Parallel Lives

[dean]

Hello,
I was curious to find out first, if Alexander had any type of guard designed to protect him, a bodyguard so to speak- similar to the Roman Praetorian guard was for the emperor of Rome and if so what was the name of it.
I know that the "hetairos" couldn't be put under this category because they were a military body.
Thanks for your help in advance,
Dean.

[J%hn]

The Royal Bodyguards (somatophylakes basilikoi), consisting of only 7 or 8 men, including Hephaistion, Perdiccas, Ptolemy... The inner circle.John

[agesilaos]

There were several Guard units; the hypaspistae performed function most akin to the Praetorians, they guard the king at civil functions, frequently none too well, and assumed a political role under the successors. On the feild Alexander was guarded by the Eile Basilike of the Companions although the agema of the hypaspists would perform that function were he fighting on foot.The Pages would gaurd the king when he was sleeping it seems. The somatophylakes basilike were more like a high command than areal guard.

[J%hn]

Well, at least "somatophylakes" translates into english as "bodyguard." Of course, they don't protect against wicked butlers (Iolas).John

[agesilaos]

That is quite true but Greek authors use somatopylax to refer to the hypaspists more often than to the Inner Seven, they use doryphoros for variety, only works based on Macedonian grounded histories even attempt to use the technical nomenclature and frequently it seems they are none too sure of its meaning either!

[agesilaos]

Curious that you say the hetairoi could not be analogous as thay were a military body; the Praetorian Guard were very definitely a military body being in effect an overstrength legion and are frequently found in the field and not only in the civil wars, Cornelius Fuscus te Praetorian Prefect managed to get massacred in Dacia with his whole command under Domitian who seems not to have been present himself. There is a good little piece in Juvenal about him Satire IV I think about a monstrous turbot and a mock consilium

[dean]

Hello,
First, thanks once again for your help in this matter.
I initially believed that the Praetorian guard were more of a unit mainly for protection or a bodyguard for the emperor than for being present on the battlefield, thus my comment. But I see that they also had their use on the battlefied.
Also, after a lesson in Greek etymology I found out the following. The term doryphorus, etymologically means spear bearer as hypaspistis means shield bearer.Interestingly in Greek- Soma means "body" and phylakas means guard- "bodyguard" when joined.
Eile Basiliske means- royal guard and I suppose were the elite of the hetairo.
Best regards,
Dean.

[yiannis]

Also in Greek another term for "Somatophylakas" is Doryforos. But we call doryforos also the satellites because they are constantly accompanying another celestial body...

[agesilaos]

Almost eile means squadron, and the Royal one was oversize as well as elite. As an aside but related I have a notion that the Hypaspistai were also involved in internal order and revenue collection, though the evidence is late (when they were known as Peltaphoroi)The armament and function of this body is, and always will be a topic of debate. Were they hoplites, peltasts or elite phalangites?

[marcus]

I have been constantly puzzled about the arms and armour of the hypaspists. The most current thinking appears to be that they were basically the same as the pezhetairoi, but were more versatile and mobile - they were more likely to change their armour and weapons, depending on what was required of them.I got a bit confused about the discussion of the somatophylakes, having come to the thread rather late. The 7 somatophylakes were most definitely bodyguards, as we understand the term nowadays; in Arrian the hypaspists are also referred to as somatophylakes at times - I suppose they would be the equivalent of the Household Regiments of the British army (as they used to be, rather than as they are now).All the bestMarcus

[yiannis]

I also think that the 7 Somatophylakes were not bodyguads with today's meaning of the word bodyguard. The actual work os security would have been assigned to an elite corps of the Hypaspistai.Btw, Karl I didn't know about the term "Peltoforoi". In Greek "pelti" leans shield so these people were also called "shieldbeares". It's just another wording of Hypaspistis.

[J%hn]

My favorite bodyguard of Alexander was that crazy woman. Everyone else thought she was crazy, anyway; Alexander called her divinely possessed. He would let her watch over him while he slept.John

[susa]

What's the name of this woman?tx

[J%hn]

I'm not sure what her name was, but I think she once saved Alexander's life from an assassination plot. This is from Arrian:"But it so happened according to some writers that Alexander went on drinking unprompted till daybreak, whereas Aristobulus tells this story. A Syrian woman possessed by the divine spirit followed Alexander constantly; at first she was a laughing-stock both to Alexander and his court; but when it became clear that everything she uttered came true, Alexander no longer treated her with contempt but gave her access to his person day and night and she now often watched over him as he slept. So on this occassion, when Alexander ceased from his potations, she met him, while possessed by the divine spirit, and begged him to return and continue drinking all night long; Alexander believed this to be a divine sign, returned to his cups, and the boys' plot came to nothing."John

[dean]

Had completely forgotten about the story,
Thanks,
Dean.