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Craterus
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'''Craterus''' (c.
370 BC -
321 BC,
Greek:''ΚÏ?ατεÏ?ός'') was a
Macedonian general under
Alexander the Great and one of the
Diadochi.
Image:alexander_craterus.jpg thumb|250px|right|[[Alexander the Great|Alexander and
Craterus in a lion hunt, mosaic in
Pella]]
He was the son of a Macedonian nobleman named Alexander. Craterus commanded with the complete
phalanx and all infantry on the left wing in
battle of Issus (
333 BC). In
Hyrcania he was sent on a mission against the
Tapurians, his first independent command with the Macedonian army. At the
Battle of the Hydaspes River (
326 BC, near modern Jhelum) he commanded the rearguard, which stayed on the western bank; his men crossed the battle only during the final stages of the battle.
At large festivites in
Susa, Craterus married princess
Amastris, daughter of
Oxyathres of Persia Oxyathres, the brother of
Darius III of Persia Darius III. Craterus and
Polyperchon were appointed to lead 11,500 veteran soldiers back to Macedonia. Craterus was in
Cilicia, where he was building the fleet, when Alexander unexpectedly died in
Babylon.
According to ancient Greek sources, Alexander had given his ring to
Perdiccas, saying that he gave his empire ''kratistôi'', or "to the strongest". Some scholars have speculated that what Alexander actually said was that he gave his kingdom 'to Craterus', another possible inerpretation of his last words.[http://www.livius.org/pen-pg/perdiccas/perdiccas.htm]
In
322 BC Craterus aided
Antipater in
Lamian War against
Athens. He sailed with his Cilician navy to Greece and led troops at the
battle of Crannon in 322 BC. When
Antigonus I Monophthalmus Antigonus rose in rebellion against
Perdiccas and
Eumenes, Craterus joined him, alongside Antipater and
Ptolemy I of Egypt Ptolemy. He married Antipater's daughter
Phila of Macedonia Phila. He was killed in battle against
Eumenes in
Asia Minor, somewhere near the
Hellespont, in
321 BC.
External links
-
Short biography from livius.org
Category:370 BC births
Category:321 BC deaths
Category:Ancient Greeks
Category:Ancient Greek generals
de:Krateros
es:Cratero
fr:Cratère (général)
no:Craterus
fi:Krateros
pl:Krateros
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