Antigonus I Monophthalmus ( grc-gre, Ἀντίγονος Μονόφθαλμος , 'the One-Eyed'; 382 – 301 BC), son of
Philip from
Elimeia, was a
Macedonian Greek nobleman, general,
satrap, and king. During the first half of his life he served under
Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
; after Philip's death in 336 BC, he served Philip's son
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
. He was a major figure in the
Wars of the Diadochi
The Wars of the Diadochi ( grc, Πόλεμοι τῶν Διαδόχων, '), or Wars of Alexander's Successors, were a series of conflicts that were fought between the generals of Alexander the Great, known as the Diadochi, over who would rule h ...
after Alexander's death in 323 BC, declaring himself king in 306 BC and establishing the
Antigonid dynasty.
Early career
Not much is known about Antigonus' early career. He must have been an important figure in the Macedonian Army because when he emerges in historical sources he is in command of a large part of Alexander's army (Antigonus commanded Alexander's 7,000 allied Greek infantry). There is a story in Plutarch about an Antigonus who lost an eye at the
Siege of Perinthos (340 BC) when he was struck by a catapult bolt. Since Antigonus was of the same age as Philip, and a nobleman, he almost certainly must have served during Philip's campaigns. He might even have served under Philip's brothers (
Alexander II and
Perdiccas III
Perdiccas III (Greek: Περδίκκας Γ΄) was king of the Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 365 BC to 360 BC, succeeding his brother Alexander II.
Son of Amyntas III and Eurydice, he was a child when in 369 BCE his brother Alexander II was k ...
). His importance at Philip's court is shown by the friendships he established with
Antipater and
Eumenes
Eumenes (; grc-gre, Εὐμένης; c. 362316 BC) was a Greek general and satrap. He participated in the Wars of Alexander the Great, serving as both Alexander's personal secretary and as a battlefield commander. He later was a participant in t ...
; two of Philip's chief lieutenants.
Satrap of Phrygia
In 334 BC, Antigonus served as the commander of the allied Greek infantry, a division of Alexander's invasion army of the Persian Empire. Alexander did not trust his Greek infantry and had left them behind when he marched to confront the Western
Satraps
A satrap () was a governor of the province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of ...
; therefore Antigonus did not participate in the
Battle of the Granicus
The Battle of the Granicus in May 334 BC was the first of three major battles fought between Alexander the Great of Macedon and the Persian Achaemenid Empire. The battle took place on the road from Abydus to Dascylium, at the crossing of the Gr ...
. When Alexander marched east, he appointed Antigonus as satrap of
Phrygia. As Satrap of Phrygia, Antigonus besieged a garrison of mercenaries (1,000 Carians and 100 Greeks) the Persians had left behind and after their surrender he enrolled them in his service allowing him to send his own Greek troops (1,500 mercenaries) to reinforce Alexander for the major battle that was about to be fought at Issus. After the
Battle of Issus
The Battle of Issus (also Issos) occurred in southern Anatolia, on November 5, 333 BC between the Hellenic League led by Alexander the Great and the Achaemenid Empire, led by Darius III. It was the second great battle of Alexander's conquest of ...
, he succeeded the Achaemenid satrap of Greater Phrygia,
Atizyes
Atizyes was a Persian satrap of Greater Phrygia under the Achaemenids in 334 BC, when Alexander the Great began his campaign. He is not mentioned in the council of Zelea where the satrap coalition was formed against the invasion, so it is not sure ...
, who had died during the battle. Antigonus successfully performed his primary responsibility: to defend Alexander's lines of supply and communication during the latter's extended campaign against the Achaemenid
Persian Empire. Following Alexander's
victory at Issus, part of the Persian army regrouped in Cappadocia and attempted to sever Alexander's lines of supply and communication running through the centre of Asia Minor; however, Antigonus defeated the Persian forces in three separate battles. After defeating the Persian counter-attack, Antigonus focused on conquering the rest of Phrygia and maintaining Alexander's lines of communication and supply.
Alexander's death
At the division of the provinces (the so-called
Partition of Babylon) after Alexander's death in 323 BC, Antigonus held authority over Phrygia,
Lycaonia
Lycaonia (; el, Λυκαονία, ''Lykaonia''; tr, Likaonya) was a large region in the interior of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), north of the Taurus Mountains. It was bounded on the east by Cappadocia, on the north by Galatia, on the west by ...
,
Pamphylia
Pamphylia (; grc, Παμφυλία, ''Pamphylía'') was a region in the south of Asia Minor, between Lycia and Cilicia, extending from the Mediterranean to Mount Taurus (all in modern-day Antalya province, Turkey). It was bounded on the north b ...
,
Lycia
Lycia ( Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 ''Trm̃mis''; el, Λυκία, ; tr, Likya) was a state or nationality that flourished in Anatolia from 15–14th centuries BC (as Lukka) to 546 BC. It bordered the Mediterranean Sea in what is ...
and western
Pisidia
Pisidia (; grc-gre, Πισιδία, ; tr, Pisidya) was a region of ancient Asia Minor located north of Pamphylia, northeast of Lycia, west of Isauria and Cilicia, and south of Phrygia, corresponding roughly to the modern-day province of Ant ...
confirmed by
Perdiccas
Perdiccas ( el, Περδίκκας, ''Perdikkas''; 355 BC – 321/320 BC) was a general of Alexander the Great. He took part in the Macedonian campaign against the Achaemenid Empire, and, following Alexander's death in 323 BC, rose to beco ...
, the
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
of the empire. However, he incurred the enmity of Perdiccas by refusing to assist
Eumenes
Eumenes (; grc-gre, Εὐμένης; c. 362316 BC) was a Greek general and satrap. He participated in the Wars of Alexander the Great, serving as both Alexander's personal secretary and as a battlefield commander. He later was a participant in t ...
to obtain possession of the provinces allotted to him:
Paphlagonia
Paphlagonia (; el, Παφλαγονία, Paphlagonía, modern translit. ''Paflagonía''; tr, Paflagonya) was an ancient region on the Black Sea coast of north-central Anatolia, situated between Bithynia to the west and Pontus (region), Pontus t ...
and
Cappadocia
Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde.
According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Re ...
.
Leonnatus had left with his army for Greece, leaving Antigonus alone to deal with Cappadocia, a task he apparently could not or would not complete without additional aid. Perdiccas seems to have viewed this as a direct affront to his authority, and led the royal army to conquer the area. From there, Perdiccas turned west towards Phrygia as a provocation toward Antigonus, who escaped with his son
Demetrius
Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter".
Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumi ...
to Greece, where he obtained the favor of
Antipater, the viceroy of Macedonia (321 BC),
and
Craterus
Craterus or Krateros ( el, Κρατερός; c. 370 BC – 321 BC) was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. Throughout his life he was a loyal royalist and supporter of Alexander the Great.Anson, Edward M. (20 ...
, one of Alexander's top generals. During the
First War of the Diadochi
The Wars of the Diadochi ( grc, Πόλεμοι τῶν Διαδόχων, '), or Wars of Alexander's Successors, were a series of conflicts that were fought between the generals of Alexander the Great, known as the Diadochi, over who would rule h ...
, he formed a coalition with Antipater, Craterus and
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...
. In 320 BC, Antigonus sailed to and secured Cyprus. The war ended in 320 BC, when Perdiccas was murdered by discontented officers (
Seleucus and
Antigenes) while unsuccessfully trying to invade Ptolemy's satrapy of Egypt.
Death of Perdiccas
With the death of Perdiccas in 321 BC, a new attempt at dividing the empire took place at
Triparadisus
Triparadeisos or Triparadisus ( el, Τριπαράδεισος) was a settlement in Lebanon near the sources of the Orontes. A paradeisos was a hunting reserve or pleasure-ground for the nobility of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire, normally a w ...
. Antipater was made the new regent of the empire and Antigonus became
Strategos of Asia. Antigonus was entrusted with the command of the war against the former members of the Perdiccan faction who had been condemned at Triparadisus.
Antigonus took charge of a part of the Royal Army, and after being reinforced with more reliable troops from Antipater's European army, he marched against the ex-Perdiccans
Eumenes
Eumenes (; grc-gre, Εὐμένης; c. 362316 BC) was a Greek general and satrap. He participated in the Wars of Alexander the Great, serving as both Alexander's personal secretary and as a battlefield commander. He later was a participant in t ...
, Alketas, Domikos, Attalos and Polemon in Asia Minor. Antigonus decided to first deal with Eumenes, who was in
Cappadocia
Cappadocia or Capadocia (; tr, Kapadokya), is a historical region in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It largely is in the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde.
According to Herodotus, in the time of the Ionian Re ...
. Despite being outnumbered, Antigonus adopted a bold aggressive strategy. He eventually out-generaled and defeated Eumenes at the
Battle of Orkynia
The Battle of Orkynia was a battle in the wars of the successors of Alexander the Great (see Diadochi) between Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Eumenes. It was fought near Orkynia in Cappadocia in 319 BC and resulted in a stunning Antigonid victory ...
, forcing him to retire to the fortress of Nora ( el, Νῶρα). Leaving Eumenes under siege, Antigonus now marched on the combined forces of
Alcetas
Alcetas ( Greek Ἀλκέτας; died 320 BC), was the brother of Perdiccas and the son of Orontes from Orestis. He is first mentioned as one of Alexander the Great's generals in his Indian expedition.
On the death of Alexander, Alcetas was a ...
,
Dokimos,
Attalos and
Polemon near
Cretopolis in
Pisidia
Pisidia (; grc-gre, Πισιδία, ; tr, Pisidya) was a region of ancient Asia Minor located north of Pamphylia, northeast of Lycia, west of Isauria and Cilicia, and south of Phrygia, corresponding roughly to the modern-day province of Ant ...
. Antigonus surprised and defeated his opponents at the
Battle of Cretopolis
The Battle of Cretopolis (Kretopolis) was a battle in the wars of the successors of Alexander the Great (see Diadochi) between general Antigonus Monopthalmus and the remnants of the Perdiccan faction. It was fought near Cretopolis in Pisidia ( ...
. Antigonus, in two brilliant campaigns in the course of one campaigning season, had annihilated the remnants of the Perdiccan faction with the exception of Eumenes, who was bottled up in Nora.
Antipater's death and the Second Diadochi War
When Antipater died in 319 BC, he left the regentship to
Polyperchon Polyperchon (sometimes written Polysperchon; el, Πολυπέρχων; b. between 390–380 BCafter 382 BC according to Billows, R., 'Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State' (1990), p. 172, n. 20 – d. after 304 BC,Heckel ...
, excluding
Cassander
Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death.
A son of Antipater and a conte ...
, his son. Antigonus and the other dynasts refused to recognize Polyperchon, since it would have undermined their own ambitions. Antigonus entered into negotiations with Eumenes, but Eumenes had already been swayed by Polyperchon, who gave him authority over all other generals within the empire. Affecting his escape from Nora through trickery, Eumenes raised a small army and fled south into Cilicia. Antigonus did not move against Eumenes directly because he was tied up in northwestern Asia Minor campaigning against
Cleitus the White Cleitus (Clitus) the White ( grc-gre, Κλεῖτος ὁ λευκός; died c. 317 BC) was an officer of Alexander the Great surnamed "White" to distinguish him from Cleitus the Black. He is noted by Athenaeus and Aelian for his pomp and luxury, a ...
who had a large fleet at the Hellespont.
Cleitus was able to defeat Antigonus's admiral
Nicanor in a sea battle but he was caught off guard the next morning when Antigonus and Nicanor launched a double assault by land and sea on his camp, Cleitus was taken completely by surprise and his entire force was captured or killed (see:
Battle of Byzantium
The Battle of Byzantium (Byzantion) was a battle in the wars of the successors of Alexander the Great (see Diadochi) between the generals Antigonus Monopthalmus and Cleitus the White. It was a two-day-battle fought near Byzantium at the Helle ...
). Meanwhile, Eumenes had taken control of Cilicia, Syria and Phoenicia, he had formed an alliance with
Antigenes and Teutamos, the commanders of the
Silver Shields
The Argyraspides ( mkd, Аргираспиди, translation=Silver Shields) were elite Macedonian soldiers who carried silver-plated shields, hence their name. The original unit were hypaspists serving in the army Alexander the Great. During the W ...
and the
Hypaspists
A hypaspist ( el, Ὑπασπιστής "shield bearer" or "shield covered") is a squire, man at arms, or "shield carrier". In Homer, Deiphobos advances "" () or under cover of his shield. By the time of Herodotus (426 BC), the word had come ...
, and began to raise a naval force on behalf of Polyperchon. When it was ready he sent the fleet west to reinforce Polyperchon, but off the coast of Cilicia it was met by Antigonus's fleet and changed sides. Antigonus had settled his affairs in Asia Minor and marched east into Cilicia intent on doing battle with Eumenes in Syria. Eumenes somehow had advance knowledge of this and marched out of Phoenicia, through Syria into Mesopotamia, with the idea of gathering support in the
upper satrapies The Upper Satrapies ( gr, ἄνω σατραπεῖαι, anō satrapeiai) is a collective term used in the Hellenistic period to refer to the eastern, Iranian-populated, provinces ("satrapies") of the empire of Alexander the Great, especially durin ...
.
Eumenes gained the support of Amphimachos, the satrap of Mesopotamia, then marched his army into Northern
Babylonia, where he put them into winter quarters. During the winter he negotiated with
Seleucus, the satrap of Babylonia, and
Pheiton Karteau, the satrap of Media, seeking their help against Antigonus. Antigonus, finding out Eumenes had left his provinces, took some time securing Cilicia and northern Syria before he marched into Mesopotamia. Unable to sway Seleucus and Pheiton, Eumenes had left his winter quarters early and marched on
Susa, a major royal treasury, in
Susiana
Susa ( ; Middle elx, 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, translit=Šušen; Middle and Neo- elx, 𒋢𒋢𒌦, translit=Šušun; Neo- Elamite and Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, translit=Šušán; Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼, translit=Šušá; fa, شوش ...
. In Susa, Eumenes sent letters to all the satraps to the north and east of Susiana, ordering them in the kings' names to join him with all their forces. When the satraps joined Eumenes he had a considerable force, with which he could look forward with some confidence to doing battle against Antigonus. Eumenes then marched southeastwards into Persia, where he picked up additional reinforcements Antigonus, meanwhile, had reached Susa and left Seleucus there to besiege the place, while he himself marched after Eumenes. At the river Kopratas, Eumenes surprised Antigonus during the crossing of the river and killed of captured 4,000 of his men. Antigonus, faced with disaster, decided to abandon the crossing and turned back northward, marching up into Media, threatening the upper satrapies. Eumenes wanted to march westward, and cut Antigonus's lines of supply, but the satraps refused to abandon their satrapies and forced Eumenes to stay in the east. In the late summer of 316 BC, Antigonus moved southward again in the hope of bringing Eumenes to battle and ending the war quickly. Eventually the two armies in southern Media and fought in the indecisive
battle of Paraitakene
The Battle of Paraitakene (also called Paraetacene; el, Παραιτακηνή) was a battle in the wars of the successors of Alexander the Great (see Diadochi) between Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Eumenes. It was fought in 317 BC.
Background ...
. Antigonus, whose casualties were more numerous, force marched his army to safety the next night. During the winter of 316–315 BC, Antigonus tried to surprise Eumenes in Persia by marching his army across a desert and catching his enemy off guard, unfortunately, he was observed by some locals who reported it to his opponents. A few days later both armies drew up for battle. The
battle of Gabiene was as indecisive as previous the previous battle at Parataikene. According to Plutarch and Diodorus, Eumenes had won the battle but lost control of his army's baggage camp thanks to his ally
Peucestas' duplicity or incompetence. This baggage also included all the loot of the Silver Shields (treasure accumulated over 30 years of successful warfare; it contained not only gold, silver, gems and other booty but also the soldiers' women and children) and they wanted it back. Antigonus responded to a request for the return of the baggage train sent by Teutamus, one of their commanders, by demanding they give him Eumenes, the Silver Shields complied, arrested Eumenes and his officers and handed them over. The war was thus at an end. Eumenes was placed under guard while Antigonus held a council to pondered his fate. Antigonus was disinclined to kill Eumenes, in this he was backed up by his son Demetrius, but most of the council insisted he execute Eumenes and so it was decided.
As a result, Antigonus now was in possession of the empire's Asian territories, his authority stretching from the eastern satrapies to Syria and Asia Minor in the west. He seized the treasuries at
Susa and entered
Babylon. The governor of Babylon,
Seleucus, fled to Ptolemy and entered into a league with him,
Lysimachus and Cassander.
The Third Diadochi War
In 314 BC, Antigonus received envoys from the allied dynasts Ptolemy, Cassander and Lysimachus who demanded he cede Cappadocia and Lycia to Cassander, Hellespontine Phrygia to Lysimachus, Phoenicia and Syria to Ptolemy, and Babylonia to Seleucus, and that he should share the treasure he had accumulated. His only answer was to advise the dynasts to be ready for war. Antigonus sent
Aristodemus
In Greek mythology, Aristodemus (Ancient Greek: Ἀριστόδημος) was one of the Heracleidae, son of Aristomachus and brother of Cresphontes and Temenus. He was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and final attac ...
with a 1,000 talents to the
Peloponnesus
The Peloponnese (), Peloponnesus (; el, Πελοπόννησος, Pelopónnēsos,(), or Morea is a peninsula and geographic region in southern Greece. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridge whi ...
to raise an army there and also to make an alliance with his old enemy Polyperchon, he and Polyperhon were then to make war on Cassander,
[Diodorus Sicilus, ''Bibliotheca Historica'', XIX 57,4-5.] he sent an army under his nephew
Polemaeus through Cappadocia to the Hellespont to keep Cassander and Lysimachus from invading Asia Minor,
he himself invaded Phoenicia which was under Ptolemy's control, and besieged
Tyre. The
siege of Tyre took a year, and after securing Phoenicia he marched his main army into Asia Minor intent on taking out
Asander
Asander or Asandros ( el, Άσανδρoς; lived 4th century BC) was the brother of Parmenion and Agathon, and uncle of Philotas. He was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great, and satrap of Lydia from 334 BC as well as satrap of Caria ...
(satrap of
Lydia and
Caria
Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid- Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined ...
, and ally to Ptolemy and Cassander), leaving the defence of Syria and Phoenicia to his oldest son
Demetrius
Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter".
Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumi ...
.
In 312 BC, Antigonus captured Lydia and all of Caria, and drove off Asander, he then sent his nephews
Telesphorus Telesphorus can refer to:
* Telesphorus (general), 4th century BC general in ancient Greece
* Pope Telesphorus (died c. 137), Catholic pope and Catholic and Orthodox saint
* Telesphorus of Cosenza, a name assumed by a 14th century pseudo-prophet d ...
and Polemaeus against Cassander in Greece. While Antigonus was engaged in the west, Ptolemy took advantage of the situation and invaded from the south. He met Demetrius's forces at the
battle of Gaza where Ptolemy won a stunning victory. After the battle, Seleucus, who was fighting for Ptolemy, made his way back to
Babylonia, and soon established control over his old satrapy and went on to secure the eastern provinces against Antigonus. Seleucus's conquest led to the
Babylonian War
The Babylonian War was a conflict fought between 311–309 BC between Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator, ending in a victory for Seleucus. This conflict ended any possibility of restoration of the former empire of Alexander the Gr ...
, during which Seleucus defeated both Demetrius and Antigonus, and secured control over the eastern provinces. After the Babylonian War, which lasted from 311 BC to 309 BC, a peace was concluded between Antigonus and Seleucus leaving them both to consolidate their power in their respective realms (Antigonus in the West and Seleucus in the East).
In the West, Antigonus had worn down his enemies and forced a peace upon them. By this peace he had attained the zenith of his power. Antigonus' empire and alliance system now comprised: Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, Phoenicia and northern Mesopotamia.
The Fourth Diadochi War
The peace agreement was soon violated by Ptolemy and Cassander based on the pretext that garrisons had been placed in some of the free Greek cities by Antigonus. Ptolemy and Cassander renewed hostilities against Antigonus. Demetrius Poliorcetes, the son of Antigonus, wrested part of Greece from Cassander.
In 306 BC, Philip, Antigonus's youngest son, died a premature death, aged about 26–28. This was a severe blow to Antigonus, who not only lost a son, but also a general who might have been of the greatest value to him in the campaigns to come.
After defeating Ptolemy at the
naval Battle of Salamis in 306 BC, Demetrius conquered
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
. Following that victory Antigonus assumed the title of king and bestowed the same upon his son.
This was effectively a declaration by Antigonus that he now was independent from the empire. The other dynasts, Cassander, Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Seleucus, soon followed Antigonus' lead and declared themselves to be kings.
Antigonus now prepared a large army and a formidable fleet, the command of which he gave to Demetrius, and hastened to attack Ptolemy in his own dominions. His invasion of
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, however, proved a failure as he was unable to penetrate Ptolemy's defences and was obliged to retire,
although he inflicted heavy losses on Ptolemy.
In 305 BC, Demetrius attempted the reduction of
Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the S ...
, which had refused to assist Antigonus against Egypt.
The
siege of Rhodes lasted a year and ended in 304 BC when Demetrius, meeting with obstinate resistance, was obliged to make a peace treaty upon the terms that the Rhodians would build ships for Antigonus and aid him against any enemy except for Ptolemy, on whom they bestowed the title Soter (savior) for his aid during the lengthy siege.
The most powerful dynasts of the empire, now kings in their own right, Cassander, Seleucus, Ptolemy, and Lysimachus, responded to Antigonus' successes by allying with each other, often through marriage. Antigonus soon found himself at war with all four, largely because his territory shared borders with each of them. In 304—303, Demetrius had Cassander in a difficult position, having gained the support of the Greeks and defeating Cassander repeatedly. Antigonus demanded from Cassander the unconditional submission of Macedonia. Seleucus, Lysimachus, and Ptolemy responded by joining forces and attacking him. Lysimachus and Cassander's general Prepelaos invaded Asia Minor from Thrace, crossing the
Hellespont. Lysimachus had soon secured most of the Ionian cities. Meanwhile, Seleucus was marching through Mesopotamia and Cappadocia. Antigonus was obliged to recall Demetrius from Greece, where his son had recently had an indecisive encounter with Cassander in Thessaly. Now Antigonus and Demetrius moved against Lysimachus and Prepelaos.
However, the army of Antigonus and Demetrius was defeated by the united forces of Seleucus, Lysimachus, and Prepelaos at the decisive
Battle of Ipsus in 301 BC. Antigonus died in the battle after being struck by a javelin, in the eighty-first year of his life. Prior to Ipsus, he had never lost a battle. With his death, any plans for reuniting Alexander's empire came to an end. Antigonus' kingdom was divided up, with most of his territories ending up in the hands of the new kingdoms ruled by Lysimachus and Seleucus. The victors largely followed Antigonus' precedent and had themselves named as kings, but they did not claim power over the erstwhile empire of Alexander nor each other. Instead, these kings established a troubled (and in the end failed) ''
modus vivendi'' with each other, and accepted their kingdoms as separate realms.
Meanwhile, Antigonus' surviving son Demetrius took control of Macedonia in 294 BC. Antigonus' descendants held this possession, off and on, until it was conquered by the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...
after the
Battle of Pydna
The Battle of Pydna took place in 168 BC between Rome and Macedon during the Third Macedonian War. The battle saw the further ascendancy of Rome in the Hellenistic world and the end of the Antigonid line of kings, whose power traced back to ...
in 168 BC.
Family
Antigonus' father was a nobleman named Philip. His mother's name is unknown. Antigonus had an older brother named Demetrius, a younger brother named Polemaeus, father of
Polemaeus. His nephew
Telesphorus Telesphorus can refer to:
* Telesphorus (general), 4th century BC general in ancient Greece
* Pope Telesphorus (died c. 137), Catholic pope and Catholic and Orthodox saint
* Telesphorus of Cosenza, a name assumed by a 14th century pseudo-prophet d ...
may have been the son of a third brother. He also had a younger half-brother, Marsyas, from his mother's second marriage to Periander of Pella.
Antigonus married to Stratonice, his older brother's widow and had two sons: Demetrius I Poliorcetes and Philip.
Physical appearance
Antigonus was an exceptionally large man. His son Demetrius is described as being of "heroic stature", meaning no doubt he was a large man, but Antigonus was even taller. Besides this huge physique, he was made even more formidable in appearance because he was missing an eye, having lost it in battle (possibly at the
Siege of Perinthus
The siege of Perinthus (340 BC) was an unsuccessful attempt by Philip II of Macedon to defeat the Athenian forces at Perinthus, and take the city. The siege was conducted alongside an unsuccessful siege of Byzantium. Both sieges took place in th ...
).
[Richard A. Billows, ''Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State'', p. 7.]
Monophthalmus in historical fiction
Mary Renault
Eileen Mary Challans (4 September 1905 – 13 December 1983), known by her pen name Mary Renault ("She always pronounced it 'Ren-olt', though almost everyone would come to speak of her as if she were a French car." ), was an English writer best ...
, in her novel ''
Funeral Games
Funeral games are athletic competitions held in honor of a recently deceased person. The celebration of funeral games was common to a number of ancient civilizations. Athletics and games such as wrestling are depicted on Sumerian statues dating ...
'', translates Antigonus' sobriquet into English as "One Eye".
In the 2004 film ''
Alexander
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
,'' directed by
Oliver Stone, Antigonus is played by
Ian Beattie
Ian Beattie (born 3 March 1965) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He is best known for playing Antigonus in the film ''Alexander'' (2004) and Ser Meryn Trant in the television series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2015).
Career
Beattie’s star ...
.
Antigonus appears (under the Greek form of his name, Antigonos) in
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...
's historical novels ''
An Elephant for Aristotle'' and ''
The Bronze God of Rhodes
''The Bronze God of Rhodes'' is a historical novel by American writer L. Sprague de Camp. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1960, and in paperback by Bantam Books in 1963. A trade paperback edition was projected by The Donning ...
'', set approximately twenty years apart.
Antigonus figures as the main antagonist in
Christian Cameron
Christian Gordon Cameron (born August 16, 1962) also writes under the pen names ''Miles Cameron'' and ''Gordon Kent'' (used only for those novels written with his father, author Kenneth Cameron). Christian, a Canadian novelist, was educated and t ...
's historical novel ''A Force of Kings''.
Antigonus appears in the earlier chapters of
Alfred Duggan
Alfred Duggan (born Alfredo León Duggan; 1903–1964) was an English historian and archaeologist, and a well-known historical novelist in the 1950s. His novels are known for meticulous historical research.
Background
Though brought up in Brita ...
's historical novel ''Elephants and Castles'' (U.S. title: ''Besieger of Cities''), based on the life of his son Demetrius.
Antigonous is a supporting antagonist in the
Eric Flint
Eric Flint (February 6, 1947 – July 17, 2022) was an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are Alternate history (fiction), alternate history science fiction, but he also wrote humorous fantasy adventures. ...
alternate history novel ''The Alexander Inheritance,'' and its sequel ''The Macedonian Hazard.''
References
Sources
*
* The contemporary
Babylonian Chronicles
The Babylonian Chronicles are a series of tablets recording major events in Babylonian history. They are thus one of the first steps in the development of ancient historiography. The Babylonian Chronicles were written in Babylonian cuneiform, f ...
, especially th
Chronicle of the Diadochi (= ABC 10 = BCHP 3).
*
*
*
*
Diodorus Siculus xviii., xx. 46-86
*
*
*
Justin
Justin may refer to: People
* Justin (name), including a list of persons with the given name Justin
* Justin (historian), a Latin historian who lived under the Roman Empire
* Justin I (c. 450–527), or ''Flavius Iustinius Augustus'', Eastern Rom ...
br>
xv. 1-4* Köhler, "Das Reich des Antigonos," in the ''Sitzungsberichte d. Berl. Akad.'', 1898, p. 835 f.
*
Nepos,
Eumenes'
*
Plutarch
Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...
,
Demetrius'
*
*
External links
entry in historical sourcebook by Mahlon H. Smith
{{DEFAULTSORT:Antigonus I Monophthalmus
382 BC births
301 BC deaths
Generals of Alexander the Great
Satraps of the Alexandrian Empire
Ancient Macedonian generals
Ancient Macedonians killed in battle
Ancient Elimiotes
4th-century BC rulers
Hellenistic Phrygia
Royalty and nobility with disabilities
Antigonid dynasty
Monarchs killed in action
Ancient Macedonian monarchs killed in battle
4th-century BC Babylonian kings