The Antigonid-Nabataean confrontations were a series of skirmishes and battles fought between the Antigonids and Nabataeans, that started when Antigonus and Demetrius learned of the wealth of the Nabataeans from taxing and providing protection to caravans carrying valuable products such as frankincense, myrrh, and other spices and goods, as well as trading some of their own. Antigonus sent one of his own officers, Athenaeus, to attack them and take their herds as booty, but he was rebuffed. The Nabataeans sent a letter of complaint in Aramaic, to which Antigonus replied that Athenaeus had acted on his own and that the Nabataeans were excused, despite that, he sent his own son Demetrius for a second round, which also failed miserably. Demetrius stayed by the Dead Sea for a time to learn more about it's bitumen industry, as bitumen was a vital strategic resource in antiquity, it could help support Antigonid imperialistic ambitions and yet another expedition was sent, which was quickly massacred under arrow fire. Suffice to say, all of them came to nothing, and it was more important to fight the other Diadochi than to waste resources on subjugating desert barbarians, however, what if Demetrius died during these expeditions at the hands of the Nabataeans? Would there be retaliation against them? How does this affect the rest of the Wars of the Diadochi? Would Seleucus be more successful than OTL? Do the Antigonids still escape to Macedonia? What is the impact on the Ptolemies?
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