Demetrios (soldier)
Demetrios ( Greek Δημήτριος ; † 330 BC ) was a soldier of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great .
His family origin is unknown; It is often speculated whether he could have been identical to the brother of the same name of Antigonos Monophthalmos . Demetrios was one of the seven bodyguards of the king ( somatophylax ) until he died in 330 BC. In the course of the attempted assassination of Dimnos as a conspirator of Philotas came under suspicion and was removed from his post by Alexander. According to the Alexander historian Curtius Rufus, he was one of those men whom Dimnos had mentioned to his young lover Nicomachus as being involved in the murder plot against the Macedonian king. Despite a vigorous defense, Demetrios was sentenced to death and executed because of another incriminating testimony . Arrian remarked that the only crime Demetrios had committed was being a friend of Philotas.
His post among the bodyguards was then given to Ptolemy .
literature
- Waldemar Heckel : Who's who in the age of Alexander the Great. Prosopography of Alexander's empire . Blackwell, Oxford 2006, ISBN 978-1-4051-1210-9 ( excerpt online )
Individual evidence
- ↑ Arrian , Anabasis 3.27.5.
- ↑ Curtius Rufus 6.7.15.
- ↑ Curtius Rufus November 6, 35-38; Curtius refers to the report of Callisthenes .
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Demetrios |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Bodyguard of Alexander the Great |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 4th century BC Chr. |
| DATE OF DEATH | 330 BC Chr. |