After Alexander's death he reappears as commander of the
Macedonian fleet for
Antipater in the
Lamian War in 323 BC, and defeated the
Athenian admiral, Euetion, in the
Battle of Amorgos. He then went on to defeat the Athenian fleet a second time in the
Battle of the Echinades. These defeats signalled the end of Athenian
thalassocracy, and were decisive in the Macedonian victory in the war. In the distribution of provinces at
Triparadisus in 321 BC, he obtained from Antipater (the new regent of the Empire) the
satrapy of
Lydia.
Wars of the Diadochi In 318 BC, at the start of the
Second War of the Diadochi,
Antigonus advanced against him from
Phrygia; Cleitus garrisoned the principal cities, and sailed away to Macedonia to report the state of affairs to
Polyperchon (who had become regent after Antipater's death). After Polyperchon had been baffled at
Megalopolis, he sent Cleitus with a fleet to the
Hellespont to prevent any forces of Antigonus from passing into Europe, and also to effect a junction with
Arrhidaeus, the satrap of
Hellespontine Phrygia, who had shut himself up in the town of
Cius. In 317 BC,
Nicanor was sent against him by Antigonus and
Cassander, a
battle ensued near
Byzantium, in which Cleitus gained a decisive victory. But his success rendered him overconfident, and, having allowed his troops to disembark and encamp on land, he was surprised by Antigonus and Nicanor, and lost all his ships except the one in which he sailed himself. Having reached the shore in safety, he proceeded towards Macedonia, but was slain by some soldiers of
Lysimachus, with whom he fell in on the way. ==See also==