ABSTRACT
When Alexander died in Babylon in June of 323, he left behind more questions than he had resolved; worse, he had failed to provide for an heir. Half of the twenty provincial governors (satraps) had either already been executed during the last year for treason and malfeasance or were awaiting that fate, which gutted the normal machinery of government. The leading figures of the previous decade were all gone: Coenus, who had replaced the murdered Parmenion as chief commander, had died in India; when Hephaestion, who had served as chiliarch (for all intents and purposes ‘Prime Minister), had died the year before (324), Alexander left the position officially vacant; Harpalus, who had been the head of the central financial office, had fled with his embezzled funds and would soon be dead; Craterus, who succeeded Coenus, was leading 10,000 veterans back to Macedonia with orders to replace (and possibly kill) Antipater, as general for Europe. Only the second rank of officers were left in Babylon, led by Perdiccas, who was carrying on the functions but not the office of chiliarch.
