Somatophylakes

Coin of Balacrus, somatophylakes of Alexander, as Satrap of Cilicia, with letter "B" next to the shield, standing for B[AΛAKPOI]. Tarsos. 333-323 BC.

Somatophylakes (Template:Lang-el; singular: somatophylax, σωματοφύλαξ,) in its literal English translation from Greek, means "bodyguards."

The most famous body of somatophylakes were those of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great. They consisted of seven men, drawn from the Macedonian nobility, who also acted as high-ranking military officers, holding command positions such as general or chiliarch. Alexander the Great appointed Peucestas as eighth somatophylax after the siege of Malli.

Somatophylakes of Alexander the Great

(Please note that this list is speculative in several cases, and would be disputed by scholars. E.g., Hephaestion was probably not named as early as given below. The only complete list of Alexander's Bodyguard in the original sources is found in Arrian (6.28.4), given upon the extraordinary appointment of Peucestas in Carmania.)

336–334

• Aristonous of Pella, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas, Balacrus, Demetrius, Ptolemy.

333,

• Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas, Balacrus, Demetrius, Hephaestion.

332

• Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas, Menes of Pella, Demetrius, Hephaestion.

331

• Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Menes, Demetrius, Hephaestion.

330–327

• Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy of Lagus, Hephaestion.

326–324

• Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy Lagus, Hephaestion, Peucestas

323

• Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy Lagus, Peucestas.

See also

• Companion cavalry

References

Heckel, Waldemar. "The 'Somatophylakes' of Alexander the Great: Some Thoughts." Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte Bd. 27, H. 1 (1st Qtr., 1978), pp. 224-228.

External links

• Livius.org - Somatophylax