Achaios the Elder

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Achaios ( Greek Ἀχαιός ) was a Greek nobleman in the Seleucid Empire in the 3rd century BC. In contrast to his grandson of the same name, he is often called "Achaios the Elder".

Achaios is known from a stele inscription that was excavated in Laodikeia on Lykos (today Denizli ) and which dates to the month of Pertitos in the year 45 according to the Seleucid calendar (January 267 BC). The inscription documents the honor of Achaios, who is referred to as "Lord of the place" ( κυρίωι τοῦ τόπου kyríoi toû tópou , dative : "(dedicated) to the Lord ..."), by setting up a stele each in the sanctuaries of Zeus in Neoteichos and of Apollo in Kiddios (Kiddioukome). He had previously ransomed the residents of both cities from captivity by the Galatians , who therefore honored him as their “savior” ( Σωτήρ Sōtḗr ).

The 267 BC Achaios, who is honored in BC, is regarded as the father of the following four siblings:

family

Karl Julius Beloch attributed Achaios the Elder to the founder of the dynasty Seleukos I as a younger son, with which his descendants would represent a side branch of the Seleucids . This thesis is based on the naming of his daughters, both with traditional Seleucid names, which would have been named after their great-grandparents ( Antiochus , Laodike ). Achaios would have had after the battle of Kurupedion 281 BC at the latest . BC from his father or his brother his own principality around Laodikeia on Lykos as a subordinate vassal. More recent considerations, see Grainger, however, doubt this filiation and point to the complete lack of mention of it in Polybios and Eusebius of Caesarea . They consider it out of the question that such a prominent relationship would have been ignored by the otherwise so precisely writing authors. Even the contemporary inscription from Denizli does not know of any brotherhood of Achaios to King Antiochus I , who shortly before had defeated the Galatians in the famous elephant battle.

Taking into account the founding of a city called Achaia in the Central Asian province of Aria in the time of Seleucus I, the view continues that Achaios could have been a close confidante or officer of Seleucus I who lived during his eastern campaign from 308 to 302 BC. I deserved it. In addition to founding his own city in the east and donating land in Anatolia , he could also have benefited from his marriage to a daughter of the king, which explains the entry of the Seleucid women's names into his family.

The Achaios family:

Seleucus I
† 281 BC Chr.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Antiochus I
† 261 BC Chr.
 
 
 
 ?
 
 Achaios the Elder
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Antiochus II.
† 246 BC Chr.
 
 Laodike I.
 
 Andromachus
 
 Alexandros
 
 Attalus
 
 Antiochis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Seleucus II
† 226 BC Chr.
 
 Laodike II
 
 Achaios the Younger
King in Sardis; † 213 BC Chr.
 
 
 
 
 
 Attalids
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Seleucids
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

literature

  • Karl Julius Beloch : Greek History. Volume 4: The Greek world domination. 2nd edition, unchanged photomechanical reprint. Department 2. De Gruyter, Berlin 1967, pp. 204–206 (reprint of the Berlin 1925 edition).
  • Richard A. Billows: Kings and Colonists. Aspects of Macedonian Imperialism (= Columbia Studies in the Classical Tradition. 22). Brill, Leiden et al. 1995, ISBN 90-04-10177-2 , pp. 96-99.
  • John D. Grainger: A Seleukid Prosopography and Gazetteer (= Mnemosyne . Supplementum. 172). Brill, Leiden et al. 1997, ISBN 90-04-10799-1 , pp. 127-128.

Remarks

  1. ↑ Michael Wörrle : Antiochus I, Achaios the Elder and the Galatians. A new inscription in Denizli. In: Chiron . Vol. 5, 1975, pp. 59-87.
  2. ^ Michel M. Austin: The Hellenistic World from Alexander to the Roman Conquest. A Selection of Ancient Sources in Translation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge et al. 1981, ISBN 0-521-22829-8 , No. 142, pp. 142-143.
  3. ↑ a b Eusebius of Caesarea 1, 251.
  4. ↑ Polybios 4, 51, 4.
  5. ↑ Strabon 13, 4, 2.
  6. ^ Achaeus 'the Elder' in The Genealogy of the Seleucids by Alex McAuley, Department of History & Classical Studies, McGill University.
  7. ↑ The city of Achaia Areia is mentioned by Strabo (11, 10, 1) and Appian ( Syriake 57).
  8. ↑ Seleucus I had two daughters named Laodike and Apame, one of whom was married to the Mauryra king Chandragupta . Strabon 15, 2, 9; Appian, Syriake 55.
personal data
SURNAME Achaios the Elder
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Achaios; Ἀχαιός (Greek)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Greek nobleman in the Seleucid Empire
DATE OF BIRTH 4th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 3rd century BC Chr.