Alexander, nephew ofGonatasKATERINA PANAGOPOULOU

Alexander (ca. 290–245 BCE), son of Krateros,

a half-brother of Antigonos Gonatas and

step-grandchild of Demetrios Poliorketes,

married Nikaia around 279 (Livy 35.26;

Plut. Pelop. 14; Paus. 13.50) and succeeded

his father as Gonatas’ garrison commander at

CORINTH between 270 and 252. He declared

himself independent from the Antigonids and

claimed basileia for himself around 250,

possibly with the backing of the Ptolemies.

He was poisoned at Corinth around 245

(Plut. Arat. 17–18.1).

Our knowledge of Alexander rests on

POMPEIUS TROGUS (Prolegomena 26), PLUTARCH

(Aratus 17–18.1, De amicitia frat. 15), brief

mentions in POLYBIUS (20.4.4), the Suda (s.v.

“Euphorion”), and three decrees illustrating

the impact of his revolt at Corinth upon

ATHENS (IG II2 1225) and ERETRIA (IG II2 774,

IG XII 9.212). In the first decree, the Athenian

residents on Salamis honor the Antigonid

strategos of Piraeus and of other forts,

Herakleitos, son of Asklepiades, for protecting

their chora from pirates during the war

against Alexander and for punishing those

soldiers who abandoned Salamis to join

Alexander’s army. In IG II2 774, the Eretrians

honor Aristomachos of Argos for insisting

on including the Athenians in the truce that

Alexander offered him. In IG XII 9.212, the

Eretrians honor Arrhidaios, son of Alexandros,

a Macedonian officer, for helping the Greeks to

expel garrisons from their cities (Billows 1993).

Alexander was recognized as king by

Euboean cities; he made CHALCIS his second

capital and the Eretrians honored him as

“king” and their “benefactor.” He may also

have reorganized Euboea’s federal institutions,

launched some confederal bronze coins

(Picard 1979: 272–3, nos. 22–6), and put

pressure through pirates on Gonatas, who

maintained control of Athens and Piraeus.

The revolt of the key Antigonid naval base

at Corinth damaged the network of cities con-

trolled by Gonatas in southern Greece and gen-

erated new coalitions. Alexander approached

ARATOS OF SIKYON, who prompted rebellions

against tyrants of cities in the Peloponnese to

the benefit of the ACHAIAN LEAGUE. This severe

blow to Macedonian sovereignty in the Pelo-

ponnese was halted by Alexander’s premature

death in ca. 245, subsequent to which Gonatas

regained control of Corinth and the status quo

ante was restored.

SEE ALSO: Antigonos II Gonatas; Euboea;

Sikyon.

REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS

Billows, R. A. (1990)Antigonus the One-Eyed and the

creation of the Hellenistic state, app. 3: nos. 10

(368–9) and 60 (396–7). Berkeley.

Billows, R. A. (1993) “IG XII 9.212, a Macedonian

officer at Eretria.” Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und

Epigraphik 96: 249–57.

Orsi, D. P. (1987) “La Rivolta di Alessandro,

governatore di Corinto.” Sileno 13:

103–22.

Picard, O. (1979) Chalkis et la confederation

eubeenne: etude de numismatique et d’histoire,

IVe-Ier siecle. Athens.

Scholten, J. B. (2000) The politics of plunder,

Aitolians and their Koinon in the early Hellenistic

era, 279–217 BC. London.

The Encyclopedia of Ancient History, First Edition. Edited by Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine,

and Sabine R. Huebner, print pages 303–304.

© 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Published 2013 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

DOI: 10.1002/9781444338386.wbeah09020

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