Autophradates (Admiral)

Autophradates ( ancient Greek Αὐτοφραδάτης ; † after 332 BC) was a Persian naval commander in the 4th century BC.

Life

After the death of Memnon in 333 BC BC Pharnabazos and Autophradates took command of the Persian fleet to fight against Alexander the Great, who was just marching through Asia Minor . Both organized a counter-offensive at sea and captured, among others, Tenedos and Mytilene , whose siege had already begun Memnon and whose democratic constitutions set up by Alexander they eliminated in favor of tyranny . They also launched attacks on some Aegean islands and made contact with Sparta for the purpose of joint action against Macedonia .

These successes only lasted until the summer of 332 BC. When the Macedonians under Hegelochus and Amphoteros went on the offensive by sea and brought the Hellespont under their control. The Persian position in the Aegean finally collapsed when Alexander in Phenicia invaded and its cities voluntarily submitted to him. As a result, 80 Phoinikian, 120 Cypriot and ten Lycian and Cilician ships each separated from the Persian fleet and went over to Alexander's side. Thus robbed of their naval power, Pharnabazos and Autophradates could not oppose the Macedonian fleet, which was able to conquer Tenedos, Mytilene, Lesbos, Kos and finally Chios. Autophradates' further fate is unknown, it is possible that he led a mercenary army, consisting of dispersed Persian troops from Asia Minor, to Crete in the service of Sparta .

To what extent he worked with the eponymous satrap of Lydia from 360 BC. Chr. Was identical or related is unclear. He is not to be confused with his contemporary Autophradates , Satrap of Tapurias and Mardien.

literature

• Stephen Ruzicka: War in the Aegean, 333–331 BC: A Reconsideration. In: Phoenix. Vol. 42, No. 2, 1998, ISSN  0031-8299 , pp. 131-151

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Arrian , Anabasis 2, 1, 3-5; Curtius Rufus 4, 1, 36.
2. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 2, 13, 4-6.
3. ↑ Arrian, Anabasis 2, 20, 1-3.