Last Men Standing -- Alexander The Great -- May 5, 2019

Dividing the Spoils: The War for Alexander the Greta's Empire, Robin Waterfield, c. 2011.

The book concerns the forty years after Alexander's death. 

Alexander the Great dies in 323.

By 301, things pretty much being sorted out.

Perdiccas seized control immediately after Alexander's death but he himself was killed in 320 in Egypt by staff officers.

Battle of Ipsus, Phrygia 301.

Antigonus I Monophthalmus, ruler of Phrygia, and his son Demetrius I of Macedon were pitted against the coalition of three other companions of Alexander: Cassander, ruler of Macedon; Lysimachus, ruler of Thrace; and Seleucus I Nicator, ruler of Babylonia and Persia.

By 301, Alexander's successors were down to three men:

• Antigonas: he had been Alexander's choice for Asia Minor
• Seleucus: rose through the ranks quickly; forging timely alliances; took Asia Minor from
• Ptolemy: Egypt

Antigonas, was on his way to taking Macedonia when killed in 308 by Ptolemy Ceraunus, Egypt; by killing Seleucus, Ptolemy became king of Macedonia, but Ptolemy killed by Celtic invasion

Epilogue:

• Antigonas: held "Asia" together for 50 (?) years but eventually lost it to multiple tribes
• Seleucus: Syria; Tigris becomes the western boundary
• Ptolemy: Egypt; Tigris becomes the eastern boundary