Ancient Coin Stories

Kleitos the White was actually a decent general, though his overconfidence eventually did him in.

First of all, the Greeks were not so original in names. In the context of the history of Alexander the Great, far more prominent is Kleitos the Black, who was a close friend of Alexander and who was killed by him during a drunken fight.

Kleitos the White was at the time just another officer named Kleitos. Perhaps feeling that our Kleitos had been too taken in with Persian luxury, Alexander sent him home shortly before his death.

When Kleitos finally reached Macedonia, the region was in chaos due to the Lamian War. Kleitos was one of Antipater‘s principal generals, and served well in defeating Athens twice. Likely due to his service, Antipater gave him the satrapy of Lydia during the treaty of Triparidisus.

After Antipater‘s death, Kleitos chose the side of the royals under Polyperchon. Things were going relatively well when Polyperchon sent him against Antigonos while Polyperchon went to what should have been an easy battle in Megalopolis. There, things went south quickly.

Yet Kleitos still availed himself well. He defeated the general Nikanor, sent by Antigonos against him, in a battle near Byzantion. Feeling pretty keen on the naval victory, Kleitos setup camp on the shore and hosted a party, which was rudely interrupted by Antigonos, who pretty much annihilated Kleitos’ troops.

Kleitos himself escaped the melee and came across some soldiers of Lysimachos. Perhaps he sounded a bit too arrogant, since they killed him.