Athenion (general)
Athenion was a military commander of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra in Coele-Syria in the late 30s BC.
Life
Athenion is only known through the report given by the Jewish historian Josephus on Herod the Great. But the account of Josephus is very hostile to Cleopatra and reflects in this connection the negative reporting of the memoirs of the Jewish king on the Ptolemaic queen, which found their way via Nicolaus of Damascus into the historic works of Josephus.[1] Therefore, Josephus’ unreliable reporting on Cleopatra has to be evaluated carefully.
When in 32 BC the preparations for the
Michael Grant is not so skeptically disposed to the report of Josephus.[6]
Nothing is recorded about the further fate of Athenion.
References
- Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft, vol. II, 2 (1896), col. 2039.
- ISBN 3-404-61416-X, p. 271.
- Christoph Schäfer: Kleopatra. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 2006, ISBN 3-534-15418-5, p. 200-201.
Notes
- ^ Michael Grant, Kleopatra, p. 223.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 15, 110; The Jewish War 1, 365.
- ^ Christoph Schäfer, Kleopatra, p. 199-200.
- ^ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 15, 112-119; The Jewish War 1, 366-369.
- ^ Christoph Schäfer, Kleopatra, p. 200-201.
- ^ Michael Grant, Kleopatra, p. 271.