Editing Perdiccas (section)

=== Debate for leadership ===
The debate around who would succeed Alexander led to a divide in the Macedonian army; on one side were the aristocratic cavalry officers (generals), and on the other side were the infantry soldiers. The infantry, also wanting to listen to the discussion, broke into the room where Perdiccas and the other generals were speaking.

Perdiccas, having placed the ring he received from Alexander on the throne, along with the royal robes and [[diadem]],{{sfn|Waterfield|2011|p=20}} proposed that a final decision could wait until Alexander's wife [[Roxana]], who was pregnant, had given birth; if the unborn child (the future [[Alexander IV of Macedon]]) was a boy, then Perdiccas proposed that the child be chosen as the new king.{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=14}} The Roman historian [[Quintus Curtius Rufus]] provides Perdiccas' apparent speech to the assembly:

{{Blockquote|text=For my part, I return to you the ring handed to me by Alexander, the seal of which he would use on documents as symbol of his royal and imperial authority. The anger of the gods can devise no tragedy to equal this with which we have been afflicted; and yet, considering the greatness of Alexander's achievements, one could believe that such a great man was merely on loan from the gods to the world so that, when his duty to it was complete, they might swiftly reclaim him for their family. Accordingly, since nothing remains of him apart from the material which is excluded from immortality, let us perform the due ceremonies to his corpse and his name, bearing in mind that the city we are in, the people we are among and the qualities of the leader and king of whom we have been deprived. Comrades, we must discuss and consider how we can maintain the victory we have won among the people over whom we have won it. We need a leader; whether it should be one man or more is up to you. But you must realize this: a military unit without a chief is a body without a soul. This is the sixth month of Roxana's pregnancy. We pray that she has produced a male who, with the gods' approval, will assume the throne when he comes of age. Meanwhile, designate those you want as your leaders.<ref>Citing Curtius Rufus' History of Alexander the Great of Macedonia, 10.6.5-9, as per Livius.org (url:https://www.livius.org/sources/content/curtius-rufus/the-election-of-arrhidaeus/)</ref>}}

This meant that Perdiccas would be the [[regent]] and effectively the ruler of Alexander's empire until Roxana's unborn child was old enough to rule.{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=15. "It is also very possible that Perdiccas desired to be king in his own right"}} Though his later actions would show Perdiccas had ambitions to be king, during the assembly, when [[Aristonous]], a fellow bodyguard, proclaimed Perdiccas should be made king and the suggestion was met with approval, Perdiccas hesitated to accept the position.{{sfnm|Anson|2014|1p=15|Waterfield|2011|2p=22. Reasons why are debated. The Argead kingship had been held by that family for centuries, and Perdiccas may have felt that it would be easy for his political opponents to label him as a usurper due to the presence of living, if inept, heirs |{{pb}}Bosworth|2005|3p=43 brings up the possibility that Aristonous' statement might be negative propaganda, to show that the bodyguard had little affection for the Argead kings, while |Romm|2011|4p=61 considers the entire incident ahistorical, a "Roman fantasy" imported into Greek history by Curtius, who was Roman}} Another of Alexander's companions, [[Ptolemy I Soter|Ptolemy]], proposed a joint board of generals to rule the Empire, perhaps as a slight against Perdiccas as such a scheme would greatly decrease his current authority.{{sfn|Romm|2011|p=61 takes this view, noting that any attempt to decentralize authority away from the kings was an attempt to limit Perdiccas' power}} Other proposals were considered, but despite misgivings amongst the other generals, most accepted Perdiccas' proposal of waiting until Roxana gave birth. The agreed upon interim arrangement was Perdiccas and [[Leonnatus]] overseeing Asia, and Craterus and [[Antipater]] ruling Macedonian-controlled Europe.{{sfn|Romm|2011|p=62}}{{sfn|Just.|loc=13.4.14}}
[[File:Alexander IV coin.png|thumb|Coin of [[Alexander IV of Macedon]]. Despite the faith put in Roxana's child as a future king, it was not actually known, until his birth, that Alexander IV would be a boy.|171x171px]]
However, the infantry commander [[Meleager (general)|Meleager]] disagreed with Perdiccas' plans. Meleager argued in favour of Alexander's intellectually disabled half brother, [[Philip III of Macedon|Philip III Arrhidaeus]], whom he considered first in succession. The infantry supported this proposal with Meleager's troops willing to fight in favour of Philip III, who they crowned. The infantry began to riot, and the generals united under Perdiccas' authority.{{sfn|Anson|2014|p=19}} After a brief scuffle, Perdiccas ordered a tactical retreat and the generals fled Babylon, but Perdiccas remained for a time hoping to regain the allegiance of the infantry.{{Sfn|Roisman|2012|p=73}}{{sfn|Heckel|2016|p=165}} Meleager sent assassins to kill him. Despite only having page boys with him, Perdiccas met the assassins openly, and taunted and terrified them into fleeing.{{sfnm|Anson|2014|1p=19, citing Quintus Curtius Rufus 10.8.1-3|Roisman|2012|p=74}}