Medius of Larissa
Encyclopedia
Medius son of Oxythemis, was a native of Larissa
in Thessaly
and a friend of Alexander the Great. He is mentioned as commanding a trireme
during the descent of the Indus river
, but with this exception his name does not occur in the military operations of the king. He appears, however, to have enjoyed a high place in the personal favor of the monarch, and it was at his house that Alexander supped just before his last illness. Hence, according to those writers who represented the king to have been poisoned, it was at this banquet that the fatal draught was administered, and not without the cognizance, as it was said, of Medius himself. Others more plausibly ascribed the illness of Alexander to his intemperance upon the same occasion Plutarch
speaks in very unfavorable terms of Medius, whom he represents as one of the flatterers to whose evil counsels the most reprehensible of the actions of Alexander were to be ascribed. But no trace of this is to be found in the better authorities.
After the death of Alexander, Medius followed the fortunes of Antigonus Monophthalmus
, whose fleet we find him commanding in 314 BC
, when he defeated and took thirty-six ships of the Pydna
eans, who,had espoused the party of Cassander
. The following year (313 BC
) he took Miletus
, and afterwards relieved the city of Oreus
in Euboea
, which was besieged by Cassander himself. Again in 312 BC
, he was despatched by Antigonus with a fleet of 150 ships, to make a descent in Greece
, and landed a large army in Boeotia
under Ptolemy
; after which he returned to Asia to co-operate with Antigonus himself, at the Hellespont. In 306 BC
we find him present in the great sea-fight
off Salamis
in Cyprus
, on which occasion he commanded the left wing of the fleet of Demetrius Poliorcetes
. It appears also that he accompanied Antigonus on his unsuccessful expedition against Ptolemaic Egypt
in the same year, but after this we hear no more of him. His authority is cited by Strabo
in a manner that would lead us to conclude he had left some historical work (edition: Fragmente der griechischen Historiker
, no. 129), but we find no further mention of him as a writer.
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
in Thessaly
Thessaly
Thessaly is a traditional geographical region and an administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thessaly was known as Aeolia, and appears thus in Homer's Odyssey....
and a friend of Alexander the Great. He is mentioned as commanding a trireme
Trireme
A trireme was a type of galley, a Hellenistic-era warship that was used by the ancient maritime civilizations of the Mediterranean, especially the Phoenicians, ancient Greeks and Romans.The trireme derives its name from its three rows of oars on each side, manned with one man per oar...
during the descent of the Indus river
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
, but with this exception his name does not occur in the military operations of the king. He appears, however, to have enjoyed a high place in the personal favor of the monarch, and it was at his house that Alexander supped just before his last illness. Hence, according to those writers who represented the king to have been poisoned, it was at this banquet that the fatal draught was administered, and not without the cognizance, as it was said, of Medius himself. Others more plausibly ascribed the illness of Alexander to his intemperance upon the same occasion Plutarch
Plutarch
Plutarch then named, on his becoming a Roman citizen, Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus , c. 46 – 120 AD, was a Greek historian, biographer, essayist, and Middle Platonist known primarily for his Parallel Lives and Moralia...
speaks in very unfavorable terms of Medius, whom he represents as one of the flatterers to whose evil counsels the most reprehensible of the actions of Alexander were to be ascribed. But no trace of this is to be found in the better authorities.
After the death of Alexander, Medius followed the fortunes of Antigonus Monophthalmus
Antigonus I Monophthalmus
Antigonus I Monophthalmus , son of Philip from Elimeia, was a Macedonian nobleman, general, and satrap under Alexander the Great. During his early life he served under Philip II, and he was a major figure in the Wars of the Diadochi after Alexander's death, declaring himself king in 306 BC and...
, whose fleet we find him commanding in 314 BC
314 BC
Year 314 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Libo and Longus...
, when he defeated and took thirty-six ships of the Pydna
Pydna
Pydna was a Greek city in ancient Macedon, the most important in Pieria. Modern Pydna is a small town and a former municipality in the northeastern part of Pieria regional unit, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Pydna-Kolindros, of which it is a...
eans, who,had espoused the party of Cassander
Cassander
Cassander , King of Macedonia , was a son of Antipater, and founder of the Antipatrid dynasty...
. The following year (313 BC
313 BC
Year 313 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Cursor and Brutus...
) he took Miletus
Miletus
Miletus was an ancient Greek city on the western coast of Anatolia , near the mouth of the Maeander River in ancient Caria...
, and afterwards relieved the city of Oreus
Oreus
Oreus was a town in northern Euboea. Demosthenes describes its conquest by Philip II of Macedon in the Third Philippic....
in Euboea
Euboea
Euboea is the second largest Greek island in area and population, after Crete. The narrow Euripus Strait separates it from Boeotia in mainland Greece. In general outline it is a long and narrow, seahorse-shaped island; it is about long, and varies in breadth from to...
, which was besieged by Cassander himself. Again in 312 BC
312 BC
Year 312 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Corvus and Mus...
, he was despatched by Antigonus with a fleet of 150 ships, to make a descent in Greece
Hellenistic Greece
In the context of Ancient Greek art, architecture, and culture, Hellenistic Greece corresponds to the period between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the annexation of the classical Greek heartlands by Rome in 146 BC...
, and landed a large army in Boeotia
Boeotia
Boeotia, also spelled Beotia and Bœotia , is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Central Greece. It was also a region of ancient Greece. Its capital is Livadeia, the second largest city being Thebes.-Geography:...
under Ptolemy
Ptolemy (general)
Ptolemy ; died 309 BC) was a nephew of Antigonus, and who served as a general to Alexander the Great who afterwards became king of Asia....
; after which he returned to Asia to co-operate with Antigonus himself, at the Hellespont. In 306 BC
306 BC
Year 306 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Tremulus and Arvina...
we find him present in the great sea-fight
Battle of Salamis in Cyprus (306 BC)
The naval Battle of Salamis took place in 306 BC near Salamis, Cyprus between the fleets of Ptolemy I of Egypt and Demetrius, two of the diadochi, the successors to Alexander the Great...
off Salamis
Salamis, Cyprus
Salamis was an ancient Greek city-state on the east coast of Cyprus, at the mouth of the river Pedieos, 6 km north of modern Famagusta. According to tradition the founder of Salamis was Teucer, son of Telamon, who could not return home after the Trojan war because he had failed to avenge his...
in Cyprus
Ancient history of Cyprus
The ancient history of Cyprus, also known as Classical Antiquity, dates from the 8th century BC to the Middle Ages. The earliest written records relating to Cyprus date to the Middle Bronze Age , see Alasiya.-Assyrian Period:...
, on which occasion he commanded the left wing of the fleet of Demetrius Poliorcetes
Demetrius I of Macedon
Demetrius I , called Poliorcetes , son of Antigonus I Monophthalmus and Stratonice, was a king of Macedon...
. It appears also that he accompanied Antigonus on his unsuccessful expedition against Ptolemaic Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt
Ptolemaic Egypt began when Ptolemy I Soter invaded Egypt and declared himself Pharaoh of Egypt in 305 BC and ended with the death of queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. The Ptolemaic Kingdom was a powerful Hellenistic state, extending from southern Syria in the east, to...
in the same year, but after this we hear no more of him. His authority is cited by Strabo
Strabo
Strabo, also written Strabon was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher.-Life:Strabo was born to an affluent family from Amaseia in Pontus , a city which he said was situated the approximate equivalent of 75 km from the Black Sea...
in a manner that would lead us to conclude he had left some historical work (edition: Fragmente der griechischen Historiker
Fragmente der griechischen Historiker
Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker, commonly abbreviated FGrHist or FGrH , is a collection by Felix Jacoby of the works of those ancient Greek historians whose works have been lost, but of which we have citations, extracts or summaries...
, no. 129), but we find no further mention of him as a writer.