Conservative Macedonian
commander whose undying loyalty to the Argead dynasty was sorely tested by
Alexander the Great's
oriental policy & the personal ambitions of other surviving
generals. Though the old soldier served ably in the Macedonian
conquest of Asia (334-324
BCE), his open disdain for the introduction of
Persian customs & personnel into the royal court prevented his
promotion into the inner circle of Alexander's confidants in
Babylon. Instead, the conqueror sent him with Craterus & other
traditionalist troops back to Macedonia (324
BCE) with orders to relieve Antipater
of his command in Europe & prepare a fleet for the conquest of
Carthage. They had not fulfilled either assignment when news of
Alexander's death sparked rebellion against Macedonian domination among
the Greek city states (323
BCE). Rather than relieve Antipater of his
command, Craterus & Polyperchon had to go to his rescue to insure
Macedonian hegemony in Greece (322
BCE). No sooner had they broken
the back of that rebellion than their continued loyalty to the royal
family led them to join Antipater, Antigonus
& Ptolemy in
challenging Perdiccas'
attempt to assume the role of Alexander's successor.
Caterus' death in battle left
Polyperchon as Antipater's most loyal ally. When the latter called a
meeting of provincial governors in Syria after Perdiccas' defeat (320
BCE), he left Polyperchon in command of Macedonia.
Antipater returned as
the recognized regent for Alexander's blood heirs -- an infant son
[Alexander IV] & a mentally incompetent half-brother [Philip III
Arridaeus] -- only to die of old age a few months later (319
BCE). On his
death bed he rewarded Polyperchon for his loyalty by naming him regent.
If Antipater expected the other
generals to honor his will after his death, he was mistaken. For although
Polyperchon may have been the senior officer, several younger men
considered themselves more fit to govern. The first to challenge the
75 year old new regent was Antipater's own son, Cassander, who [with
support from Ptolemy & Antigonus] invaded Greece. Faced with
superior force, Polyperchon countered with shrewd strategy. To win Greek
support against Cassander he declared that any Greek city that had been
subject to Macedonian occupation would be "free and autonomous"
again. Then, to weaken Antigonus' control of Macedonian troops in
Asia, he had Philip Arridaeus sign a royal decree transferring command of
several units to Antigonus' old rival, Eumenes. But before Eumenes could
send aid, Antigonus' fleet crushed Polyperchon's forces in the Bosporus
(318 BCE).
This defeat allowed Cassander to drive Polyperchon from
Macedonia (317
BCE) & claim the regency for Philip
Arridaeus.
But the old soldier would not
just fade away. Retreating to Epirus [modern Albania] with Alexander's
widow, Roxana, & infant son [Alexander IV], he joined forces with
Alexander's mother [Olympias] in one last brave attempt to restore the
Argead dynasty to the Macedonian throne. Loyalty to the bloodline of
Alexander proved to be Polyperchon's most powerful weapon. When he &
his allies returned to Macedonia while Cassander was campaigning in
Greece, the Macedonian army deserted the bastard king, Philip Arridaeus, en
masse. To preclude Philip's being used to challenge her grandson's
right to the throne again, Olympias ordered his execution. Unfortunately
for the loyalist cause, however, Cassander returned with superior forces,
captured the dowager queen & had her executed (316
BCE). Roxana &
her 7 year old son were held as hostages.
Though he had lost his chief
ally, Polyperchon still did not give up the fight to guarantee Alexander's
son the throne. Rather than defer to the man who had executed Alexander's
mother, the 79 year old regent agreed to transfer that office to his
former nemesis, Antigonus, in return for the latter's support (315
BCE).
Polyperchon was content with a lower rank for himself as long as he could
provide for the welfare of his ward. It was his misfortune to live just
long enough to see that hope destroyed.
Antigonus' claim to the regency
was in name only, since Cassander had physical custody of the heir to
Alexander's throne. In 311 Antigonus readily agreed to a treaty
relinquishing his nominal regency in return for Ptolemy & Cassander's
acknowledgement that he was ruler of Asia. He agreed in turn to recognize
Cassander as ruler of Macedonia & Ptolemy as ruler of Egypt. All
parties formally agreed to recognize Alexander IV as king when he reached
the age of 18 (in 305
BCE). That agreement, however, sealed the
royal heir apparent's doom. For Cassander was not willing to
relinquish his hard-fought control of Macedonia to a mere youth.
Rather than risk Alexander IV gaining popular support, Cassander had both
him & his mother executed (310
BCE).
Antigonus countered (309
BCE)
by sending Polyperchon, who still controlled the Peloponnese peninsula,
Alexander's sole surviving off-spring -- Herakles, the son of Alexander's
Persian mistress -- in hopes of getting the ancient loyalist to renew his
opposition to Cassander. But in the eyes of that frustrated warrior the
legitimate Argead dynasty to which he had dedicated his life had already
come to an end. Instead of championing the cause of the scion of an
oriental union that he had failed in preventing Alexander from entering
into, Polycheron personally ordered the execution of Herakles. Although he
lived into his 90s, with his last symbolic gesture terminating the
conqueror's blood-line, Polyperchon left his definitive mark upon history
& finally faded into the shadows.
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