Alexander the Great receives a visit from Thalestris, queen of the Amazons, one of the legends recounted by Onesicritus. Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' According to the mythological Greek Alexander Romance, Queen Thalestris of the Amazons brought 300 women to Alexander the Great The Amazons (in Greek, grc Ἀμαζόνες are a nation of all-female warriors in Classical and Greek mythology, who were possibly historical

Onesicritus (Greek: Ὀνησίκριτος), a Greek historical writer, (lived c. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly 360-c. Events By place Egypt With the help of King Agesilaus II of Sparta, Nectanebo II deposes Teos and becomes 290 BC), who accompanied Alexander on his campaigns in Asia. Events By place Roman Republic Roman general and Consul, Manius Curius Dentatus, gains a decisive victory over the Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' He became a chief pilot of Alexander's fleet, and when he returned home, he wrote a history of Alexander's campaigns. He is frequently cited by later authors, who also criticize him for his inaccuracies.

Life

He is called by some authorities a native of Astypalaia, by others of Aegina:^[1] it was probably to this island origin that he was indebted for the skill in nautical matters which afterwards proved so advantageous to him. Astipalea (or Astypalea or Astypalaia, Greek: Αστυπάλαια) is a Greek island with 1238 residents (2001 Census Aegina ( Greek: Αίγινα ( Egina) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, 17 miles (30 km from He must have been already advanced in years, as we are told that he had two sons grown up to manhood, when his attention was accidentally attracted to the philosophy of Diogenes the Cynic, of which he became an ardent disciple. Diogenes (Διογένης ὁ Σινωπεύς Diogenes ho Sinopeus) "the Cynic " Greek Philosopher, was born in Sinope ^[2] We have no account of the circumstances which led him to accompany Alexander into Asia, nor does it appear in what capacity he attended on the conqueror; but during the expedition into India he was sent by the king to hold a conference with the Indian philosophers or Gymnosophists, the details of which have been transmitted to us from his own account of the interview. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Gymnosophists is the name (meaning "naked philosophers" given by the Greeks to certain ancient Indian philosophers who pursued Asceticism to ^[3] When Alexander constructed his fleet on the Hydaspes, he appointed Onesicritus to the important station of pilot of the king's ship, or chief pilot of the fleet (Greek: ἀρχικυϐερνήτης), a post which he held not only during the descent of the Indus, but throughout the long and perilous voyage from the river to the Persian gulf. "Hydaspes" redirects here For the historic battle see Battle of the Hydaspes. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly The Indus River { Sanskrit: सिन्धु Sindhu; Urdu: urd {{Nastaliq سندھ}} Sindh; Sindhi: snd The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the In this capacity he discharged his duties so much to the satisfaction of Alexander that, on his arrival at Susa, he was rewarded by that monarch with a crown of gold, at the same time as Nearchus. Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) ^[4] Yet Arrian blames him for want of judgment, and on one occasion expressly ascribes the safety of the fleet to the firmness of Nearchus in overruling his advice. For others with this name see Arrianus (disambiguation. Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon' (ca Nearchus (or Nearchos) (c 360 - 300 BC was one of the officers a Navarch, in the army of Alexander the Great. ^[5] We know nothing of his subsequent fortunes; but from an anecdote related by Plutarch it seems probable that he attached himself to Lysimachus, and it was perhaps at the court of that monarch that he composed his historical work,^[6] though, on the other hand, a passage of Lucian,^[7] might lead us to infer that this was at least commenced during the lifetime of Alexander himself. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c Lysimachus ( Greek: Λυσίμαχος Lysimachos; 360 BCE - 281 BCE was a Macedonian officer and diadochus (i Lucian of Samosata (Λουκιανός ὁ Σαμοσατεύς Lucianus c

Writings

We learn from Diogenes Laërtius^[8] that the history of Onesicritus comprised the whole life of Alexander, including his youth and education; but it is most frequently cited in regard to the campaigns of that prince in Asia, or to the geographical description of the countries that he visited. Though an eye-witness of much that he described, it appears that he intermixed many fables and falsehoods with his narrative, so that he early fell into discredit as an authority. Strabo is especially severe upon him. Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. ^[9] Plutarch cites him as one of those who related the fable of the visit of the Amazons to Alexander, for which he was justly ridiculed by Lysimachus,^[10] and Arrian accuses him of falsely representing himself as the commander of the fleet, when he was in truth only the pilot. Lucius Mestrius Plutarchus ( Greek: Μέστριος Πλούταρχος c The Amazons (in Greek, grc Ἀμαζόνες are a nation of all-female warriors in Classical and Greek mythology, who were possibly historical Lysimachus ( Greek: Λυσίμαχος Lysimachos; 360 BCE - 281 BCE was a Macedonian officer and diadochus (i For others with this name see Arrianus (disambiguation. Lucius Flavius Arrianus 'Xenophon' (ca ^[11] Aulus Gellius^[12] even associates him with Aristeas of Proconnesus, and other purely fabulous writers. Aulus Gellius (ca 125 AD—after 180 AD Latin author and grammarian possibly of African origin probably born and certainly brought up at Rome. Aristeas was a semi- Legendary Greek Poet and miracle-worker, a native of Proconnesus in Asia Minor, active ca But it is clear that these censures are overcharged; and though some of the statements cited from him are certainly gross exaggerations,^[13] his work appears to have contained much valuable information concerning the remote countries for the first time laid open by the expedition of Alexander. In particular he was the first author that mentioned the island of Taprobane. Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island ^[14] He is said to have imitated Xenophon in his style, though he fell short of him as a copy does of the original. ^[15]

Notes

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870). The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone The Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (1849 originally published 1844 under a slightly different title is an Encyclopedia / Biographical dictionary Sir William Smith (1813 &ndash 1893 English Lexicographer, was born at Enfield in 1813 of Nonconformist parents