Conquest, Kingship, Calamity: Demetrius Poliorcetes After Ipsus

Abstract

Demetrius Poliorcetes (336-282 BC), was one of the extraordinary figures of the Hellenistic Age, whose career began in wake of the chaos that followed the death of Alexander the Great. His father was Antigonus Monophthalmus, one of the greatest of the Successors, and under Antigonus’ guidance Demetrius achieved some of the standout accomplishments of his career. The pair’s ceaseless and energetic campaigning enabled them to jointly claim the royal title in 306 BC, something which quickly prompted the other Successors to follow suit. They continued to consolidate and expand their empire in the years that followed; however, the Antigonids’ dominant position eventually saw the other dynasts conspire to eliminate them. In 301 BC, Demetrius suffered a violent reversal of fortune, when the coalition that had formed against the Antigonids defeated them in battle, and his father was killed. This misfortune saw Demetrius fleeing from the battlefield with a small band of followers, now the heir to a piecemeal and much threatened empire.