This chronology focuses on the key military and political events of the period surveyed in this monograph (359–c. 215). It draws heavily on Hammond and Griffith 1979 and the tables in The Cambridge Ancient History, Vol. 7, second edition, i-ii.

359

Accession of Philip II of Macedonia; reforms of army begin

358

Defeat of Paeonians and Illyrians; Upper and Lower Macedonia united; intervention in Thessaly

357

Alliance with Epirus; Athenians declare war on Philip; Philip takes Amphipolis and Pydna; alliance with the Chalcidian League

356

Annexation of Crenides (refounded as Philippoi); capture of Potidaea; outbreak of the Third Sacred War; siege of Methone

355

Intervention in Thessaly

354

Methone capitulates

352

Battle of Crocus Field; Philip becomes de facto archon of the Thessalian League; campaign in Thrace

350

Possible campaigns in Paeonia and Illyria; invasion of Epirus

349

Invasion of Chalcidice; further interventions in Thessaly; alliance between Athens and Olynthus

348

Return to Chalcidice; fall of Olynthus

346

End of Third Sacred War; Philip appointed to the Amphictyonic Council; end of war between Athens and Philip over Amphipolis

343

Philip’s troops in Euboea

342

Philip invades Thrace; defeats Getae in the north

341

Philip defeats Cersebleptes and Teres in Thrace and appoints a governor; campaigns on west coast of Black Sea

340

Siege of Perinthus and Byzantium; declaration of war between Athens and Philip

339

Philip campaigns in Scythia; Philip defeated by the Triballi; outbreak of Fourth Sacred War; Philip seizes Elatea and controls Thermopylae; Atheno-Theban alliance against Philip

338

Battle of Chaeronea; League of Corinth (Common Peace) established

337

League of Corinth declares war on Persia

336

Advance forces leave for Asia Minor; death of Philip; accession of Alexander III (the Great)

335

Sack of Thebes

334

Alexander crosses into Asia; sieges of Miletus and Halicarnassus; battle of the Granicus

333

Battle of Issus

332

Sieges of Gaza and Tyre

331

Battle of Gaugamela

330

Battle of the Persian Gate; Alexander at Persepolis and Ecbatana; death of Darius III; demobilization of part of the army

329–326

Alexander conquers Bactria and Sogdiana; invasion of India

326

Battle of Hydaspes; dispute between Alexander and army at the Hyphasis and the return west

325

Crossing of Gedrosian desert

324

Alexander at Susa; dispute at Opis

323

Death of Alexander at Babylon; redistribution of satrapies; Alexander IV and Philip III appointed joint kings with Perdikkas as regent; outbreak of Lamian War in Greece

323/322

Revolt of the Greeks in Bactria

322

Perdikkas conquers Cappadocia, Eumenes appointed as satrap; Antipater ends the Lamian War

322/321

Ptolemy annexes Cyrenaica

321

Campaign and death of Perdikkas in Egypt; conference at Triparadeisos (redivision of satrapies and Antipater declared regent)

319

Death of Antipater, succeeded by Polyperchon; war between Polyperchon and Cassander; Ptolemy’s first invasion of Syria-Phoenicia

318

Coalition of Cassander and Antigonus against Polyperchon; Eumenes makes gains in Asia

317

Polyperchon declares Greek freedom; murder of Philip III Arrhidaeus

316

Cassander ousts Polyperchon, executes Olympias; Eumenes defeated by Antigonus and executed

315

Antigonus takes Babylon from Seleucus; coalition of Seleucus, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander against Antigonus; Antigonus proclaims freedom of the Greeks at Tyre; Ptolemy also proclaims freedom of the Greeks

312

Battle of Gaza: Ptolemy and Seleucus defeats Demetrius Poliorcetes; Seleucid era backdated to here

311

Peace between Antigonus, Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander; Seleucus confirmed in Asia

310

Cassander assassinates Alexander IV; breach between Ptolemy and Antigonus

309 (or 308)

Reconciliation between Cassander and Polyperchon; Antigonus expelled from Iran by Seleucus

308

Temporary reconciliation between Ptolemy and Antigonus; Ptolemy in Greece

307

Demetrius Poliorcetes takes Athens from Cassander

306

Naval battle at Salamis (Cyprus): Antigonus and Demetrius defeat Ptolemy and take on title of king

305/304

Demetrius fails in siege of Rhodes; Ptolemy, Lysimachus, Cassander, and Seleucus take on title of king

303

Demetrius expels Cassander from Isthmus

302

Antigonus and Demetrius revive the League of Corinth

c.302

Philetairos becomes governor of Pergamon on behalf of Lysimachus

301

Coalition against Antigonus, leading to the Battle of Ipsus; death of Antigonus and partition of his kingdom; Ptolemy occupies Coele-Syria

c.300

Alliances between Ptolemy and Lysimachus, and between Demetrius and Seleucus

298

Death of Cassander

296

Demetrius back in Greece

295/294

Ptolemy recovers Cyprus

294

Demetrius recovers Athens, and takes Macedonia from Cassander’s sons; Antiochus I Soter becomes co-regent with Seleucus

293

Demetrius revisits Athens

288/7

Demetrius expelled from Macedonia by Lysimachus and Pyrrhus, king of Epirus; Ptolemy takes Tyre and Sidon from Demetrius

287

Athens revolts from Demetrius (retains Piraeus)

286

Demetrius captured by Seleucus

285

Lysimachus seized Pyrrhus’ share of Macedonia; Ptolemy II (Philadelphus) becomes co-regent in Egypt

283

Deaths of Demetrius and Ptolemy

282/281

Seleucus invades Asia Minor; battle of Koroupedion; death of Lysimachus; murder of Seleucus by Ptolemy Keraunos, who becomes ruler of Macedonia after defeating Antigonus II Gonatas

280

Gauls invade Thrace and Macedonia; death of Ptolemy III (Keraunos)

280/279

War between Antiochus I (Soter) and Ptolemy II over succession; Gauls expelled from Greece

279/278

Gauls invade Asia Minor

277

Antigonus Gonatas defeats Gauls and takes Macedonia

274–271

First Syrian War between Ptolemy II and Antiochus I

273

Pyrrhus of Epirus’ son, Ptolemy, defeats Antigonus Gonatas; invades the Peloponnese; dies at Argos

271

Antigonus Gonatas recovers Chalcis

c.270

Antiochus I defeats the Gauls in the ‘elephant-battle’

267–261

Chremonidean war

266

Antigonus Gonatas suppresses Galatian mercenaries at Megara; besieges Athens

263

Eumenes I succeeds Philhetairus at Pergamon (without royal title)

261

Renewed siege of Athens by Antigonus Gonatas (peace); death of Antiochus I, succeeded by Antiochus II (Theos); Antigonus Gonatas attacks Miletus

260–253

Second Syrian War: Ptolemy II against Antiochus II

258

Ephesus once more under Seleucid control

c.257

Demetrius II (Aetolicus) becomes co-regent with Antigonus Gonatas

c.250–237

Secession of Bactria and Parthia from the Seleucids

246

Deaths of Ptolemy II and Antiochus II, succeeded by Ptolemy III (Euergetes) and Seleucus II (Callinicus)

246–241

Third Syrian War, Ptolemy III against Seleucus II

245–241

Ptolemaic forces active on the southern and western shores of Asia Minor

241

Death of Eumenes I of Pergamon, succeeded by Attalus I (Soter)

240/239–c.237

War of the Brothers, Seleucus II against Antiochus II

240/239

Death of Antigonus Gonatas, Demetrius II succeeds

239/238

Outbreak of the Demetrian War

237

Demetrius II invades Boeotia

229/228

First Illyrian War

226/5

Death of Seleucus II, Seleucus III (Ceraunus) succeeds

226–223

Attalus I of Pergamon master of Western Asia Minor

223

Death of Seleucus III, accession of Antiochus III (the Great)

221

Death of Ptolemy III, accession of Ptolemy IV (Philopator)

220–217

Social War

219–217

Fourth Syrian War; Antiochus III the Great against Ptolemy IV

217

Battle of Raphia; peace treaty between Antiochus III and Ptolemy IV