Chronicle of the Diadochi

[Jona Lendering]

Of course the Diadochi are a bit off topic, but perhaps some of you will like a new web edition of the Babylonian cuneiform text known as the Chronicle of the Diadochi. My friend Bert van der Spek is preparing a new scholarly edition, and is now pre-publishing his results at http://www.livius.org/cg-cm/chronicles/chron10_01.htmlA more accessible version of the first half of this text(death of Perdiccas, Philip Arridaeus's final years) can be found at http://www.livius.org/di-dn/diadochi/diadochi_t13.html The second half of the text, which deals with the Babylonian war of 311-308 (Seleucus vs. Antigonus) can be found here: http://www.livius.org/di-dn/diadochi/di ... tmlFinally, I have prepared an overview of four chronicles (including the Alexander chronicle I once posted over here) at http://www.livius.org/cg-cm/chronicles/chron00.htmlIt is my intention to add other chronicles to my website, but I first want to see if the current presentation is acceptable to professional assyriologists and laymen. Suggestions for improvement are sincerely appreciated.Jona

[susan]

Jona
Thanks for sharing these with us. Is there a possibility that the other columns of the tablets are also in the British Museum or other museum collections, and just haven't been connected up ?I see that Alexander IV's regnal years seem to start at 317/316. Do you think that this means that he was not considered king by the Babylonians ( and by implication Seleucos) until Arrhidaeos died ?
Susan

[jona]

"Is there a possibility that the other columns of the tablets are also in the British Museum or other museum collections, and just haven't been connected up ?"This is very likely. As a matter of fact, the present publication was made necessary because a second fragment was discovered, which fitted to the part already known. The result was a bit more information and an indication of the size of the missing part (two columns). There is a small fragment that may belong to the missing column III, but there is no place where it can be matched to the two known fragments. Yet, if a fourth and fifth part will be found, it is likely that we can finish the puzzle.Because - a puzzle it is. In the basement of the British museum are about 100,000 fragments of tablets, and only two scholars who have to do the job. The situation is comparable to the Dead Sea scrolls, although there is one difference: the British museum is willing to help any scholar, which the notorious committee of seven biblical scholars studying the scrolls was, for a long time, unable to."I see that Alexander IV's regnal years seem to start at 317/316. Do you think that this means that he was not considered king by the Babylonians (and by implication Seleucos) until Arrhidaeos died?"That is correct. The claim made in Greek and Latin sources that Alexander IV was recognized as king as soon as he was born, can not be verified from Babylonian sources. It is possible that Perdiccas's coup was less successful than has been asumed.Jona

[xxx]

As I recall Cassander began to sign documents in Alexander IV's name after Arrhidaeos died as well, and in fact continued to do so after his death.Perhaps they reflect that.