Amphoterus (admiral)

Amphoterus (Greek: Ἀμφοτερός) the brother of Craterus, was appointed by Alexander the Great commander of the fleet in the Hellespont in 333 BC. Amphoterus' appointment recognized his successful attempts to subdue the islands between Greece and Asia which did not acknowledge Alexander, cleared Crete of the Persians and pirates, and sail on to Peloponnese in 331 BC, where he put down a rising against the Macedonian power.

Rebellion in the Peloponnese

There is disagreement among historical sources concerning Amphoterus' efforts to squash the rebellion in the Peloponnese. The Roman historian Quintus Curtius Rufus claims that in 331. Amphoterus was sent from the Palestinian coast to Crete with orders to attack the enemy Persians holding the island in a blockade.[1] His contemporary, the Roman historian Arrian, claims that Amphoterus was already stationed in the area of Crete, and was ordered to sail for the Peloponnese coast.[2] A. B. Bosworth, professor of classics and ancient history at the University of Western Australia, believes that the conflict can possibly be resolved as cultural dissonance between the ancient geographical view and our modern geographical view. He mentions that looking at the Periplus, a work attributed to Scylax of Caryanda, it appears that Crete was considered part of the Peloponnese geographical area at the time. As a result, Bosworth argues, both historians are referring to the same general area of Amphoterus' operations.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Rufius, Quintus Curtius. Histories of Alexander the Great. pp. iii 1, iv 5, 8.
  2. ↑ Arrianus, Lucius Flavius. Anabasis of Alexander. pp. i 25, iii 6.
  3. ↑ Bosworth, A. B. (1975). The Mission of Amphoterus and the Outbreak of Agis' War. Classical Association of Canada.
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Amphoterus". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
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