Diogenes Euergetes was the Macedonian

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

commander in Athens, who died in

229 BC __NOTOC__ Year 229 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Albinus and Centumalus (or, less frequently, year 525 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 229 BC for this year has b ...

. He handed over the

Port of Piraeus The Port of Piraeus () is the chief sea port of Athens, located on the Saronic Gulf on the western coasts of the Aegean Sea, the largest port in Greece and List of busiest ports in Europe, one of the largest in Europe. The Chinese state-owned CO ...

to the Athenians, making Athens free from foreign military occupation for the first time in 65 years. "For reasons that are not explained in any surviving text", he was named the "benefactor" (

Euergetes (, ), meaning "the Benefactor" (from , "good", + , "doer, worker"), was an epithet, an honoring title, given to various benefactors. Euergetism (literally "doing good deeds") was the practice of high-status and wealthy individuals distributing ...

) of the city, along with a festival, the ''Diogeneia'' (Διογένεια), and gymnasium, the ''Diogeneion'' (Διογένειον), having been set up in his honor.

References

{{reflist Ancient Greek garrison commanders 229 BC deaths