A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

Smith, William

A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. William Smith, LLD, ed. 1890

(Μένανδρος).

1. An officer in the service of Alexander, one of those called ἑταῖροι, but who held the command of a body of mercenaries. He was appointed by Alexander, during the settlement of the affairs of Asia made by that monarch when at Tyre (B. C. 331), to the government of Lydia, and appears to have remained at that post till the year 323, when he was commissioned to conduct a reinforcement of troops to Alexander at Babylon, where he arrived just before the king's last illness. (Arrian, Arr. Anab. 3.6.12, 7.23.2.) In the division of the provinces, after the death of Alexander, he received his former government of Lydia, of which he hastened to take possession. (Arrian, apud Phot. p. 69b.; Dexippus, ibid. p. 64a.; Just. 13.4; Curt. 10.30.2; Diod. 18.3, erroncouly has Meleager instead.) He appears to have early attached himself to the party of Antigonus, to whom he was the first to give information of the ambitious schemes of Perdiccas for marrying Cleopatra. (Arrian, apud Phot. p. 70b.) In the new distribution of the provinces at Triparadeisus he lost his government of Lydia, which was given to Cleitus (Id. p. 72a.); but this was probably only in order that he might cooperate the more freely with Antigonus, as we find him commanding a part of the army of the latter in the first campaign against Eumenes (B. C. 320). The following year, on learning the escape of Eumenes from Nora, he advanced with an army into Cappadocia to attack him, and compelled him to take refuge in Cilicia. (Plut. Eum. 9; Diod. 18.59.) From this time no farther mention of Menander is found in history.