
Peithon (354-314 BC) was a Macedonian nobleman who served as a somatophylax (bodyguard) of Alexander the Great, as Satrap of Media, and as one of the diadochi who ruled over the fragmented Macedonian empire following Alexander's death.
Biography[]
Peithon was born in Eordaia, western Macedon in 354 BC to a family of Illyrian origin, and, in 335 BC, he was named one of Alexander the Great's seven somatophylakes bodyguards. After Alexander's death in 323 BC, Peithon was made the Satrap of Media, but the power which came with controlling such a large region was too much for the other diadochi (successors) to bear, forcing Peithon to cede the northern part of the region to Atropates (whose realm became known as Media Atropatene). Peithon was later sent by Perdiccas to crush rebellions against his rule, but, in 320 BC, Peithon, Seleucus, and Antigenes betrayed and murdered Perdiccas. Ptolemy initially planned to make Peithon the new regent of Macedon, but the other diadochi had Antipater made the new regent instead. After Antipater's death, Peithon attempted to assert his control over the eastern satrapies, and he conquered Parthia. Satrap Peucestas of Persia defeated Peithon and drove him from Parthia, leading to Peithon attempting to secure military assistance from Seleucus. Peithon's rivalry with Peucestas drove him to join Antigonus I Monophthalmus during his war with Peucestas' ally Eumenes, and Peithon once again became the ruler of a vast realm in the east. Antigonus came to distrust Peithon, so he tricked him into coming to his court, where he had him executed.