The fight of Eumenes of Cardia against Neoptolemus, Wars of the Diadochi

Phoenix ( grc, Φοῖνιξ; lived 4th century BC) was a native of

Tenedos Tenedos (, ''Tenedhos'', ), or Bozcaada in Turkish language, Turkish, is an island of Turkey in the northeastern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively, the island constitutes the Bozcaada, Çanakkale, Bozcaada district of Çanakkale Provinc ...

, who held a high rank in the army of

Eumenes Eumenes (; grc-gre, Εὐμένης; c. 362316 BC) was a Greek general and satrap. He participated in the Wars of Alexander the Great, serving as both Alexander's personal secretary and as a battlefield commander. He later was a participant in t ...

, 321 BC. ;Battle of the Hellespont (321 BC) In the great

Battle of the Hellespont (321 BC) The Battle of the Hellespont took place in 321 BC between the armies of Craterus and Neoptolemus against Eumenes. It was part of the wars between Alexander's successors. Eumenes and Neoptolemus were sent by Perdiccas to prevent Craterus cross ...

fought by the latter against

Craterus Craterus or Krateros ( el, Κρατερός; c. 370 BC – 321 BC) was a Macedonian general under Alexander the Great and one of the Diadochi. Throughout his life he was a loyal royalist and supporter of Alexander the Great.Anson, Edward M. (20 ...

and

Neoptolemus In Greek mythology, Neoptolemus (; ), also called Pyrrhus (; ), was the son of the warrior Achilles and the princess Deidamia, and the brother of Oneiros. He became the mythical progenitor of the ruling dynasty of the Molossians of ancient Epi ...

, the command of the left wing, which was opposed to Craterus, was entrusted to Phoenix and Pharnabazus, and composed principally of Asiatic troops; Eumenes being apprehensive of opposing any

Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an ancient kingdom on the periphery of Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. The kingdom was founded and initially ruled by ...

ians to a general so popular with his countrymen. As soon as they came in sight of the enemy the two commanders charged the army of Craterus, which was unable to withstand the shock, and the aged general himself perished in the confusion. Shortly after we find Phoenix despatched by Eumenes with a select force against his revolted general

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 becom ...

, whom he surprised by a rapid night march, and took him prisoner almost without opposition. ;Fall of Eumenes After the fall of Eumenes (316 BC) Phoenix appears to have entered the service of Antigonus, but in 310 BC he was persuaded by

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...

(the nephew and general of Antigonus), to whom he was attached by the closest friendship, to join the latter in his defection from Antigonus. Phoenix at this time held the important command of the

Hellespontine Phrygia Hellespontine Phrygia ( grc, Ἑλλησποντιακὴ Φρυγία, Hellēspontiakē Phrygia) or Lesser Phrygia ( grc, μικρᾶ Φρυγία, mikra Phrygia) was a Persian satrapy (province) in northwestern Anatolia, directly southeast of t ...

, on which account Antigonus hastened to send an army against him under the command of his younger son

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...

. The result of the operations is not mentioned; but Phoenix seems to have been not only pardoned by Antigonus, but received again into favour: and in the campaign which preceded the

battle of Ipsus The Battle of Ipsus ( grc, Ἱψός) was fought between some of the Diadochi (the successors of Alexander the Great) in 301 BC near the town of Ipsus in Phrygia. Antigonus I Monophthalmus, the Macedonian ruler of large parts of Asia, and his so ...

(302 BC), we find him holding the command of

Sardis Sardis () or Sardes (; Lydian: 𐤳𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣 ''Sfard''; el, Σάρδεις ''Sardeis''; peo, Sparda; hbo, ספרד ''Sfarad'') was an ancient city at the location of modern ''Sart'' (Sartmahmut before 19 October 2005), near Salihli, ...

, which he was, however, induced to surrender to

Prepelaus Prepelaus ( el, Πρεπέλαος) (4th century BC) was a general in the service of Cassander, king of Macedonia. In 317 BC, Cassander sent Prepelaus and Eupolemus as joint commanders of an army to support Asander in Caria, in cooperation against ...

, the general of

Lysimachus Lysimachus (; Greek: Λυσίμαχος, ''Lysimachos''; c. 360 BC – 281 BC) was a Thessalian officer and successor of Alexander the Great, who in 306 BC, became King of Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedon. Early life and career Lysimachus was b ...

. This is the last time his name is mentioned.

References

* Smith, William (editor); ''

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 p ...

''
"Phoenix (2)"

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, (1867)

Notes

---- {{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix Of Tenedos Generals of Eumenes Ancient Greek generals 4th-century BC Greek people Tenedos People from Tenedos