319 BC

Year 319 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cursor and Cerretanus (or, less frequently, year 435 Ab urbe condita). The denomination 319 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Macedonian Empire

 * Battle of Orkynia: Antigonus marches his army against Eumenes in Cappadocia and defeats him in battle at Orkynia.
 * Eumenes retreats to the fortress of Nora. Antigonus follows him there and starts a siege.
 * Battle of Cretopolis: Antigonus leaves a small force to besiege Eumenes, marches with the rest of his army against the remnants of the Perdiccan faction and defeats them at Cretopolis.
 * The Athenian orator and diplomat, Demades, is sent to the Macedonian court, but either the Macedonian regent Antipater or his son Cassander, learning that Demades has intrigued with the former regent Perdiccas, puts him to death.
 * Antipater becomes ill and dies shortly after, leaving the regency of the Macedonian Empire to the aged Polyperchon, passing over his son Cassander, a measure which gives rise to much confusion and ill-feeling.
 * Polyperchon's authority is challenged by Antipater's son Cassander, who refuses to acknowledge the new regent. With the aid of Antigonus, ruler of Phrygia, and with the support of Ptolemy and Lysimachus, Cassander seizes most of Greece including Macedonia.
 * Eumenes allies himself with the regent Polyperchon. He manages to escape from the siege of Nora, and his forces soon threaten Syria and Phoenicia. Polyperchon recognises Eumenes as the royal general in Asia Minor.
 * Alexander the Great's widow, Roxana, joins Alexander's mother, Olympias, in Epirus.

Births

 * Antigonus II Gonatas, Macedonian king (approximate date) (d. 239 BC)
 * Pyrrhus of Epirus, King of the Molossians, Epirus and Macedonia (d. 272 BC)

Deaths

 * Antipater, Macedonian general, regent of Alexander the Great's empire (b. 397 BC)

Ancient Sources

 * Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica.