SPITAMENES

'Spitamenes' (in old Persian ''Spitamaneh''; killed 328 BC) was a Persian courtier who betrayed in 329 BC his self-proclaimed sovereign Artaxerxes V, handing him over to Ptolemy, Alexander the Great's general, with the hope of appeasing the latter.
Shortly after in the same year, when Alexander was intent on founding Alexandria Eschate on the Jaxartes river, news came that Spitamenes had roused Sogdiana against him and was besieging the Macedonian garrison in Maracanda. Too occupied at the moment to personally confront Spitamenes he sent an army under the command of Pharnuches which was promptly annihilated with a loss of no less than 2000 infantry and 300 cavalry.
Understanding now the danger represented by his enemy, Alexander moved personally to relieve Maracanda, only to learn that Spitamenes had left Sogdiana, attacking now Bactra, from where he was repulsed with great difficulty by the satrap of Bactria Artabazus (328 BC).
The decisive battle came in December when Spithamenes was badly defeated by Alexander's general Coenus. At this point his allies, feeling the situation desperate, killed their leader sending his head as a present to Alexander.
Spitamenes had a daughter, Apama, who was married to one of Alexander's most important generals, Seleucus I Nicator (February 324 BC). The couple had a son, Antiochus I Soter. After the death of the great conqueror, Seleucus and Antiochus were to become kings of Alexander's Asian possessions. Several towns were named Apamea after the daughter of Spitamenes.

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External links

★ Livius, "Spitamenes", by Jona Lendering

★ Wiki Classical Dictionary: Spitamenes