Demetrius I was the King of Macedon. The son of Antigonus I, he proved himself a very able commander in his father’s wars, particularly against Ptolemy I. Though Ptolemy defeated him at Gaza in 312 BC, Demetrius was able to avenge his defeat later on. He defeated Ptolemy off Salamis, and took Cyprus. He besieged the city of Rhodes with great skill, and this earned him the name Poliorcetes or ‘besieger of cities’. The siege ended with a compromise peace, with Rhodes agreeing to ally herself with Antigonus against anyone other than Ptolemy.
