these different names doing all these different stuff some of them last like a month some of them last six months some last a few years you know they're all fighting each other so we start off with the three at the top and everybody else underneath is nominally underneath but then very quickly that changes and the ones at the top disappear and

piece together especially when we have so many moving parts as we've already said with all these different names doing all these different stuff some of them last like a month some of them last six months some last a few years you know they're all fighting each other so we start off with the three at the top and everybody else underneath is nominally underneath but then very quickly that changes and the ones at the top disappear and

piece together especially when we have so many moving parts as we've already said with all these different names doing all these different stuff some of them last like a month some of them last six months some last a few years you know they're all fighting each other so we start off with the three at the top and everybody else underneath is nominally underneath but then very quickly that changes and the ones at the top disappear and

which is the problem, I guess, that I already mentioned Antipode, Craterus and Perdiccas are our three at the top and they sort of remain. But then when all three of them die relatively quickly in space of time, everybody else is of the same level.

which is the problem, I guess, that I already mentioned Antipode, Craterus and Perdiccas are our three at the top and they sort of remain. But then when all three of them die relatively quickly in space of time, everybody else is of the same level.

which is the problem, I guess, that I already mentioned Antipode, Craterus and Perdiccas are our three at the top and they sort of remain. But then when all three of them die relatively quickly in space of time, everybody else is of the same level.

Yeah, it is central. I mean, Pertikas, who is sort of our big player for the first year until he invades Egypt and then his own troops kill him because he crossed Nile not once but twice and watched his own men get eaten by crocodiles and all the fun stuff.

Yeah, it is central. I mean, Pertikas, who is sort of our big player for the first year until he invades Egypt and then his own troops kill him because he crossed Nile not once but twice and watched his own men get eaten by crocodiles and all the fun stuff.

Yeah, it is central. I mean, Pertikas, who is sort of our big player for the first year until he invades Egypt and then his own troops kill him because he crossed Nile not once but twice and watched his own men get eaten by crocodiles and all the fun stuff.

Yeah, the crocodiles eat the soldiers, and so his own soldiers kill him for having them eaten by crocodiles, basically. So he disappears from the playing field. Craterus tries to invade on behalf of Antipater, but he loses in battle against Eumenes and gets trodden under his own horse when he's leading a cavalry charge. He falls off and gets trampled to death.

Yeah, the crocodiles eat the soldiers, and so his own soldiers kill him for having them eaten by crocodiles, basically. So he disappears from the playing field. Craterus tries to invade on behalf of Antipater, but he loses in battle against Eumenes and gets trodden under his own horse when he's leading a cavalry charge. He falls off and gets trampled to death.

Yeah, the crocodiles eat the soldiers, and so his own soldiers kill him for having them eaten by crocodiles, basically. So he disappears from the playing field. Craterus tries to invade on behalf of Antipater, but he loses in battle against Eumenes and gets trodden under his own horse when he's leading a cavalry charge. He falls off and gets trampled to death.

And in the same battle, Neoptolemus... is on the other wing, fights a personal duel with Eumenes, apparently. Eumenes kills Neoptolemus in this Homeric duel of generals. So three generals disappear very closely together, Craterus, Perdiccas, the two main ones, and Neoptolemus, leaving Eumenes behind as this non-Macedonian Greek general with an army and no boss.

And in the same battle, Neoptolemus... is on the other wing, fights a personal duel with Eumenes, apparently. Eumenes kills Neoptolemus in this Homeric duel of generals. So three generals disappear very closely together, Craterus, Perdiccas, the two main ones, and Neoptolemus, leaving Eumenes behind as this non-Macedonian Greek general with an army and no boss.

And in the same battle, Neoptolemus... is on the other wing, fights a personal duel with Eumenes, apparently. Eumenes kills Neoptolemus in this Homeric duel of generals. So three generals disappear very closely together, Craterus, Perdiccas, the two main ones, and Neoptolemus, leaving Eumenes behind as this non-Macedonian Greek general with an army and no boss.

Now that Perdiccas dies elsewhere, because that battle takes place in Asia Minor while Perdiccas invades Egypt. When Perdiccas dies and that news arrives to Eumenes, he's like, oh, what do I do now? So we get this whole change. We get Triparadaisos trying to make this organization cementing Ptolemy in Egypt because he's now unremovable.

Now that Perdiccas dies elsewhere, because that battle takes place in Asia Minor while Perdiccas invades Egypt. When Perdiccas dies and that news arrives to Eumenes, he's like, oh, what do I do now? So we get this whole change. We get Triparadaisos trying to make this organization cementing Ptolemy in Egypt because he's now unremovable.

Now that Perdiccas dies elsewhere, because that battle takes place in Asia Minor while Perdiccas invades Egypt. When Perdiccas dies and that news arrives to Eumenes, he's like, oh, what do I do now? So we get this whole change. We get Triparadaisos trying to make this organization cementing Ptolemy in Egypt because he's now unremovable.

And so they have to decide, okay, we've got to let Ptolemy keep Egypt because we can't get rid of him. So what are we going to do with the rest of you guys? And so Antipater tries to broker a peace between everybody. And then Antipater dies of old age, as you said, shortly afterwards. And then everybody's just... out for themselves at that point. And so they're all off doing their own thing.