A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

1. Son of Agenor, a Macedonian officer in the service of Alexander the Great. It is not easy to distinguish the services rendered by him from those of his namesake, the son of Crateuas; but it is remarkable that no mention occurs of either, until the campaigns in India, though they then appear as holding important commands, and playing a prominent part. It is apparently the son of Agenor who is mentioned as commanding one division of the πεζεταῖροι, or foot-guards, in the campaign against the Malli. B. C. 327 (Arr. Anab. 6.6.1, 7, 8), and it was certainly to him that Alexander shortly after confided the government of part of the

Indian provinces, apparently those bordering on the satrapy of Philip. (Id. ib. 15.) Almost immediately after this we find him detached with a considerable army to reduce the Indian king Musicanus, a service which he successfully performed, and brought the chief himself prisoner to Alexander. He again bore an important part in the descent of the Indus, during which he held the separate command of a body of cavalry that marched along the right bank of the river, and rejoined the main army Pattala. (Arr. Anab. 6.17, 20; Curt. 9.81.16.)

From this time we hear no more of him during the life of Alexander : he doubtless remained in his satrapy, the government of which was confirmed to him both in the first partition of the provinces immediately mediately on the king's death, and in the subsequent arrangements at Triparadeisus, B. C. 321. (Diod. 18.3, 39 : Dexippus apud Phot. p. 64b. ; Arrian. ibid. p. 71b; Curt. 10.10.4; Just. 13.4.) It is remarkable that we do not find him taking any part in the war between Eumenes and Antigonus, and it seems probable that he had at that period been dispossessed of his government by Eudemus, who had established his power over great part of the Indian satrapies. But it is clear that he was unfavourably disposed towards Eumenes, and after the fill of that general, B. C. 316, Pithon was rewarded by Antigonus with the important satrapy of Babylon. From thence however he was recalled in B. C. 314, in order to form one of the council of experienced officers who were selected by Antigonus to assist and control his son Demetrius, to whom he had for the first time entrusted the command of an army. Two years later we again find him filling a similar situation and united with the youthful Demetrius in the command of the army in Syria. But he in vain the impetuosity of the young prince, who gave battle to Ptolemy at Gaza, notwithstanding all the remonstrances of Pithon and the other old generals. A complete defeat was the consequence, and Pithon himself fell on the field of battle, B. C. 312. (Diod. 19.56, 69, 82, 85.)