Antigone Monophthalmos was born around the year 382 BC. C. in Macedonia. Although his origins are not unclear, it is presumable that he came from an aristocratic family. He was the son of a man named Philip and his wife, whose name is not mentioned to us, but who, at some point, would remarry Periandros, an important nobleman of the court of Pella. Although information about Antigonus' youth is scarce, we know that he grew up in a especially turbulent time for Macedonia as were the forty years of disputes for the control of the kingdom between the Argéada dynasty and its neighbors. In 359 he ascends the throne Philip II; At that time Antigonus was 23 years old. It is likely that his family had some closeness to the Argeads, as Antigonus's half-brother, Marsyas, grew up with Prince Alexander. The year 340 Antigonus accompanied King Philip in the site of Perinthus. It was there that, according to Plutarch, he would lose his eye when he was hit by a projectile in an exit from the perinthians, despite which he did not withdraw until he had put them to flight. Whether or not what Plutarch narrates is real, Antigonus is described as a man of considerable size and powerful appearance. This wound gave him the nickname of Monoftalmos ("One eye"), referred to at other times as "the Cyclops", probably alluding to his size.
Around this time, Antigonus took Stratonice as his wife, the widow of his brother, with whom he would have two sons:Philip and Demetrius. The reign of Philip II would provide Macedonia with the necessary military potential as to guarantee order on its borders and achieve hegemony over its neighbors. Antigonus' role at this time is unknown to us, although Diodorus Siculus describes his close friendship with court figures as notorious as Antipater, a trusted general of the king, or Eumenes de Cardia, head of the chancellery. Although the descriptions given in the sources are scarce, it can be deduced that Antigonus had a relevant role in the court or the army , especially for the functions that Alexander would assign to him upon ascending the throne.
The Asian Expedition
Antigonus will march with Alexander to Asia at the head of one of the most important contingents:the 7000 allies from Greece . It can be assumed that he participated in the battle of the Granicus River (see the battle of the Granicus in Ancient and Medieval #27:Alexander the Great (I) from Pella to Issos. as commander of the Greek allies, as Arrian describes in his Anábasis of Alexander that the young king ordered the whole army to advance to cross the river. Possibly, Antigonus remained in command of his contingent during Alexander's Minorasiatic campaigns, for we find a mention of Antigonus in an inscription found in the city of Priene. In it, a series of privileges are granted to him, possibly for having put an end to Persian rule and restored democracy in the city. In 333, Antigonus is appointed Satrap of Phrygia by Alexander. Said appointment supposes an important trust in the general, since from this province the cities of Asia Minor were protected and communications with Europe were maintained. Also, in his conquering eagerness, Alexander left behind pockets of Persian resistance, as was the case with a considerable contingent of Carians and Greek mercenaries in the fortress of Celenas, the capital of Phrygia. Antigonus would be in charge of maintaining the siege with 1,500 mercenaries. Eventually, the garrison would surrender and join Antigonus's forces.
The battle of Issos It was a great victory for Alexander. Although the great king was put to flight, a large part of the survivors withdrew to the regions of Asia Minor that were still under Persian influence. Thus, during the winter of 333 a large contingent gathered there, posing a real threat. This situation was critical for Alexander's army, which was on the Phoenician coast (see Sisyphus at Tyre in Ancient and Medieval No. 33:Alexander the Great (II) from Tire to Siwa). If they lost communication with Europe the campaign would be compromised and could be trapped by the Persians on several fronts. It was up to Antigonus to deal with the Persian counterattack in Asia Minor . To do this, he had a small number of troops. Perhaps levies from Phrygia and Pisidia, as well as the mercenaries from the Celenas garrison. The Persian army, more numerous, was divided into three groups. Exhibiting a good knowledge of the terrain and acting swiftly, Antigonus engaged the Persians separately, picking off the groups one by one. As a result of his successful actions, it is possible that the monarch esteemed him as much as other generals such as Parmenio or Craterus (see Alexander's marshals in Ancient and Medieval No. 47:Alexander the Great (III) Gaugamela). Likewise, we have no mention of Antigonus' participation in the rest of the campaigns, so it is likely that he remained in Phrygia.
The division of the empire
Alexander the Great died in Babylon in 323 BC. C. victim of a disease. His untimely death meant that there was no fit heir to take his legacy. These were:his unborn son with Roxana, his illegitimate son Heracles, and his stepbrother, Philippus Arrideo, who had learning disabilities. The uncertainty was accentuated by the circumstances in which Alexander expired. Before he died he gave the royal ring to Perdiccas, bequeathing it to the tô i krastíroi (“to the strongest”), although it is speculated that this could be a variation of tôi Kraterôi (“to Craterus”), a general especially appreciated by Alexander. Craterus, who could have been a key figure at this time, was on his way to Macedon. Although Pérdicas proposed to assume the regency pending the birth of Roxana and Alejandro's son, the rest of the generals did not agree. Finally, just a week after Alexander's death, a meeting was held in Babylon to assign guardianship of the heirs and divide the empire into satrapies , as well as to define who would exercise real authority.
That Antigone , already 60 years old, he was present at that meeting is insecure. On the one hand, he was one of the most important generals in the reign of Alexander, so it is likely that he was invited to the distribution of Babylon. On the other hand, events happened in a very hasty way. From Alexander's death to the meeting of his generals, little more than a week passes. Therefore, it is infeasible that, unless he was there beforehand, he could have received the news and moved from Asia Minor to Babylon. Even so, he was taken into account in the distribution, he kept the satrapy of Phrygia under his power and, in addition, he received the western part of Asia Minor . Antigonus was therefore at the head of a strategic province over which he exercised effective authority. His position, therefore, was solid and well established, although his holdings bordered on those of Eumenes of Cardia in Cappadocia and Paphlagonia, both of which had not yet been claimed. This, along with Pérdicas, hoped that Antigonus would help him to subdue them. His request was ignored by Antigonus, who did not seem to be willing to help Eumenes conquer a satrapy whose territories were equal to his own, which would make him angry.
The conflicts would not take long to break out, as a result of the power games between Perdiccas and Eumenes in front of the rest of the generals, who allied against him. Ptolemy's theft of Alexander's corpse led to Perdiccas's invasion of Egypt in 320, which resulted in Alexander's assassination at the hands of several conspirators, including Seleucus. For his part, Craterus died fighting Eumenes. In 321 the Triparadiso Agreement is produced , where a division of the empire was reformulated. Antipater remained as regent of the two kings (Philip III and Alexander IV) in Macedonia; Seleucus, by his betrayal, received Babylon; Ptolemy would hold Egypt and Lysimachus Thrace. Antigonus, for his part, kept his territories and received Pamphylia and Lycaonia. Appointed strategos of Asia, he in turn undertook to expel Eumenes from Cappadocia.
The Second War of the Diadochi It will explode in 319 when Antipater, regent in Macedon, names Polyperconte, a general from the time of Philip II, as his heir before he died. This will provoke the adversity of Cassander, his son, who will join forces with Antigonus, Ptolemy and Lysimachus against Eumenes and Poliperconte. Antigonus would manage to capture Eumenes at the Battle of Gabiene. Although the outcome of the battle was uncertain, Antigonus' cavalry captured the baggage of the argyraspides ("silver shields," the ancient hypaspists, Alexander's elite infantry) of Eumenes. Antigonus having captured his families and the spoils of thirty years of service, they used Eumenes as a bargaining chip.
Antigonus and hegemony in Asia
Eumenes removed, Antigonus becomes the great lord of Asia by controlling the satrapies of Asia Minor and having taken Babylon from Seleucus. Aware of his power, Antigonus proclaimed himself the protector of Alexander IV and declared the autonomy of the Greek states, which was a challenge for Cassander. Thus the Third War of the Diadochi breaks out. , in 315, in which Antigonus would face the rest of his successors. The appearance made at this time by the son of Antigonus, Demetrius is of great relevance. , who would be his right hand and on whom he would place all his trust when undertaking new military campaigns. At the beginning of this war the balance would tip in favor of Antigonus, who opens several fronts with his extensive army and manages to occupy Syria. The war ended in 310 and resulted in the loss of part of Syria, as well as the coveted tutelage of Alexander IV, which now fell to Cassander, until he came of age. Even so, he would maintain hostilities with Seleucus, who – aspiring to recover Babylon – would take over the eastern satrapies. Some time later, Cassander, in view of the fact that when Alexander IV came of age he would lose all his power, he murdered him and his mother. The Argéada dynasty was extinct.
Around 307, another period of upheaval ensues. As the greatest power in Asia, Antigonus moves his aspirations to the Aegean and sends his son Demetrius to Greece . In Athens he will manage to expel the Macedonian party and be proclaimed, along with his father, as liberator. Cassander is thus deprived of control of Greece. Ptolemy will ally himself with Cassander in the face of the threat that the Antigonids attack Cyprus, a strategic enclave under his control. Ptolemy will send his fleet to stop Demetrius, leading to a titanic clash between the two fleets in 306 at Salamis, Cyprus. According to Diodorus Siculus, around four hundred ships took part in this battle. The defeat of the Ptolemaic army it would mean the loss of Cyprus at the hands of Demetrius. As a result of this victory, the path to total domination of the East was laid out for Antigonus, who would not hesitate to take the first step against the rest of his successors by proclaiming himself as basileus ("king"). Antigonus would now go to Egypt to deliver the coup de grâce to Ptolemy; however, the support fleet led by Demetrius was overtaken by a storm. Victim of the elements, the plan of attack is frustrated by the difficulty of crossing the Nile delta. To avoid disaster, Antigonus orders a retreat. His next target will be Rhodes, an ally of Egypt. Demetrius would lead the siege, where he would show exceptional skills that would earn him the nickname of Poliorcetes , the Assailant. However, the resistance of the Rhodians was fierce and the siege had to be lifted. In 304, Antigonus again sends Demetrius to break the siege of Athens at the hands of Cassander, inflicting a series of defeats on him that will force him to leave Greece. Cassander will seek the support of Lysimachus, Ptolemy and Seleucus, who develop a common strategy:pressure Antigonus in his Asian territories so that Demetrius has to leave Greece. The strategy will pay off as several armies head towards Antigonus' domain. To the north, Lysimachus in Asia Minor; to the east, Seleucus; and to the south, Ptolemy. Surrounded, he will cleverly spread rumors in Palestine about a defeat of Lysimachus. Ptolemy, now doubting the chances of the campaign, will retire to Egypt. It will be in Ipsus, in 301, where both armies meet.
Ipsus, the outcome
The Battle of Ipsus would be the final clash between the Diadochi (see The Battle of Ipsus in Ancient and Medieval No. 8: The Diadochi, fratricidal war for the empire of Alexander) . There the armies of Antigonus would face Lysimachus and Seleucus . Through the narratives of Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch, we can learn about the development of the battle, the largest of its time. On the antigonid side there were 70,000 infantry, 10,000 horsemen and 75 elephants against 64,000 infantry, 10,500 horsemen, 400 elephants and 120 sickle chariots. Everything points to the fact that Antigonus' army had superior quality in both infantry and cavalry, since Seleucus's army was made up of troops of Eastern origin as opposed to Antigonus' Greek and Macedonian troops. However, the number of elephants of the allies far exceeded that of Antigonus. The battle followed the Hellenistic canons. The phalanx lines would face each other, preceded by the elephants accompanied by the light infantry. On the flanks there would be a confrontation between the cavalry. Commanding the strongest wing, Demetrius overwhelmed Antiochus , the son of Seleucus. This cavalry charge was aimed at enveloping the enemy. It is speculated whether the defeat of Antiochus was premeditated, because in his retreat he managed to make Demetrius, in his unstoppable advance, pursue him and get too far from the battlefield. Simultaneously, Seleucus sent his reserve elephants to cover his rear, preventing Demetrius from returning. With the threat of Demetrius's cavalry removed, Seleucus sends his light cavalry to surround Antigonus and harass his phalanx. This, which until now had resisted the attack of the elephants and the enemy infantry, now sees his rearguard threatened and begins to decompose.
Faced with impending defeat, Antigonus refuses to flee , convinced that his son will come to his aid. Such was the confidence that Antigonus had in Demetrius. Finally, abandoned by his escort, Antigonus is struck down by a hail of javelins. Only his friend Thorax de Larisa will remain by his side until the end, guarding his corpse. The remnants of the army fled with Demetrius or they went over to the ranks of Seleucus and his empire divided among the victors.
Antigonus Monophthalmos had a royal funeral, perhaps ordered by Seleucus. At the age of 81, his aspirations were sealed in the battle of Ipsus, dying with him the last attempt to unify the ancient empire of Alexander the Great . Ancient sources give a lopsided view of Antigonus, often as v victim of an insatiable ambition that took him to the grave. But the truth is that the ambition that gave him hegemony over Asia for more than a decade was not greater than that of his contemporaries such as Cassander, Perdiccas or Seleucus. Looking at his achievements, we see that Antigonus was a man equal to them. In Plutarch's words, he "the greatest of Alexander's successors." Upon his death, his son Demetrio would continue to be present in the power games, condemned to a tragic end as a hostage of Seleucus. It would be with his grandson, Antigonus Gonatas , when his dynasty regained its splendor as kings of Macedonia.
Recommended bibliography :
Billows, R. (1997):Antigonos the One-eyed and the creation of the Hellenistic state . University of California Press
Desperta Ferro Antigua y Medieval nº 8: The Diadochi, a fratricidal war for the empire of Alexander .
Desperta Ferro Antigua y Medieval nº 27:Alexander the Great (I) – From Pella to Issos.
Ancient and Medieval Desperta Ferro No. 33:Alexander the Great (II) – From Tire to Siwa .
Desperta Ferro Antigua y Medieval nº 47: Alexander the Great (III) – Gaugamela.