Peonia, patraos, tetradracma, 335-315 ac ca

Ariston ( grc-gre, Ἀρίστων) was a member of the

Paionia In antiquity, Paeonia or Paionia ( grc, Παιονία, Paionía) was the land and kingdom of the Paeonians or Paionians ( grc, Παίονες, Paíones). The exact original boundaries of Paeonia, like the early history of its inhabitants, a ...

n royal house, possibly brother of King

Patraus Patraus (Greek Πατράος; 340 BC – 315 BC) was an ancient Paeonian king preceded by Lycceius and succeeded by Audoleon. It has been proposed that Ariston, who notably served as a cavalry general to Alexander the Great Alex ...

and father of the later king,

Audoleon Audoleon (Greek: Αὐδολέων or Αὐδωλέων; ''gen''.: Αὐδολέοντος/Αὐδωλέωντος; 315–285 BC) was an ancient Paeonian king son of Patraus, Agis or Ariston, the general of Alexander the Great.Heckel 2006, p. 2 ...

. His service with

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

, like that of the Thracian

Sitalces II Sitalces ( grc, Σιτάλκης) was apparently a prince of the Odrysian royal house, possibly even the son of Cersobleptes. He was leader of a body of Thracian light-armed troops (javelin-men, ''akontistai''), who accompanied Alexander the Great ...

and others, helped to ensure the loyalty of his nation to

Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...

in the King's absence. He was the commander of the unit of Paionian cavalry. Initially only one squadron strong, the Paionians received 500 reinforcements in Egypt and a further 600 at Susa. At the

Battle of Gaugamela The Battle of Gaugamela (; grc, Γαυγάμηλα, translit=Gaugámela), also called the Battle of Arbela ( grc, Ἄρβηλα, translit=Árbela), took place in 331 BC between the forces of the Army of Macedon under Alexander the Great a ...

the Paionian cavalry were placed on the right flank with the

sarissophoroi The ''sarissophoroi'' (, bearers; singular: ''sarissophoros'' ), also called '' prodromoi'', were a unit of light cavalry in the ancient Macedonian army. Overview In the primary sources Arrian mentions that the Macedonian officer Aretes comman ...

. In 331BC the Paionian cavalry routed a large force of Persian cavalry near the Tigris, Ariston personally slew the Persian leader Satropates; he then presented Alexander with the Persian's severed head. He asked Alexander for a gold cup as a reward for his feat, and the king publicly saluted him and drank to his health."Satropates' death may be depicted on the coinage of the Paeonian king, Patraus, who appears to have been Ariston's brother (Merker 1965: 44-5; ...)"

References

Bibliography

*Ashley, J.R. (2004) ''The Macedonian Empire: The Era of Warfare Under Philip II and Alexander the Great, 359-323 B.C.'' McFarland. *Heckel, W. (1992) ''The Marshalls of Alexander's Empire'', Psychology Press *Heckel, W. (2006) ''Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great: Prosopography of Alexander's Empire'' {{Paionians Generals of Alexander the Great Paeonian people