Asander or Asandros (
Greek: Άσανδρoς; lived 4th century BC) was the son of
Philotas and brother of
Parmenion and
Agathon.[1][2][3] He was a
Macedonian general under
Alexander the Great, and
satrap of
Lydia from 334 BC as well as satrap of
Caria after Alexander's death.[4] During Alexander's reign Asander's position suffered for a period following Parmenion's execution, he was sent to
Media to gather reinforcements during this time, and a year later was sent to
Bactra.[1]
Rule
Satrap of Lydia
In 334 BC Alexander appointed him governor of
Lydia and the other parts of the
satrapy of
Spithridates, and also placed under his command an army of cavalry and light infantry strong enough to maintain the
Macedonian authority.[2][5] At the beginning of 328, Asander and
Nearchus led a number of Greek mercenaries to join Alexander, who was then located at
Zariaspa.[4][6][7]
Satrap of Caria
In the division of the empire after the death of Alexander in 323, Asander obtained
Caria for his satrapy, in which he was afterwards confirmed by
Antipater.[8][9][10] While acting as satrap of Caria he fought at the command of Antipater against
Attalus and
Alcetas, both supporters of
Perdiccas,[8] but was defeated by them. He also supported the Iranian colonists in Caria by increasing the position of local
Zoroastrians.[11]
In 317, while
Antigonus was campaigning against
Eumenes in
Persia and
Media, Asander increased his power in
Asia Minor, expanding into
Lycia and
Cappadocia; and was undoubtedly a member of the alliance which was formed by
Ptolemy, ruler of
Egypt, and
Cassander, ruler of Macedonia, against Antigonus.[9][12] In 315, when Antigonus began his operations against the forces allied against him, he sent a general named
Ptolemy, a nephew of his, with an army to relieve
Amisus, and to expel from Cappadocia the army loyal to Asander which had invaded that country.[7][13] However, as Asander was supported by Ptolemy and Cassander,[14] he was able to maintain his control of his territories.
In 313 Antigonus decided to march against Asander and forced him to conclude a treaty with him under which he was required to surrender his whole army,[9] to restore the areas he had expanded into back to the satraps who had previously controlled those areas, to regard his satrapy of Caria as subject to the gift of Antigonus,[15] and to surrender his brother
Agathon as a hostage. After a few days Asander breached this humiliating treaty. He managed to get his brother out of the hands of Antigonus and sent ambassadors to Ptolemy and
Seleucus seeking their assistance. Antigonus was indignant at these acts and immediately sent out an army to restore the territories covered by the treaty by force of arms. Caria also appears to have been conquered and from this time Asander disappears from the historical record.[16]
^Gildersleeve, Basil Lanneau; Miller, Charles William Emil; Frank, Tenney; Meritt, Benjamin Dean; Cherniss, Harold Fredrik; Rowell, Henry Thompson (1977).
American Journal of Philology. Johns Hopkins University Press.