Harpalus

[lucian]

I don't know when and how Harpalus died, can someone tell me?

[marcus]

I'm a bit embarrassed to have to say that I'm not entirely sure, off the top of my head.If I *do* recall correctly, he was murdered by one of his followers, following his expulsion from Athens. I also *think* that it was in 323 - I don't think he outlived Alexander for long, but I'm pretty sure he outlived him for a bit.All the bestMarcus

[Jim Boudreaux]

From Athens Harpalus escaped to Cydonia in Crete, where Thibron, his second in command, murdered him in October of 324.

[marcus]

Oh, it was in 324, was it?Well, there you go - shows what happens when you don't have any way of checking these things!Cheers, Jim.Marcus

[amyntoros]

Jim, can you tell me the source for this? I still don't have Volume 9 of Diodorus and am wondering if that's where the info is to be found. An interesting snippet from Plutarch's Life of Phocion. Harpalus had a daughter by Pythonice and "After Harpalus's own decease, his daughter was educated by Phocion and Charicles with great care." Curious that the words "with great care" are used here. Doesn't it sound like they had plans for her? :-)Best regards,Linda Ann

[kenny]

Hail Comrades.I always wondered with Harpalus,,, Just how he got away with his scams,, If I am not sure the time when he fled was the second time of doing so,, And how good was Alexanders network of spies etc for him to live like a king and abuse his situation.Record show that Alexander was very brutal towards treason and any wrong doings,,, Parmenio, Philotas and Callisthenese. How did he get away with it for so long,, And following the way Harpalus behaved,,, Its really understandable Alexanders purging and clearing out those who had abused there power in his absence.I would imagine that those he did execute were for reasons of their guilt,,, They must have honestlty thought Alexander wouldnt come back then its a case.While the cats away the mice will play,,, Only the cat came back.Kenny

[Jim Boudreaux]

I took this information from Bosworth in Conquest and Empire pg 217 where he states that in Crete "...he [Harpalus] was murdered by his lieutenant Thribon, no later than October 324." A footnote on this refers to Appendix A where he goes into some detail on his dating of Thibrons actions based on Arrian and Diodorus (book 9 as you guessed). In that appendix he states that "it is virtually impossible that Harpalus left Athens later than mid-september 324." He also states that Thibron sailed from Crete to Cyrenaica in October 324 which event was subsequent to the murder of Harpalus.

[lucian]

THANKS PEOPLE!!!!! :0)

[Halil]

Hello KennyUnder what circumstances, if you were Alexander, do you think you might have forgiven Harpalus?RegardsHalil

[kenny]

Halil HailI would forgive Harpalus if he went to Athens and brought me the head of Demosthenese.Then I would have cut Harpalus thieving hands off as the Arabs do.Kenny

[abm]

there is a book by C.W. Blackwell which deals inter alia with the question why the Athenians didn't respond to any of the Macedonian requests to deliver Harpalus:C.W. BLACKWELL, In the Absence of Alexander. Harpalus and the Failure of Macedonian Authority (Lang Classical Studies 12), New York 1999.Evidently not everyone agrees with his views.

[Halil]

Hail Kenny!I guess that's what makes Alexander so different! (laughing)Halil