392-388 BCE; Satrap of Ionia and Lydia, 380-355 BCE.
AE 10 mm, 1.3 gm
Obv: Head right, wearing satrapal headdress.
Rev: Grain ear and Monoskelis.
W.Weiser, NNB 9, 199 17; Winzer 11.8
Ex Gitbud Naumann
Ex Praefectus Coins
It is believed that Autophradates never lost a battle against Alexander the Great. He acheieved this feat by never facing him in combat. Instead, he wandered around with Pharnabazos III, son of Artabazos II, in the Persian armada while searching for dastardly deeds.
Perhaps had Memnon of Rhodes survived the siege of Mytilene, Autophradates and company would have caused more damage, but in reality they just occupied a few islands and financed a Spartan revolt. The Spartans were eventually dealt with by Antipater, while it isn’t clear what happened to Autophradates.
Eventually, when the writing was on the wall about Darius III, Autophradates supposedly begged for his life from Alexander III in 330 BCE. Alexander, being a nice person who only killed those who weren’t peaceful, gave him the satrapy of the Mardians, then assigned his previous satrapy of Lydia to Menander.