Eupolemus Simalou

This article is about Greek general. For other uses, see Eupolemus (disambiguation).

Eupolemus Simalou (in Ancient Greek: Eυπόλεμoς Σίμαλου) was born in the fourth century BC and was a general of Cassander. Scholarship suggests that he would serve as a deputy to Cassander's brother, Pleistarchus, and would succeed him in the rule of Caria.

Asian Expedition

In 313 BC, Eupolemus accompanied Prepelaus as one of his lieutenants when Prepelaus was sent to aid Asander against Antigonus in Asia Minor. After arriving in Caria (Asander's satrapy in Asia Minor), they started planning their campaign against Ptolemy, the commander of Antigonus's forces in western Asia Minor. They decided upon a surprise attack during the winter (after the campaigning season had ended); Eupolemus was sent with 8,000 infantry and 200 cavalry to strike at Ptolemy after the latter had dispersed his forces into their winter quarters. However, some deserters from Eupolemus's strike force betrayed their plans to Ptolemy, who gathered 8,300 infantry and 600 cavalry from the nearest camps and marched against Eupolemus. In the middle of the night, Ptolemy launched a surprise attack on Eupolemus's camp, capturing the entire force, including Eupolemus. He must have been released straight away, as the next year (312 BC), we find him commanding the forces left by Cassander in Greece when he moved northward against Antigonus.

Dynast of Caria

Bronze coin depicting three overlapping Macedonian shields, the outer two with spearheads in their centers / EYΠO-ΛEMOY, sword in a sheath, bipennis (labrys, double axe) below; Mylasa mint. Struck under Eupolemos circa 295-280 BC

It has traditionally been assumed that this Eupolemus must have been the same as an Eupolemus Pόtalou Μαϰεδών noted from an inscription in Iasos. This assumption was made on the basis that Eupolemus ruled over Caria for some period of time. According to Billows's chronology, Eupolemus served under Pleistarchus, the son of Antipater and brother of Cassander from 313 BC until Pleistarchus's death. Eupolemos likely administered Caria during the first few years of its nominal rule by Pleistarchus. When Pleistarchus died, Eupolemus, as his deputy, assumed control of a significant portion of Caria as an independent dynast. Eupolemos's rule of Caria is placed from 294 BC to at least 286 BC, although it may have continued well into the 270s. It is worth noting, however, that the identification of the Eupolemus who served Cassander with Eupolemus Pόtalou Μαϰεδών known from inscriptions in Iasos is controversial. Raymond Descat argues that the evidence used by Billows to support the notion of Eupolemus reigning over Caria as a dynast (coinage and inscriptions) has been misdated, originating during Eupolemus's initial Carian campaign, and cannot be used to prove that Eupolemus's position exceeded that of an ordinary strategos. Recent paleography has suggested that the Iasos inscription mentioning Eupolemus Pόtalou Μαϰεδών was likely from the 270s-260s, precluding it from referring to the Eupolemus who had served under Cassander. However, epigraphic evidence from a more recently discovered dedication from Iasos of an andron to Artemis Astias by Eupolemos Simalou led Roberta Fabiani to conclude that the patronymic "Simalou" can thus be ascribed to Eupolemos with a reasonable degree of certainty that it refers to the man who was the general of Cassander and the dynast of Caria. The style of the engraving dates the inscription to the early third century BC. Fabiani states that the sheer volume of attestations to Eupolemus disqualifies chronologies that place his period of power from only around 315–313 BC as a strategos. A recent study by Richard J. Ashton has suggested that the coins minted under Eupolemus date to the early third century, rather than the 310s like Descat argued.

References

• González, Cristina M. (2021). The Macedonian army as a vehicle for change? Military presence in western Asia Minor during the early Hellenistic period: topography, agency and identity. University College London.
• Smith, William (editor); Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, "Eupolemus (1)" Archived 2005-12-31 at the Wayback Machine, Boston, (1867)
• Billows, Richard A. (1990). Antigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-20880-3.
• Descat, Raymond (1998). La carrière d'Eupolemos, stratège macédonien en Asie Mineure. Revue des Études Anciennes.
• Fabiani, Roberta (2009). Eupolemos Potalou o Eupolemos Simalou. Epigraphica Anatolica.
• Ashton, Richard J. (1998). The Coins of the Macedonian Kings, Lysimachos and Eupolemos in the Museums of Fethiye and Afyon. Revue des Études Anciennes.
• Fabiani, Roberta (2009). Eupolemos Potalou o Eupolemos Simalou. Epigraphica Anatolica.
• Burnett; Wartenberg; Wischonke (1998). Coins of Macedonia and Rome: Essays in Honour of Charles Hersh. London: Spink. ISBN 1902040023.