The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Polybius · 2nd century BCE (composition of the Histories); this volume contains Books X–XXXIX primary

passage 381 of 440 · Chapter 59 in Book VI.: > BOOK XXXIX (17/76)

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in brief

The appendix and surrounding text lays out successive settlements of Alexander’s empire, from Alexander IV’s murder (311) through the kingdoms formed after Demetrius’s victory (306), Ipsus (301), and later lists of kings in Egypt, Syria, and Macedonia.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- B.C. 311. Alexander IV. and Roxana murdered by order of Cassander.

B.C. 306. FOURTH ARRANGEMENT. +Kingdoms+ FORMED, AFTER THE NAVAL VICTORY OF DEMETRIUS OVER PTOLEMY. Diod. 30, 53.

King of Egypt. Ptolemy, s. of Lagus.

King of Syria and Asia. Antigonus.

King of Upper Asia. Seleucus.

King of Thrace. Lysimachus.

King of Macedonia. Cassander.

Demetrius Poliorcetes (s. of Antigonus) also takes the title of king, and in B.C. 304 returns to Athens and wages war with Cassander.

B.C. 301. SETTLEMENT AFTER THE BATTLE OF IPSUS, IN WHICH ANTIGONUS FELL.

(Lysimachus and Seleucus against Antigonus and Demetrius.)

King of Egypt. Ptolemy, s. of Lagus, ob. 283.

King of Syria. Seleucus Nicanor, ob. B.C. 280.

King of Thrace. Lysimachus, ob. 281.

King of Macedonia. Cassander, ob. B.C. 297.

Greece is nominally free, but in B.C. 295 Demetrius takes Athens, and becoming King of Macedonia in B.C. 295 to B.C. 287, he retains Greece as part of the kingdom. In the confusion which followed it was practically free.

APPENDIX II

THE KINGS OF EGYPT, SYRIA, AND MACEDONIA, TO THE END OF THE PERIOD EMBRACED IN POLYBIUS’S HISTORY

+---------+-------------------------------------------+ | B.C. | EGYPT | +---------+-------------------------------------------+ | 306-285 | Ptolemy, s. of Lagus | | 283-247 | Ptolemy II. Philadelphus | | 247-222 | Ptolemy III. Euergetes | | 222-205 | Ptolemy IV. Philopator | | 205-181 | Ptolemy V. Epiphanes | | 181-146 | Ptolemy VI. Philometor | | 170-154 | Ptolemy VII. Physcon, joint king with his | | | brother, Ptolemy VI | | 146-117 | Ptolemy VII. sole king | +---------+-------------------------------------------+ | | SYRIA | +---------+-------------------------------------------+ | 306-301 | Antigonus the One-eyed | | 301-280 | Seleucus Nicanor | | 280-261 | Antiochus I. Soter, s. of | | | Antigonus the One-eyed | | 246-226 | Seleucus II. Callinicus | | 226-223 | Seleucus III. Alexander or Ceraunus | | 223-187 | Antiochus III. the Great | | 187-175 | Seleucus IV. Philopator | | 175-164 | Antiochus IV. Epiphanes | | 164-162 | Antiochus V. Eupator | | 162-150 | Demetrius I. Soter | | 150-147 | Alexander Balas | | 147-125 | Demetrius II. Nicator | +---------+-------------------------------------------+ | | MACEDONIA | +---------+-------------------------------------------+ | 323-311 | {Alexander IV. | | 323-317 | {Philip III. (Arrhidaeus) | | 311-306 | Regency of Cassander | | 306-296 | Cassander | | 296 | Philip IV. s. of Cassander | | 296-294 | Antipater} sons of Cassander | | | Alexander} | | 294-287 | Demetrius I. Poliercetes, ob. 283 | | 287-281 | Divided between Lysimachus and Pyrrhus | | 281-280 | {Seleucus, Nicanor | | | {Ptolemy Ceraunus, s. of Ptolemy of Egypt | | 280-277 | [Various claimants] | | 277-239 | Antigonus Gonatas, s. of Demetrius I. | | 239-229 | Demetrius II. s. of Gonatas. | | 229-179 | Philip V. s. of Demetrius II. | | | [Antigonus Doson, nominally his guardian | | | assumes the crown B.C. 229-220] | | 179-168 | Perseus [Macedonia a Roman province] | +---------+-------------------------------------------+

APPENDIX III

1, 21. The capture of Cornelius Asina is ascribed by Livy (Ep. 17) to an act of treachery, per fraudem velut in colloquium evocatus captus est. He is copied by Florus (2, 2) and Eutropius (2, 10). See also Valerius Max. 6, 6, 2. This is perhaps not incompatible with the narrative of Polybius, which, however, does not suggest it. He must have been released at the time of the entrance of Regulus into Africa, for being captured in B.C. 260, we find him Consul for B.C. 254, without any account of his release being preserved.

1, 32-36.—XANTHIPPUS THE LACEDAEMONIAN

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topics: conquest, plunder, and captives · fate, destiny, and necessity · forms of government

The Histories of Polybius, Vol. 2 (of 2) · Polybius · 160–146 BCE