Battle of Kurupedion

Battle of Kurupedion

Part of: Diadoch Wars

The plain of Kurupedion

date	281 BC Chr.
place	Kurupedion / Turkey
output	Victory of Seleucus
consequences	End of the Diadoch Wars

Parties to the conflict
Lysimachus †	Seleucus

The Battle of Kurupedion was a military clash in Asia Minor in 281 BC. Chr. She found at the level of Kurupedion ( Greek: Κούρου πεδίον / Kyrosfeld) north of Magnesia in today's Turkey instead.

As the military climax of the sixth Diadoch war, this battle ended the age of the Diadochi , which followed the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. Followed and completed the establishment of the Hellenistic world in the eastern Mediterranean. In this battle, the last two veterans of the Asian campaign faced each other, who were also the last two "successors" (diadochs) of Alexander.

background

Since the battle of Ipsos (fourth war of the Diadochs) and the end of Antigonos Monophthalmos in 301 BC. In the Asian region of the former Alexander empire, a relative calm has returned, in which the established Diadoch rulers settled down and were able to organize their empires administratively and economically. Almost the entire Asian region of the former Alexander Empire was ruled by Seleukos , whose center of power was initially Babylon , which he moved to Ipsos, however, to Syria . In Egypt , Ptolemy ruled , who had built what was probably the most orderly and economically prosperous empire. The coastal regions of western Asia Minor were ruled by Lysimachus , whose real center of power, however, was European Thrace . These three rulers were once allied against Antigonos Monophthalmos, whom they finally defeated at Ipsos and were able to divide his empire among themselves. Due to the nature of the Diadoch Wars, their alliance did not survive the end of their opponent for long, and the allies of yore faced each other as new rivals. Seleucus competed with Ptolemy for control of the strategically important province of Koilesyria (today Palestine and Israel) and with Lysimachus he had a rivalry for rule in Asia Minor. However, their strength and skilful alliance policy temporarily prevented major battles from breaking out.

The main theater of war at this time was Europe, that is, Greece . There Demetrios Poliorketes fought incessantly against the Kassander family , against Pyrrhos of Epiros and Lysimachos for rule in Greece and Macedonia. After Demetrios died in 294 BC. B.C. had apparently prevailed, he was 287 BC. Chr. Still expelled from Europe by Pyrrhos and Lysimachos, whereupon he fell into the captivity of Seleucus during a failed campaign (fifth war of the Diadochs) in Asia, in which he died. By 285 BC BC Lysimachus was finally able to defeat Pyrrhos militarily and thus assert himself as the sole ruler in Macedonia.

Reason for war

At that time, Lysimachus was the most expansive ruler in the eastern Mediterranean and was viewed with suspicion, especially by Seleucus. However, it was internal family conflicts in the house of Lysimachus that triggered the last armed conflict of the Diadochi. With increasing age Lysimachus established a downright arbitrary rule and tyranny in his empire, in which he had unpleasant competitors or those he believed to be eliminated. This behavior was encouraged by his second wife Arsinoë II , who was a daughter of his most important ally Ptolemy I of Egypt. In order to pave the way for their own children to the throne, their intrigues were directed against their stepson Agathocles , the eldest son of Lysimachus, who had already proven himself to be a capable general and was regarded by the younger generation in particular as a promising successor to their father. Probably around the year 287/286 BC Chr. Was Lysimacheia destroyed by an earthquake, which Lysimachus as a bad omen was interpreted for his as well as his kingdom future. Arsinoë II was finally able to convince him of an alleged betrayal of his son, whereupon he around 283/282 BC. BC gave his approval for the murder of Agathocles. The prince's supporters then fled to the court of Seleucus, who immediately seized the opportunity to act as the avenger of Agathocles against the tyrant Lysimachus and prepared his army for war. The general political weather situation favored Seleucus in his project, since Ptolemy I of Egypt had died at this time and Lysimachus could therefore not expect any help from this side.

The battle

No details have survived about the battle of Kurupedion, neither the strengths of the armies, the losses nor the tactics used by the military leaders. From Justin's records it can only be inferred that the battle took place in spring (January / February) 281 BC. It took place that Lysimachus was killed and Seleucus thus triumphed. Apparently this had his advance into Asia Minor as early as the winter of 282 BC. In the course of which some governors of Lysimachus passed over to him, such as Philetairos of Pergamon . Finally, Seleucus had quickly taken the royal city of Sardis and then put his opponent in a decisive battle on the nearby "Field of Cyrus " (Kurupedion). The place of the battle is only known from Porphyrios. Memnon of Herakleia still knew to report that Lysimachus was killed by the hand of a warrior named Malakon, who came from Herakleia on the Pontus .

consequences

Justin stylized Kurupedion in his report on the decisive battle for sole rule in the Alexander Empire between the two last companions of the conqueror, clearly exaggerating the importance of this battle. The existence of an Alexander empire in 281 BC. Chr. Can no longer be spoken, especially since Justin ignored in his assessment the already established and consolidated empire of the Ptolemies in Egypt. In fact, Seleucus felt himself legitimized by his victory to take over the Lysimachus empire (Thrace, Macedonia, Western Asia Minor), but did not toy with the idea of ​​uniting it administratively with his Asian empire. Instead he handed over rule in Asia to his eldest son Antiochus I in order to cross the Hellespont himself to spend the last years of his life as king in his native Macedonia, which he had left with Alexander fifty years earlier.

This plan was, however, thwarted by Ptolemy Keraunos , who had belonged to the court of the Seleucids since his exile from Egypt and had joined Seleucus' retinue after Kurupedion. Apparently, Keraunos had hoped that through the support of Seleucus he would be able to win the Egyptian throne against his half-brother Ptolemy II , but this was shattered by the age plans of his patron. On the European side of the Hellespont, not far from Lysimacheia, the city of his old comrade in arms, ally and enemy, Seleucus was murdered by Keraunos on the march to Macedonia. The latter then rode to Lysimacheia, where the entourage with the royal diadem was still located, which he set up and now himself claimed the throne of Macedonia. Thus the last diadoche came to an end through violence, like many others before it, and with it the age of the companions of Alexander.

Due to the death of Seleucus, the gain for the Seleucid dynasty from the battle of Kurupedion was limited. Antiochus I was able to connect the west coast of Asia Minor with its important Aegean ports to the Seleucid Empire , but the rule of the dynasty would prove to be unstable here in the following years. Several governors of this region soon renounced the Seleucids and founded their own kingdoms, of which that of Pergamon was historically the most prominent.

literature

• Helen S. Lund: Lysimachus. A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship. Routledge, London / New York 1992, ISBN 0-415-07061-9 , pp. 199-206.
• Hans-Joachim Gehrke : History of Hellenism (= Oldenbourg ground plan of history . Volume 1B). 4th revised edition. Oldenbourg, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-486-58785-2 , pp. 44-45, 169.

Web links

• Jona Lendering: Corupedium (281 BCE) . In: Livius.org (English)

Remarks

1. ↑ According to literature, the name Battle of Kurupedion is also common; z. BJ Beloch: Greek History - page 69
2. Jump up ↑ Justin 17, 1, 1-4.
3. Jump up ↑ Justin 17, 1, 8-12.
4. ↑ Strabon 13, 4, 1; Pausanias Helládos Periēgēsis 1, 10, 4.
5. ↑ Porphyrios, FrGrHist 260 fragment 3, 8.
6. ↑ Memnon of Herakleia, Perì ʰērakleias , FrGrHist 434, fragment 5, 6-7.
7. ↑ Memnon of Herakleia, Perì ʰērakleias , FrGrHist 434, fragment 8, 1-2.
8. ↑ Memnon of Herakleia, Perì ʰērakleias , FrGrHist 434, fragment 8, 3.