Final answer:
The wars following Alexander's death were caused by rivalries among his generals for power, leading to a period of conflict known as the Wars of the Successors, which eventually resulted in the establishment of several Hellenistic kingdoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The period of wars following Alexander's death in 323 BCE was primarily due to rivalries among his generals for power. After Alexander passed away without naming a successor, the massive empire he had built faced a power vacuum. This lack of a clear heir led to infighting, as generals and satraps jockeyed for control of different regions of the empire.
The Hellenistic Era saw these wars of succession, also known as the Wars of the Diadochi, fragment Alexander's empire into several Hellenistic kingdoms. Each general attempted to carve out and solidify their domain, leading to prolonged conflicts. Notable figures such as Pyrrhus joined these struggles, aiming to establish their influence. In the end, after much bloodshed and turmoil, the empire was divided mainly between the three most powerful generals' families: the Antigonids in Macedon, the Seleucids in Central Asia and the Near East, and the Ptolemies in Egypt.