Attalus (general)
Encyclopedia
Attalus important courtier of Macedon
ian king Philip II of Macedonia.
In 339 BC, Attalus' niece Cleopatra Eurydice
married king Philip II of Macedonia. In spring of 336 BC, Philip II appointed Attalus and Parmenion
as commanders of the advance force that would invade the Persian Empire
in Asia Minor
. After Philip II had been assassinated and Alexander the Great had become king (October 336 BC), Cleopatra Eurydice, her two children, and Attalus were all killed (Cleopatra Eurydice may have died by her own hand after the murders of her children).
According to a story of Aristotle
's, lengthened by Cleitarchus
and Diodorus Siculus
, Attalus sexually assaulted Pausanias of Orestis in retribution for besmirching the reputation of Attalus's friend (possibly relation), also named Pausanias, an event that led to the latter Pausanias's death. Philip II of Macedon
's later assassination by Pausanias of Orestis has been tied to this affair as Pausanias was upset that Phillip had not punished Attalus.
At the time of the accession of Alexander the Great to the Macedonian throne, Attalus was stationed with Parmenion
and the Macedonian advance army in Asia Minor
. In the wake of Phillip II's death, it is alleged by hostile sources that Demosthenes
of Athens
wrote a letter to Attalus promising Athens' support if the two made war on Alexander.
Attalus submitted Demosthenes' letters to Alexander and pledged his support to the king. However, Alexander had Attalus killed, remembering the past insult of Attalus. Even without the resentment between the two men, Alexander probably felt Attalus was too ambitious to remain alive, and would have good reason for revenge after the deaths of Cleopatra Eurydice and her children.
Macedon
Macedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ian king Philip II of Macedonia.
In 339 BC, Attalus' niece Cleopatra Eurydice
Cleopatra Eurydice of Macedon
Eurydice , born Cleopatra was a mid. 4th century BCE Macedonian noblewoman, niece of Attalus, and 5th wife of Philip II of Macedon.- Biography :...
married king Philip II of Macedonia. In spring of 336 BC, Philip II appointed Attalus and Parmenion
Parmenion
Parmenion was a Macedonian general in the service of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great, murdered on a suspected false charge of treason....
as commanders of the advance force that would invade the Persian Empire
Achaemenid Empire
The Achaemenid Empire , sometimes known as First Persian Empire and/or Persian Empire, was founded in the 6th century BCE by Cyrus the Great who overthrew the Median confederation...
in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. After Philip II had been assassinated and Alexander the Great had become king (October 336 BC), Cleopatra Eurydice, her two children, and Attalus were all killed (Cleopatra Eurydice may have died by her own hand after the murders of her children).
According to a story of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
's, lengthened by Cleitarchus
Cleitarchus
Cleitarchus or Clitarchus , one of the historians of Alexander the Great, son of the historian Dinon of Colophon, was possibly a native of Egypt, or at least spent a considerable time at the court of Ptolemy Lagus.Quintilian Cleitarchus or Clitarchus , one of the historians of Alexander the Great,...
and Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus
Diodorus Siculus was a Greek historian who flourished between 60 and 30 BC. According to Diodorus' own work, he was born at Agyrium in Sicily . With one exception, antiquity affords no further information about Diodorus' life and doings beyond what is to be found in his own work, Bibliotheca...
, Attalus sexually assaulted Pausanias of Orestis in retribution for besmirching the reputation of Attalus's friend (possibly relation), also named Pausanias, an event that led to the latter Pausanias's death. Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon "friend" + ἵππος "horse" — transliterated ; 382 – 336 BC), was a king of Macedon from 359 BC until his assassination in 336 BC. He was the father of Alexander the Great and Philip III.-Biography:...
's later assassination by Pausanias of Orestis has been tied to this affair as Pausanias was upset that Phillip had not punished Attalus.
At the time of the accession of Alexander the Great to the Macedonian throne, Attalus was stationed with Parmenion
Parmenion
Parmenion was a Macedonian general in the service of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great, murdered on a suspected false charge of treason....
and the Macedonian advance army in Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
. In the wake of Phillip II's death, it is alleged by hostile sources that Demosthenes
Demosthenes
Demosthenes was a prominent Greek statesman and orator of ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prowess and provide an insight into the politics and culture of ancient Greece during the 4th century BC. Demosthenes learned rhetoric by...
of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
wrote a letter to Attalus promising Athens' support if the two made war on Alexander.
Attalus submitted Demosthenes' letters to Alexander and pledged his support to the king. However, Alexander had Attalus killed, remembering the past insult of Attalus. Even without the resentment between the two men, Alexander probably felt Attalus was too ambitious to remain alive, and would have good reason for revenge after the deaths of Cleopatra Eurydice and her children.
In popular media
- In the 1956 Richard BurtonRichard BurtonRichard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
film Alexander the GreatAlexander the Great (1956 film)Alexander the Great is a 1956 America sword and sandal epic film written, directed and produced by Robert Rossen with Gordon S. Griffith as executive producer...
, he was played by Stanley BakerStanley BakerSir Stanley Baker was a Welsh actor and film producer.-Early career:William Stanley Baker was born in Ferndale, Rhondda Valley, Wales. In the mid-1930s his parents moved to London, where Baker spent most of his formative years...
. - In the 2004 film AlexanderAlexander (film)Alexander is a 2004 epic film based on the life of Alexander the Great. It is not a remake of the 1956 film which starred Richard Burton. It was directed by Oliver Stone, with Colin Farrell in the title role...
, Attalus was portrayed by actor Nick DunningNick DunningNick Dunning is an Anglo-Irish actor born in the county of Wexford in 1959.Dunning is a well known theatre actor who attended RADA where he won the Ronson Prize for Most Promising Young Actor. He has appeared on stage in the West End in London and at the Gate Theatre in Dublin. He has won two...
.
External links
- Attalus by Jona Lendering