Alcetas


Alcetas (Alketas). Younger brother of Perdiccas (J 13.6.15; D 18.29.2; ASucc 1.21),
hence probably also a son of Orontes of Orestes (cf. A 3.11.9; 6.28.4; AInd 18.5);
possibly of Argead descent (C 10.7.8).30 Born ca. 355, he succeeded Perdiccas as taxiarch of the Lyncestians and Orestians,
perhaps as early as 331/0, though Perdiccas retained nominal command of the taxis (cf. A 3.18.5). In 327 he campaigned with Craterus, Polyperchon, and Attalus in Paraetacene (A 4.22.1; cf. C 8.5.2), receiving the news of the abortive attempt to introduce proskynesis and the conspiracy of Hermolaus in a letter from Alexander (PA 55.6). During the Swat campaign of 327, Alcetas, Attalus, and Demetrius the hipparch attacked the town of Ora, while Coenus  was besieging Bazira = Bir-Kot (A 4.27.5–6);
the honor of taking the town appears to have been reserved for the King himself  (A 4.27.9).31 At the Hydaspes Alcetas’ battalion, along with that of Polyperchon,
remained in the main camp under the direct command of Craterus, with orders  to engage Porus only if he moved to deal with Alexander’s circumventing force or had turned in flight (A 5.11.3–4).
Between 323 and 319, Alcetas served as Perdiccas’ lieutenant, urging him to marry Antipater’s daughter, Nicaea, and remain  on friendly terms with the regent (ASucc 1.21). This advice won out, at least temporarily, though Perdiccas’ negotiations with Cleopatra, conducted through the agency of Eumenes, raised suspicions amongst his political enemies. Otherwise, Alcetas did little to help his brother’s cause. He foolishly put to death Cynnane and caused the army to mutiny and demand that Adea be taken to Perdiccas, where she could marry Philip III Arrhidaeus in accordance with  her mother’s wishes (ASucc 1.22–3; PolStrat 8.60; cf. D 19.52.5). Furthermore, he disregarded orders to serve Eumenes in the defense of Asia Minor against the forces of Craterus and Antipater (D 18.29.2; J 13.6.15;
PEum 5.2), claiming that his Macedonian troops would not fight against Antipater and were favorably disposed toward Craterus (PEum 5.3).

Reference 📚 W. Heckel, Who's who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander's empire, Wiley-Blackwell, 2006

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