Aristodemus of Miletus

Aristodemus (Greek Ἀριστόδημος; † after 306 BC) of Miletus was a follower of Antigonus Monophthalmos during Diadochenkriege in the 4th century BC.

At the beginning of the third Diadochenkrieges in the spring of 314 BC Aristodemus was sent by Antigonus with 1,000 talents to the Peloponnese to there to negotiate an alliance with Polyperchon and a mercenary army digging, with whom he was to lead the fight against Cassander. He landed in Laconia and received by the Spartans permission mercenaries to advertise with them, so that he could set up an army of 8,000 mercenaries soon. He then met with Polyperchon with which he was able to successfully negotiate the alliance and his son Alexander was sent to this affirmation to Asia to Antigonus. Before Tyros Antigonus proclaimed to the right to autonomy of the Greek poleis and complained Cassander various offenses against the Reich and his royal family, which he gave the war against Cassander a justification. But the initiative in the Peloponnese took first Cassander, who successively occupied Cenchreae and Orchomenus and Polyperchon included in Messene. When he was but it peeled off to Macedonia, Aristodemus and Alexander went on the counteroffensive and recaptured these cities. This was followed for the Group of Antigonid a major setback when Alexander betrayed their cause and moved to the side of Cassander and henceforth took the thing on the Peloponnese.

Aristodemos succeeded, BC to win the Aitolier for an alliance with Antigonus in autumn 313, then he turned with his mercenaries against Alexander, who besieged just Kyllene. After successfully shocked the city, he freed the port of Patras and also Aigion of the Macedonian garrison, which he thereafter, following the antigonidischen programmatic, the autonomy granted. Alexander undertook the reconquest of the city in turn, was thereby eventually murdered by citizens of Sicyon. Aristodemos itself disappears it for a few years from the traditions, although he may have continued to represent the antigonidische thing in Greece. At that time, the nephew of Antigonus, Ptolemy and Telesphoros, had been sent with great force groups to Greece, but both betrayed after a few successful conquests in succession her uncle.

Maybe Aristodemus was involved in spring 311 BC, in the conclusion of " Diadochenfriedens " if he was identical with that mentioned in the Skepsier in Antigonus letter of the same diplomatic negotiator who mediated between Lysimachus and Antigonus.

From the year 307 BC Aristodemos belonged to the retinue of Demetrios Poliorketes, as this was set in the fourth Diadochenkrieg to Greece. In the taking of Athens and the fall of the oligarchs under Demetrios of Phalerum in June of the year Aristodemos played a pivotal role. In the summer of 306 BC, he took part in the victorious battle of Salamis, after which he was commissioned by Demetrios, ( and later Antioch today Antakya in Turkey) to bring the message of victory in the newly founded Antigoneia in Syria to Antigonus. This he praised it as king ( basileus ), which, as the assembled army Antigonus and Demetrius cried out to the king. He took the royal diadem finally and let one of Demetrios send in Cyprus, thus possibly again Aristodemos mandating. This disappears it from the traditions.