Somatophylakes
Bodyguards of high-ranking people in Ancient Greece
Somatophylakes (Greek: Σωματοφύλακες; singular: somatophylax, σωματοφύλαξ) were the bodyguards of high-ranking people in ancient Greece.
The most famous body of somatophylakes were those of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great. They consisted of seven men, drawn from the Macedonian nobility, who also acted as high-ranking military officers, holding command positions such as general or chiliarch. Alexander the Great appointed Peucestas as eighth somatophylax after the siege of Malli.
Under Alexander the Great
(Note that this list is speculative in several cases and would be disputed by scholars. For example, Hephaestion was probably not named as early as given below. The only complete list of Alexander's bodyguard in the original sources is found in Arrian (6.28.4), upon the extraordinary appointment of Peucestas in Carmania.)
- 336–334
- Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas, Balacrus, Demetrius, Ptolemy.
- 333
- Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas, Balacrus, Demetrius, Hephaestion.
- 332
- Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas, Menes, Demetrius, Hephaestion.
- 331
- Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Menes, Demetrius, Hephaestion.
- 330–327
- Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy of Lagus, Hephaestion.
- 326–324
- Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy of Lagus, Hephaestion, Peucestas.
- 323
- Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy of Lagus, Peucestas.
See also
References
- Heckel, Waldemar. "The 'Somatophylakes' of Alexander the Great: Some Thoughts." Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte Bd. 27, H. 1 (1st Qtr. 1978), pp. 224–228.
- ^ Rider, Georges Le (2007). Alexander the Great: Coinage, Finances, and Policy. American Philosophical Society. p. 153. ISBN 9780871692610.
External links
- Somatophylax (Bodyguard) at Livius.org
- v
- t
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(Alexander's bodyguards)
- Aristonous (to 323 BC)
- Arybbas (to 332 BC)
- Balacrus (to 333 BC)
- Demetrius (to 331 BC)
- Lysimachus (to 323 BC)
- Ptolemy (son of Seleucus) (to 333 BC)
- Peithon (to 323 BC)
- Hephaestion (to 324 BC)
- Menes (to 330 BC)
- Leonnatus (to 323 BC)
- Perdiccas (to 323 BC)
- Ptolemy (to 323 BC)
- Peucestas (to 323 BC)
Partition of Babylon
(323 BC)
- Antipater (Macedon and Greece)
- Philo (Illyria)
- Lysimachus (Thrace)
- Leonnatus (Hellespontine Phrygia)
- Antigonus (Phrygia)
- Asander (Caria)
- Nearchus (Lycia and Pamphylia)
- Menander (Lydia)
- Philotas(3) (Cilicia)
- Eumenes (Cappadocia and Paphlagonia)
- Ptolemy (Egypt)
- Laomedon of Mytilene (Syria)
- Neoptolemus (Armenia)
- Peucestas (Babylonia)
- Arcesilas (Mesopotamia)
- Peithon (Media)
- Tlepolemus (Persia)
- Nicanor(2) (Parthia)
- Antigenes (Susiana)
- Archon (Pelasgia)
- Philip (Hyrcania)
- Stasanor (Aria and Drangiana)
- Sibyrtius (Arachosia and Gedrosia)
- Amyntas (Bactria)
- Scythaeus (Sogdiana)
Partition of Triparadisus
(321 BC)
- Antipater (Macedon and Greece)
- Lysimachus (Thrace)
- Arrhidaeus (Hellespontine Phrygia)
- Antigonus (Phrygia, Lycia and Pamphylia)
- Cassander (Caria)
- Cleitus the White (Lydia)
- Philoxenus (Cilicia)
- Nicanor(2) (Cappadocia and Paphlagonia)
- Ptolemy (Egypt)
- Laomedon of Mytilene (Syria)
- Peucestas (Persia)
- Amphimachus (Mesopotamia)
- Peithon (Media)
- Tlepolemus (Carmania)
- Philip (Parthia)
- Antigenes (Susiana)
- Seleucus (Babylonia)
- Stasanor (Bactria and Sogdiana)
- Stasander (Aria and Drangiana)
- Sibyrtius (Arachosia and Gedrosia)
- Perdiccas
- Hephaestion
- Philotas(4)
- Ptolemy
- Cleitus the Black
- Antigonus
- Lysimachus
- Menander
- Leonnatus
- Laomedon of Mytilene
- Neoptolemus
- Erigyius
- Aretes
- Ariston of Paionia
- Meleager
- Craterus
- Seleucus
- Polyperchon
- Antigenes
- Coenus
- Ptolemy (son of Seleucus)
command
(1) Son of Parmenion, d. 330 BC; to be distinguished from (2)
(2) Satrap at Partition of Babylon; possibly Nicanor of Stageira
(3) Satrap at Partition of Babylon
