Epigenes (general)
Epigenes ( Greek Ἐπιγένης ; † 221 BC in Apamea am Orontes ) was a general of the Seleucid dynasty under Seleukos III. and Antiochus III. the big one .
Epigenes accompanied 223 BC. Seleucus III. on the campaign to Asia Minor against Attalus I of Pergamon . After the king was murdered, Epigenes led the army back to Syria and became one of the advisors of the young king Antiochus III. He appeared as an opponent of the influential court minister Hermeias by criticizing his plan for a campaign against the Ptolemies in Koilesyria and instead favored the submission of the renegade governor Molon . By slandering Hermeias, however, his position was rejected and the king went on a campaign to Koilesyria. But when he had to accept a defeat there, Epigenes was able to prevail in the council and change the king's mind to fight Molon.
Hermeias, who was duped by this, tried to regain his influence on the king by calming a revolt of the troops in Apamea because of outstanding pay payments in private accounts and was able to get the king to dismiss Epigenes from military service. Subsequently, the court minister fabricated a letter written by Molon, which he slipped Epigenes by means of a corrupt slave, through which he could be assumed to have a secret agreement with the apostate. When the castle commander of Apamea, who was a follower of Hermeias, discovered the letter during a house search, he had Epigenes killed immediately.
literature
- Truesdell S. Brown: Apollophanes and Polybius, Book 5. In: Phoenix , Vol. 15 (1961), pp. 187-195 (on Epigenes: pp. 194-195).
- John D. Grainger: A Seleukid Prosopography and Gazetteer. 1997, p. 89.
Remarks
- ↑ Polybios 5, 41, 4.
- ↑ Polybios 5, 41, 5-9.
- ↑ Polybios 5:49.
- ↑ Polybios 5:50 , 1-4.
- ↑ Polybios 5, 50, 10-14.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Epigenes |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Ἐπιγένης |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | General of the Seleucids |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 3rd century BC Chr. |
| DATE OF DEATH | 221 BC Chr. |
| Place of death | Apamea on the Orontes |