Alexander the Great, undefeated in battle and one of the greatest military commanders of all time, through conquest created one of the largest empires in ancient history. He died, unexpectedly, at only 32 years of age. After a night of heavy drinking which continued into the following day, he developed a fever, which grew steadily worse until he died 12 days later, on 10 or 11 June 323 B.C. According to Diodorus, when Alexander was on his deathbed, his companions asked to whom he bequeathed his kingdom; his laconic reply was, "to the strongest."

The Diadochi (from the Greek diadoxoi = successors) were the strongest, the men in power that controlled and fought over Alexander's Empire following his unexpected death. The struggle would be ruthless and began almost immediatly. Alexander's family and his military leaders split the empire, and the quarreling, murder, and war lasted for decades, for as long as the Diadochi lived. Even after their deaths, their descendants, the Seleucid and Ptolemaic kings continued sporadic fighting until the 2nd Century B.C. In the end, only the Pax Romana would end the violent struggles of Alexander's successors.