Leonnatus

Leonnatus

Leonnatus was the son of Anteas, a member of the royal house of Lyncestis, a small kingdom in the valley of the Crna that had been included in Macedonia by king Philip, the father of Alexander and the son of a mother who belonged to the Lyncestian dynasty.

Leonnatus, being a distant relative of Alexander, must have been close to the crown prince. They were of the same age and may have shared the same teachers (e.g., the famous Macedonian philosopher Aristotle of Stagira). The Lyncestian prince was present when Philip was assassinated in October 336 and played a role in the pursuit and killing of the killer.

When Alexander set out against Persia, Leonnatus was in his personal company. Military commands are unknown, but he played a role in the aftermath of the battle of Issus (November 333). The Persian king Darius III Codomannus had been defeated, his chariot and bow captured, and his mother, wife, and daughters taken prisoner. When the women saw the bow and chariot, they thought that Darius was dead, and started mourning. Alexander sent Leonnatus to inform them that Darius was not dead, and that they need not fear any harm (text).

When Alexander was in Egypt, one of his seven bodyguards died, and Leonnatus was appointed as successor. This meant that he was very close to the king and could exercise great influence. He could make and break people, as Philotas was to discover in October 330: the cavalry officer was suspected of treason and Leonnatus was one of his accusers. He was executed. On the other hand, when Alexander was angry with the aged officer Clitus and wanted to kill him, Leonnatus tried to prevent the murder. However, this time, he had insufficient influence on his king (Autumn 328). Later, he discovered a conspiracy among the pages.

There is a strange story that Leonnatus was so fond of wrestling, that he took trainers and dromedary-loads of sand wherever he went in Asia. If there is any truth to this, we must date it in these years.

In the Summer of 327, Alexander wanted to introduce the Persian custom of proskynesis at his court. Most Macedonians felt offended by what they considered to be an act of slavish submissiveness. Leonnatus even started to laugh and make fun of the ritual, which caused Alexander's anger. They were reconciled,