Menidas

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Menidas was a Macedonian equestrian commander of Alexander the great in the 4th century BC.

During the Asian campaign , Menidas first appeared in the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC. As commander of the mounted Greek mercenaries, presumably he had this command from the beginning of the campaign in 334 BC. Chr. Inside. At Gaugamela he was positioned with his troops at the far right end of the battle formation and was supposed to cover the right flank against the Persians. Because the Scythian cavalry opposing him was outnumbered by the Persians and also protruded beyond the Macedonian front, he got into serious trouble against them, which is why he had to be supported by the lancers of Aretes and the Paionians of Ariston . Ultimately, the mounted mercenaries were able to prevail and Menidas, in conjunction with the Hetairenreiter under Alexander, was able to make a decisive strike against the Persian center under Darius III. led. In the process, he sustained a wound.

According to Gaugamela, the supreme command of the mounted mercenaries was transferred to Philip, son of Menelaus , and Menidas remained in 330 BC. BC in Ekbatana in the staff of Parmenion , in whose murder he was most likely involved. In the winter of 329 to 328 BC In BC he rejoined the main army in Zariaspa (Blach) with a reinforcement of 4,000 mercenaries on foot and 1,000 on horseback. In the winter of 328 to 327 BC He was ordered from Nautaka ( Sogdia ) to Macedonia with some other officers to muster new recruits there. Apparently he did not join the main army again until 323 BC. In Babylon , as he is only named here again at the head of a cavalry division. The last time Menidas occurs during the deadly illness of Alexander 323 BC. When he slept with some other officers in the temple of Serapis .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. Arrian , Anabasis 3, 12, 2-4.
  2. Arrian, Anabasis 3, 13, 3-4.
  3. Arrian, Anabasis 3:15 , 2.
  4. Arrian, Anabasis 3, 26, 3-4.
  5. Arrian, Anabasis 4, 7, 2 (called "Melamnidas" here); Curtius Rufus 7, 10, 11.
  6. Arrian, Anabasis 4, 18, 3.
  7. Arrian, Anabasis 7, 23, 1.
  8. Arrian, Anabasis 7, 26, 2.

literature

  • GT Griffith: Alexander's Generalship at Gaugamela. In: The Journal of Hellenic Studies. Vol. 67 (1947), pp. 77-89.
  • 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 , p. 165.