Editing Perdiccas (section)

=== Marriage and war ===
To strengthen his control over the empire when his authority was weak, Perdiccas had agreed to marry Nicaea, the daughter of [[Antipater]], the regent of Macedon. But now, in the winter of 322-321&nbsp;BC, with his position greatly strengthened, Perdiccas was reconsidering the engagement.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=175}} Furthermore, Olympias, mother of Alexander the Great, offered him the hand of Cleopatra of Macedon, who was residing at [[Sardis]]. Eumenes urged Perdiccas to marry Cleopatra,{{sfn|Anson|2015|p=94}} while Perdiccas' brother Alcetas advised marriage to Nicaea.{{sfn|Diod.|loc=18.23.3}} Alcetas' faction believed that Perdiccas, in control of the royals, imperial army, and treasuries, could afford to wait for Antipater's death (he was very old) instead of incurring his wrath; Eumenes' faction argued Perdiccas ought to begin to formally rule and that the dual kingship of Philip III and Alexander IV was a sham.{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=54}}

Rejecting Nicaea here would begin war with Antipater; as Perdiccas had yet to deal with Antigonus, he married Nicaea for the time being.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=175}} During this winter, Antipater, having subdued [[Classical Athens|Athens]] in the Lamian War, deferred the decision regarding the [[Samos|Samian]] exiles to Perdiccas; they were allowed to return to Samos on Perdiccas' order.{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=53}}

==== Bid for kingship ====
Perdiccas decided, however, that he wished to win the Macedonian throne, and had designed a plan for this; marriage to Cleopatra, and the return of Alexander's body, son (Alexander IV), and brother (Philip III) to Macedonia with Olympias' approval which, combined, would have made him "invincible" and virtually guaranteed the kingship.{{sfnm|Heckel|2016|1p=174|Anson|2015|2p=86}}{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=56}} Given the intellectual disability of Philip III and the limited acceptance of the infant, [[Alexander IV of Macedon|Alexander IV]], due to his mother being a Persian, the marriage in particular would have given Perdiccas a claim as Alexander's true successor as king, not merely as regent. Feeling "full of confidence and well able to handle all his rivals," Perdiccas set about planning his march on Macedon.{{sfn|Waterfield|2011|p=46}}

At around the same time, [[Cynane]], Alexander's half-sister and widow of [[Amyntas IV]], arranged for her daughter, [[Eurydice II of Macedon|Eurydice II]], to marry the king, Philip III.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=176. Trying to marry Perdiccas would have been pointless since Cleopatra was a much better royal marriage option for him than Eurydice}} Perdiccas, knowing this marriage would undermine his control over Philip III,{{sfn|Green|1990|p=12}} sent an army under his brother Alcetas to order Cynane to return to Macedon. Cynane refused, and Alcetas' army killed her.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=177}} Whether Perdiccas ordered this killing or not is debated, but it initiated a reversal of his ascendancy; "His officers grew increasingly suspicious of his aspirations, the common soldier was alienated by his acts of barbarity".{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=177}}{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=55}} Perdiccas' army was furious at Cynane's murder and effectively [[mutiny|mutinied]]. This widespread discontent compelled Perdiccas to spare Eurydice II and marry her to Philip III after all, eroding his control over the royal family. Though Perdiccas was able to regain overall control, this incident probably demonstrated to him that "the marriage to Cleopatra, despite the risks involved, was essential if the empire was to remain intact".{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=49}} Eumenes, accordingly, was sent by Perdiccas to Cleopatra with gifts to discuss marriage once again, and plans were set in place for the marriage to go forward.{{sfn|Anson|2015|pp=101, 104}}

Perdiccas had, in the meantime, ordered Antigonus to stand trial for insubordination (failing to help Eumenes in Cappadocia) and other charges.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=175}} Antigonus was an entrenched and powerful satrap in Asia Minor; his refusal of Perdiccas' order undermined the authority of his government and Perdiccas wanted to rectify this.{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=52}} In response Antigonus, fearing confrontation with the regent, fled to Antipater's court in Macedon, bringing news of not only Perdiccas' murder of Cynane, but his kingly aspirations and intention to marry Cleopatra instead of Nicaea.{{sfn|Heckel|2016|pp=175, 177}}{{sfn|Anson|2015|p=103. Perdiccas' marriage to Cleopatra would give him a claim to the Macedonian throne}} Craterus and Antipater, having subdued most of Greece in the Lamian War, were infuriated by Antigonus' news. They suspended their plans for more campaigns in Greece and prepared to march into Asia and depose Perdiccas.{{sfn|Anson|2015|p=103}}{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=57}}{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=177}}