Somatophylakes

Coin ofBalacrus,somatophylaxof Alexander the Great, assatrapofCilicia,with letter "B" next to the shield, standing for B[AΛAKPOI].Tarsos. 333–323 BC.

Somatophylakes(Greek:Σωματοφύλακες;singular:somatophylax,σωματοφύλαξ) were the bodyguards of high-ranking people in ancient Greece.

The most famous body ofsomatophylakeswere those ofPhilip II of MacedonandAlexander the Great.They consisted of seven men, drawn from theMacedoniannobility, who also acted as high-ranking military officers, holding command positions such asgeneralorchiliarch.Alexander the GreatappointedPeucestasas eighthsomatophylaxafter thesiege 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 onlycompletelist 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

• Companion cavalry

References

• Heckel, Waldemar. "The 'Somatophylakes' of Alexander the Great: Some Thoughts."Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte GeschichteBd. 27, H. 1 (1st Qtr. 1978), pp. 224–228.

External links

• Somatophylax (Bodyguard)at Livius.org