Xanthippos (strategist)

Xanthippos ( Greek Ξάνθιππος ) was an in the year 246/245 BC. General of the Hellenistic Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt .

At the beginning of the third Syrian war in 246 BC King Ptolemy III marched . as far as Syria , the core region of the enemy Seleucid Empire , where he took up the siege of Seleukeia on the Euphrates (Zeugma) . However, a revolt in Egypt forced him in the spring of 245 BC. For personal return to Alexandria . Before Seleukeia he left his general Xanthippos behind, whom he appointed to be his governor of all lands beyond the Euphrates , i.e. mainly of Mesopotamia .

In all likelihood, Xanthippus was identical to a person who in this historical context was known as the "respected prince" of Ptolemy III. is mentioned in a cuneiform tablet belonging to the Babylonian chronicles. On January 18, 245 BC He entered Babylon at the head of an army from Seleukeia on the Euphrates and on January 20th he occupied the temple of Marduk , the Esaĝila , where he performed an act of sacrifice according to the Greek rite. Then he took up the fight for the royal palace, which was still held by Seleucid troops. He was able to repel a failure of this, just as on February 6th he defeated a Seleucid relief army under the leadership of Seleucus, which had moved from Seleukeia on the Euphrates to Babylon.

Despite these victories, Xanthippus could not take Babylon completely and had to give up the city again in the same year. It is not known under what circumstances this happened. On the 22nd day in the third month of the year 67 according to the Seleucid calendar (July 11, 245 BC), Seleukos II is once again mentioned in inscriptions as lord of the city.

literature

Hermann Bengtson : The strategy in the Hellenistic period. Volume 2. Beck, Munich 1964, p. 84.
Willy Peremans, Edmond Van't Dack, Leon Mooren, W. Swinnen: Prosopographia Ptolemaica VI. (= Studia Hellenistica. Vol. 21). Lions 1968, no.15060.

Remarks

^ Jerome , Comment. in Danielem XI, 7–9 = Porphyrios , Katá Christianōn ( FGrH 260) F43: Ciliciam autem amico suo Antiocho gubernandam tradidit et Xanthippo alteri duci provincias trans Euphrates.

↑ The clay tablet is now in the British Museum (BM 34428). See Ptolemy III Chronicle (BCHP 11) at livius.org . The Babylonian Chronicles were translated by Irvin Finkel and Bert van Spek (Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistic Period) .

↑ The Seleucid general Seleukos was the epistates (chief) of Seleukeia on the Euphrates, i.e. the defender of this city. Apparently he had been able to defend the city against the Ptolemaic army of Xanthippus and followed them to Babylon.

personal data
SURNAME	Xanthippos
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Ξάνθιππος
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Field army Ptolemy III, governor of Mesopotamia
DATE OF BIRTH	uncertain: 3rd century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	uncertain: 3rd century BC Chr.

[1] Jerome , Comment. in Danielem XI, 7–9 = Porphyrios , Katá Christianōn ( FGrH 260) F43: Ciliciam autem amico suo Antiocho gubernandam tradidit et Xanthippo alteri duci provincias trans Euphrates.

[2] The clay tablet is now in the British Museum (BM 34428). See Ptolemy III Chronicle (BCHP 11) at livius.org . The Babylonian Chronicles were translated by Irvin Finkel and Bert van Spek (Babylonian Chronicles of the Hellenistic Period) .