Peithon

For the satrap of India, seePeithon, son of Agenor.

Peithon
Πείθων
Regent ofMacedon
In office 320 BC – 320 BC Serving withArrhidaeus
Monarch	Alexander IV&Philip III
Preceded by	Perdiccas
Succeeded by	Antipater
SatrapofMedia
In office 323 BC – 314 BC
Monarch	Alexander IV
Personal details
Born	c.355 BC Eordaia,Macedonia
Died	c.314 BC (aged 41–42)
Cause of death	Execution
Occupation	Satrap, bodyguard, nobleman
Military service
Allegiance	Macedonia
Years of service	335 – 314 BC
Battles/wars	Wars of Alexander the Great Wars of the Diadochi

PeithonorPithon(Greek:ΠείθωνorΠίθων,c.355 –c.314 BC) was the son of Crateuas, a nobleman fromEordaiain westernMacedonia.He was famous for being one of the bodyguards ofAlexander the Great,becoming the latersatrapofMedia,and claiming to be one of thediadochi.

Peithon was named one of the seven (later eight)Somatophylakes"bodyguards" of Alexander in 335 BC. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, Peithon was made the satrap of Media, the strategically important region that controlled all roads between east and west. The satrapy was too large for one man; Peithon would be very powerful, and could destabilize the entire empire. Therefore, he had to give up the northern part, which was given toAtropates;from then on the region was known asMedia Atropatene.

The soldiers who remained in the eastern part of Alexander's realm after his death grew agitated by their lengthy stay abroad, and began spontaneous revolts. The regentPerdiccassent Peithon to subdue the revolts. He was given a contingent ofMacedonians.Peithon easily defeated his opponents and accepted their capitulation. His men, however, having hoped to plunder, massacred their opponents.

After Peithon returned to Media, Perdiccas began to distrust him. During theFirst War of the Diadochi,Perdiccas ordered Peithon to reinforce him and help him invadePtolemaic Egyptand fight againstPtolemy.In summer 320 BC, Peithon,Seleucus,andAntigenesmurdered Perdiccas and started negotiating with their opponents. Ptolemy suggested that Peithon be made the new regent, but the other diadochi would not accept this. Therefore,Antipaterwas chosen to be the new regent.

After the death of Antipater (the Regent of the Empire), Peithon tried to expand his power over the eastern satrapies. He invaded the satrapy ofParthia,killed its SatrapPhilip,and made his brotherEudemusthe new satrap. The other satraps in inner Asia were quick to perceive their danger and united all their forces underPeucestas(also a former Somatophylax), the satrap of Persia, who defeated Peithon, and drove him from Parthia.Peithon returned to Media, and then went on to Babylon to try to persuadeSeleucusto back him in an attempt to reassert his authority. While in BabylonEumenesand his army arrived from the west, Eumenes was gathering forces for a showdown withAntigonus Monopthalmus,theStrategosof Asia. Peithon and Seleucus rejected Eumenes's request to join his cause (he claimed to be fighting for the kingsAlexander IVandPhilip III). Eumenes, then, went on toSusiana,where he found the forces of theupper satrapiesunder Peucestas.Peithon joined the army of Antigonus, who had come east in pursuit of Eumenes. During the battles ofParaitakeneandGabienePeithon commanded the left flank of Antigonus's army. At Paraitakene he almost lost the battle by charging the enemy without orders, but he redeemed himself at Gabiene by winning the battle on the left flank. After theSecond War of the Diadochi,Peithon was among the most powerful diadochi in the eastern part of the empire and he started to build his power again. Antigonus felt threatened by Peithon's growing power so he tricked him into coming to his court, where he had him executed.

External links

• Peithon (1)by Jona Lendering, at Livius.org