''Somatophylakes'' (; singular: ''somatophylax'', σωματοφύλαξ) were the bodyguards of high-ranking people in ancient Greece.
The most famous body of ''somatophylakes'' were those of
Philip II of Macedon
Philip II of Macedon (; 382 BC – October 336 BC) was the king (''basileus'') of the ancient kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedonia from 359 BC until his death in 336 BC. He was a member of the Argead dynasty, founders of the ...
and
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 ...
. They consisted of seven men, drawn from the
Macedon
Macedonia ( ; , ), also called Macedon ( ), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, which later became the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by the royal ...
ian nobility, who also acted as high-ranking military officers, holding command positions such as
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry.
In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
or
chiliarch
Chiliarch is a military rank dating back to antiquity. Originally denoting the commander of a unit of about one thousand men (a chiliarchy) in the Macedonian army, it was subsequently used as a Greek translation of a Persian officer who function ...
.
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 ...
appointed
Peucestas
Peucestas (, ''Peukéstas''; lived 4th century BC) was a native of the town of Mieza, in Macedonia, and a distinguished officer in the service of Alexander the Great. His name is first mentioned as one of those appointed to command a trireme on ...
as eighth ''somatophylax'' after the
siege of Malli.
Under Alexander the Great
(Note that this list is speculative in several cases and would be disputed by scholars. For example, Hephaestion was probably not named as early as given below. The only ''complete'' list of Alexander's bodyguard in the original sources is found in Arrian (6.28.4), upon the extraordinary appointment of Peucestas in Carmania.)
;336–334
*
Aristonous,
Lysimachus
Lysimachus (; Greek language, Greek: Λυσίμαχος, ''Lysimachos''; c. 360 BC – 281 BC) was a Thessaly, Thessalian officer and Diadochi, successor of Alexander the Great, who in 306 BC, became king of Thrace, Anatolia, Asia Minor and Mace ...
,
Peithon,
Arybbas,
Balacrus
Balakros (), also Balacrus, the son of Nicanor of Macedon, Nicanor, one of Alexander the Great's "Somatophylakes" (bodyguards), was appointed satrap of Cilicia after the Battle of Issus, 333 BC. He succeeded to the last Achaemenid Empire, Achaem ...
,
Demetrius
Demetrius is the Latinization of names, Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male name, male Greek given names, given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning "devoted to goddess Demeter".
Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, ...
,
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...
*.
;333
*Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas, Balacrus, Demetrius,
Hephaestion
Hephaestion ( ''Hēphaistíōn''; c. 356 BC – 324 BC), son of Amyntor, was an ancient Macedonian nobleman of probable "Attic or Ionian extraction" and a general in the army of Alexander the Great. He was "by far the dearest ...
.
;332
*Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Arybbas,
Menes
Menes ( ; ; , probably pronounced *; and Μήν) was a pharaoh of the Early Dynastic Period of ancient Egypt, credited by classical tradition with having united Upper and Lower Egypt, and as the founder of the First Dynasty.
The identity of M ...
, Demetrius, Hephaestion.
;331
*Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon,
Leonnatus
Leonnatus (; 356 BC – 322 BC) was a Macedonian officer 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 Gre ...
, Menes, Demetrius, Hephaestion.
;330–327
*Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus,
Perdiccas
Perdiccas (, ''Perdikkas''; 355BC – 320BC) was a Macedonian general, successor of Alexander the Great, and the regent of Alexander's empire after his death. When Alexander was dying, he entrusted his signet ring to Perdiccas. Initially ...
,
Ptolemy of Lagus, Hephaestion.
;326–324
*Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy of Lagus, Hephaestion,
Peucestas
Peucestas (, ''Peukéstas''; lived 4th century BC) was a native of the town of Mieza, in Macedonia, and a distinguished officer in the service of Alexander the Great. His name is first mentioned as one of those appointed to command a trireme on ...
.
;323
* Aristonous, Lysimachus, Peithon, Leonnatus, Perdiccas, Ptolemy of Lagus, Peucestas.
Royal agema
The term ''somatophylakes'' is also used to refer to a member of the Royal Hypaspists, the ''agema'', who acted as the King's bodyguard in battle. The Royal Pages would expect to begin their military service in this unit: thus Pausanias,
Philip II's assassin was a member of this corps, not one of the Seven Bodyguards.
W Heckel
['Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great' p.262 and note 638] believes that the Ptolemy* given above for 336 BC was not one of the Seven but commander of this unit. He was killed at Halicarnassus in 334 BC and succeeded by Admetus. The latter was killed at Tyre in 332 BC and appears to have been succeeded by
Hephaestion
Hephaestion ( ''Hēphaistíōn''; c. 356 BC – 324 BC), son of Amyntor, was an ancient Macedonian nobleman of probable "Attic or Ionian extraction" and a general in the army of Alexander the Great. He was "by far the dearest ...
.
See also
*
Companion cavalry
The Companions (, , ''hetairoi'') were the elite heavy cavalry of the Macedonian army from the time of King Philip II of Macedon, achieving their greatest prestige under Alexander the Great, and regarded as the first or among the first shock ca ...
References
* Heckel, Waldemar. "The 'Somatophylakes' of Alexander the Great: Some Thoughts." ''Historia: Zeitschrift für Alte Geschichte'' Bd. 27, H. 1 (1st Qtr. 1978), pp. 224–228.
External links
Somatophylax (Bodyguard)at Livius.org
{{Alexander's Generals
Ancient Greek military terminology
Military ranks of ancient Macedon
Ancient Greek titles
Military units and formations of the Hellenistic world
Military units and formations of ancient Greece