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

(Ἄσανδρος).

1. A son of Philotas and brother of Parmenion. Alexander the Great appointed him in B. C. 334, governor of Lydia and the other parts of the satrapy of Spithridates, and also placed under his command an army strong enough to maintain the Macedonian authority. (Arrian, Arr. Anab. 1.18.) In the beginning of the year B. C. 323, Asander and Nearchus led a number of Greek mercenaries to Alexander, who was then staying at Zariaspa. (4.7.) In the division of the empire after the death of Alexander, in B. C. 323, Asander obtained Caria for his satrapy, in which he was afterwards confirmed by Antipater. (Phot. Bibl. p. 64a, 69, b, 72, a, ed. Bekk.; Diod. 18.3, 39, who in these and other passages uses the name of Cassander instead of Asander, and thus produces a confusion in his account; Justin, 13.4; Curtius, 10.10.) At the command of Antipater he fought against Attalus and Alcetas, both partisans of Perdiccas (Plot. Bibl. p. 72b.), but was conquered by them. In B. C. 317, while Antigonus was engaged in Persia and Media, Asander increased his power in Asia Minor, and was undoubtedly a member of the confederacy which was formed by Ptolemy Lagi and Cassander of Macedonia against Antigonus, although he is not mentioned by Diodorus (19.57) on account of the above mentioned confusion with Cassander. In B. C. 315, when Antigonus began his operations against the confederates, he sent one Ptolemy, a nephew of his, with an army to relieve Amisus, and to expel from Cappadocia the army with which Asander had invaded that country; but as Asander was supported by Ptolemy Lagi and Cassander (Diod. 19.62, 68), he maintained himself until B. C. 313, when Antigonus himself marched against him, and compelled him to conclude a treaty by which he was bound to surrender his whole army, to restore the Greek towns on the coast to freedom, to regard his satrapy of Caria as the gift of Antigonus, and to give his brother Agathon as hostage. But after a few days Asander broke this humiliating treaty: he contrived to get his brother out of the hands of Antigonus, and sent ambassadors to Ptolemy and Seleucus for assistance. Antigonus indignant at these acts, immediately sent out an army to restore the Greek towns to freedom by force of arms. Caria too appears to have been conquered, and Asander from this time disappears from history. (Diod. 19.75.)