Peithon
Peithon (about
355 BC - about
314 BC) was the son of Crateuas, a nobleman from
Eordaia in western
Macedonia. One of the bodyguards of
Alexander the Great, later
satrap of
Media and one of the
diadochi.
Peithon was named one of the seven (later eight) bodyguards of Alexander in
325 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. Actually, the satrapy was too large for one man: Peithon would be a very powerful man, and could destabilize the entire empire.Therefore, he had to give up the northern part, which was given to
Atropates, from then known as
Media 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 regent
Perdiccas sent Peithon to subdue the revolters. He was given a contigent of Macedonians. Peithon easily defeated his opponents and accepted their capitulation. His men, however, having hoped to plunder, massacered their opponents.
After Peithon returned to Persia, Perdiccas began to distrust him. In the
First War of the Diadochi, Perdiccas ordered Peithon to follow him to
Ptolemaic Egypt to fight against
Ptolemy.
In the summer of
320 BC Peithon,
Seleucus, and
Antigenes murdered 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
Antipater was chosen to be the new Regent.
After the death of Antipater, Peithon expanded his realm. He invaded the satrapy of
Parthia and made his brother Eudemus the new satrap. However the other eastern satraps united against Peithon and drove him out. The armies of the eastern satrapies were joined by
Eumenes who had been appointed by the new regent
Polyperchon to subdue
Antigonus. Peithon was saved by Antigonus who beat both Eumenes and his new allies at a battle near
Susa. Following the
Second War of the Diadochi Peithon was among the most poweful diadochi in the eastern part of the Empire and started to rebuild his realm. Antigonus didn't like his new rival and tricked Peithon to come to his court, where he had him executed.
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Livius,
Peithon (1) by Jona Lendering
