Sibyrtius ( ''Sivyrtios''; lived 4th century BC) was a

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

officer from

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in the service of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

, who was the satrap of Arachosia and

Gedrosia Gedrosia (; , ) is the Hellenization, Hellenized name of the part of coastal Balochistan that roughly corresponds to today's Makran. In books about Alexander the Great and his Diadochi, successors, the area referred to as Gedrosia runs from the I ...

shortly after the death of Alexander until about 303 BC. After serving in Alexander's army for a number of years, Sibyrtius was appointed by Alexander, on his return from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

(326 BCE), governor of the province of Carmania. Shortly after, Sibyrtius exchanged this post for the more important

satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median kingdom, Median and Achaemenid Empire, Persian (Achaemenid) Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic empi ...

y of Arachosia and

, to which he succeeded on the death of Thoas (Θόας). Following the death of Alexander in 323, Sibyrtius, in common with most of the other governors of the remote eastern provinces, retained possession of his satrapy, which was again confirmed to him in the second partition at Triparadisus in 321. In the subsequent divisions involving the eastern satraps, Sibyrtius was one of those who supported Peucestas against Peithon and

Seleucus Seleucus or Seleukos (Ancient Greek: Σέλευκος) was a Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonian Greek name, possibly meaning "very bright" or “very white”. It is likely related to the ancient name Zaleucus (Ancient Greek language, Ancient ...

, and afterwards accompanied Peucestas when he joined

Eumenes Eumenes (; ; ) was a Ancient Greece, Greek general, satrap, and Diadoch, Successor of Alexander the Great. He participated in the Wars of Alexander the Great, serving as Alexander's personal secretary and later on as a battlefield commander. Eume ...

in Susiana in 317. His attachment was to Peucestas and not to Eumenes, and in Peucestas' subsequent intrigues against his commander-in-chief, Sibyrtius supported him so strongly that he incurred Eumenes' strong resentment, who threatened to bring him to trial; a fate from which he only escaped by a hasty flight. Sibyrtius' open rupture with Eumenes had the advantage of securing him the favour of Antigonus, who, after the defeat of his rival, confirmed Sibyrtius in his satrapy, and placed under his command a large part of the select body of troops termed Argyraspids. Antigonus adopted this measure with the ostensible object of guarding the Eastern provinces against the neighbouring Indians, but according to

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus or Diodorus of Sicily (; 1st century BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek historian from Sicily. He is known for writing the monumental Universal history (genre), universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty ...

, Antigonus no longer wished to have this group of troops in his domain at all; their turbulent and disaffected spirit was well known. Embassy of Megasthenes

Arrian mentions that Megasthenes, the historian and ambassador of Seleucus to the court of Chandragupta, lived with Sibyrtius, suggesting the latter may have remained at his post as satrap for quite a long time:A.B. Bosworth, 'The Historical Setting of Megasthenes' Indica', CPh 91 (1996), 113-27 :Megasthenes lived with Sibyrtius, satrap of Arachosia, and often speaks of his visiting Sandracottus, the king of the Indians.

Notes

References

*A.B. Bosworth, 'The Historical Setting of Megasthenes' Indica', CPh 91 (1996), 113-27 * Smith, William (editor); ''

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'', ,

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, (1867) *Stoneman, R., The Greek Experience of India (Princeton, 2019). {{Hellenistic satraps Satraps of the Alexandrian Empire Ancient Cretan generals Generals of Alexander the Great 4th-century BC Greek people Governors of Antigonus I Monophthalmus