' Aristonous of

Pella Pella ( el, Πέλλα) is an ancient city located in Central Macedonia, Greece. It is best-known for serving as the capital city of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon, and was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. On site of the ancient cit ...

( grc, Ἀριστόνους), son of Peisaeus (Πεισαῖος), who was one of the

somatophylakes ''Somatophylakes'' ( el, Σωματοφύλακες; singular: ''somatophylax'', σωματοφύλαξ) were the bodyguards of high-ranking people in ancient Greece. The most famous body of ''somatophylakes'' were those of Philip II of Macedon a ...

''bodyguards'' of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

, distinguished himself greatly on one occasion in India. On the death of Alexander, he was one of the first to propose that the supreme power should be entrusted to

Perdiccas Perdiccas ( el, Περδίκκας, ''Perdikkas''; 355 BC – 321/320 BC) was a general of Alexander the Great. He took part in the Macedonian campaign against the Achaemenid Empire, and, following Alexander's death in 323 BC, rose to beco ...

. He was subsequently Olympias' general in the war with

Cassander Cassander ( el, Κάσσανδρος ; c. 355 BC – 297 BC) was king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia from 305 BC until 297 BC, and ''de facto'' ruler of southern Greece from 317 BC until his death. A son of Antipater and a conte ...

; and when Olympias was taken prisoner in 316 BC, he was put to death by order of Cassander. Aristonous is described as of both

ean and

Eordaea Eordaea ( el, Ἐορδαία) was a geographical region of upper Macedonia and later an administrative region of the kingdom of Macedon. Eordaea was located south of Lynkestis, west of Emathia, north of Elimiotis and east of Orestis.Di ...

n in origin,Arrian, ''Indica'' 18.5 which would mean that he was from Eordaea but raised at the court in Pella. According to Plutarch, a certain somatophylax, Aristophanes, took away Alexander's sword when he was quarrelling with

Cleitus the Black Cleitus the Black ( grc-gre, Κλεῖτος ὁ μέλας; c. 375 BC – 328 BC), was an officer of the Macedonian army led by Alexander the Great. He saved Alexander's life at the Battle of the Granicus in 334 BC and was killed by him in a drun ...

, but this reference seems to be confused with Aristonous.

Notes

References

* ''Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great'' by Waldemar Heckel Generals of Alexander the Great Ancient Pellaeans Ancient Eordaeans Executed ancient Macedonian people Somatophylakes Trierarchs of Nearchus' fleet People from Pella (regional unit) Date of birth unknown 316 BC deaths 4th-century BC Macedonians {{AncientGreece-bio-stub