Sardeis 323-319 BCE
14mm 4.45g
Minted by Menander or Kleitos the White
Price 2605
Menander did well for himself by choosing the right leaders. After accompanying Alexander the Great into Asia and leading a group of mercenaries, he was rewarded with the satrapy of Lydia.
After Alexander‘s death, Menander used his presumably refined brown-nosing skills to retrain his satrapy, but in the Treaty of Triparidisus his satrapy was given to Kleitos.
However, that doesn’t seem to have been a punishment, as he’d already cozied up to Antigonos I Monophthalmos by betraying Kleopatra‘s plan to marry Ptolemy to him. No longer in charge of a satrapy, Menander’s new job was Brown-Noser-in-Chief to Antigonos.
Menander participated in the chase of Eumenes, but after that we have no record. Did Eumenes kill him? Did Menander have a heart attack while riding one day? Did he have some bad sushi? We may never know.
Menander is a commander of infantry under Alexander III.
March
Menander becomes satrap of Lydia.
Menander sends 2,600 Lydian infantry and 300 cavalry to Alexander III.
May
Menander arrives in Babylon with fresh troops.
Menander defects from Perdikkas to Antigonos Monophthalmos.
Partition of Triparadisos. Abydos is given to Arrhidaios. Susa goes to Antigenes. Antipater is left in charge of Macedonia and is entrusted with Alexander IV and Philip III. Asandros is confirmed with Caria. Kleitos the White receives Lydia, replacing Menander. Laomedon is confirmed as satrap of Koele-Syria. Peithon is confirmed in Kophen. Seleukos receives Babylon.
Estimated death year of Menander in Cappadocia.