Perdikkas zwischen 323 und 320

After the sudden death of Alexander the Great, the Diadochi (“successors”) present in Babylon divided the empire among themselves. Perdiccas, to whom the dying king had given his ring, took a particularly prominent role in these stormy councils. The primary sources, most notably Diodorus, describe Perdiccas, regent of the empire on behalf of King Philip III who was unfit to reign and King Alexander IV who was an infant, in negative terms. This book raises the question whether Perdiccas was an autocrat acting under the pretence of representing the interests of the kings who were unable to reign, or whether a different picture of his person can be deduced that is contrary to the adamant criticism that Diodorus presents us. The Babylonian councils of the Diadochi held in June of 323 BC are the starting point of the investigation. Particular emphasis is laid on the role of Perdiccas among his fellow former officers. This is followed by a discussion of the original sources that report the stages of his life up to his murder by his own officers in the early summer of 320 BC. In this discussion, the actions of Perdiccas are compared with those of the other Diadochi. The final section of the study concerns itself with the question of how the portrayal of Perdiccas’ was influenced by the circumstances of his death. This study is therefore also an investigation into the earliest phase of Hellenism and the formation of the different regimes of the Diadochi.