1 ] THE ROYAL LETTERS 7

all
allies Lysimachus and Ptolemy to bring Alexander's conquests under

of
his control The former these ably assisted by Cassander

of
Macedonia

in
,

,
.
had checked Antigonus efforts Greece and Thrace and Ptolemy's

in

in

,
'
victory Gaza
in at
312 had enabled the fugitive satrap Seleucus reestablish

to
in

be
himself Babylon need not assumed that Antigonus with these reverses

It
.
definitely relinquished the ambition becoming Alexander's successor

. . of

;
he

an

an
resumed aggressive policy soon after He saw however that immedi

,
his
plan was impossible He needed breathing space and
of
ate execution

,
a
the

price which pay was formal recognition

he

of
was forced the status quo

to

. ,
a
acknowledgement the political independence his three antagonists
of

of
an

by
This action had one result which may have been

no
more unforeseen Anti
gonus than was according

19
Diodorus unwelcome

to
him

to
105

,
of hisit

,
,

.
(

)
position now unchallenged

IV at
Cassander Macedonia once proceeded

in
,

,
put out the way Roxane and the little Alexander and with the
to

,
the royal house
all
of

extinction four diadochi began independent

as
act

to
sovereigns
.

Our knowledge
of

the peace
of

311 derived from two sources the passage

is

,
just Diodorus and the present inscription neither Seleucus

In

is
cited
in

.
he
mentioned and the obvious conclusion that was not included That
is
,

.
believe Would Ptolemy have deserted the man

he
was hard had materi

so
to

ally assisted would Antigonus have neglected

he
or

crush him when was to

,

Both improbabilities against which Beloch protested force

so

so
deserted
,

'
?

of be

as

fully are apparently now recognized true Otto discovered evidence

to
,

an try
the Babylonian Chronicle war the east after 311 Antigonus did
to in

in

;
4

crushSeleucus but failed And Momigliano has called attention

to
,

important legal aspect Seleucus position The four contracting parties

of

'

extraordinary command reflected the language

an

had each Diodorus of

in
,

.
Cassander was acknowledged otparnyós military governor Europe Lysi
of
,

machus and Ptolemy were .

be

masters XUQLEVELV respectively over Thrace

to

all

and Egypt Antigonus was pnyetotai

be

commander Asia
In
to

of
.

.
)
(å

the treaty then there were provided changes the regular bureaucracy
no

in
,

he

which belonged Seleucus provincial governor The fact that

as

was
in to

.
did

not affect his legal position His case was not parallel
of

revolt those
to
.
the

others and peace between himself and Antigonus called for separate
,

negotiation
.

For Antigonus the peace 311 was humiliation He had attempted

of
,

win all Alexander's empire himself and had failed being compelled
for
of
to to

of ,

recognize the independence his opponents this fact the tone

In
of

view
.
no

the present letter hint disappointment

It
of

of

remarkable contains
is

Antigonus writes finally triumphant champion

of

of

the character the

in

part which
he

for

Greeks had formally assumed himself three years before

,

,
a

He had nego
he

and which appears have fact conscientiously played

to

in

.
he

11.

tiated for peace writes 43/44 because the Greeks were burdened
),
,

(
by

the

re

the war He accepted Cassander's hard conditions

13
1.

.,
;
e
(
.

i.
S. Op

cit

133
.,

n
.
l.
.

Cf.

W. Otto
E. SB

Ak

Smith Babylonian Historical Texts 1924 124–149 bayer

am ,

),

; ,

, .,
3

), .

.
(

Sitzung Smith Rev. d'Àssyr XXII Cavaignac

.;
S.

Nov 191–197
7.

1925 1925
,

.op ,

. .,

XXIII
(
58

Kaerst
.cit

ibid 1926 362

.,

,
;

,
7
., (

19
, )

Diodor 74175
.