Amyntas facts for kids

Amyntas is a name that was used by many important Greek and Hellenistic men a long time ago. It comes from the Greek word "amyntor," which means "defender." Later, in the 1500s, it became a common name for fictional shepherds in poems and plays.

Kings of Macedon

Macedon was an ancient kingdom in what is now Greece. Several kings of Macedon were named Amyntas. They ruled their kingdom and led their people.

• Amyntas I of Macedon: He was a king of Macedon from about 540 BC to 498 BC.
• Amyntas II of Macedon: Another king of Macedon.
• Amyntas III of Macedon: He ruled Macedon from 393 BC to 369 BC.
• Amyntas IV of Macedon: He was king of Macedon in 359 BC.

Military Leaders

Many Amyntas were also important military leaders or soldiers in ancient times.

• Amyntas (son of Andromenes): A general who served with Alexander the Great. He died in 330 BC.
• Amyntas (son of Antiochus): Someone who sought safety with the Persians.
• Amyntas (son of Arrhabaeus): A commander of cavalry (soldiers on horseback).
• Amyntas: The father of an army officer named Philip.
• Amyntas: The father of Philip, who was married to Berenice I of Egypt.
• Amyntas (Antigonid general): A general from the Antigonid family, who died in Cappadocia in 301 BC.
• Amyntas of Rhodes: A naval commander (admiral) who fought against Demetrius Poliorcetes.
• Amyntas of Mieza: A bodyguard for King Philip III Arrhidaeus.
• Amyntas II (son of Bubares): A Persian ruler in a place called Alabanda.

Hellenistic Rulers

The Hellenistic period was a time when Greek culture spread across many lands after Alexander the Great. Some kings from this time were named Amyntas.

• Amyntas Nikator: An Indo-Greek king who ruled parts of northern India between 95 BC and 90 BC.
• Amyntas of Galatia: A ruler of a region called Galatia from 37 BC to 25 BC.
• Amyntas, Tetrarch of the Tectosagii: A king in Cilicia Trachae between 36 BC and 25 BC.

Writers and Thinkers

Some people named Amyntas were known for their knowledge and writing.

• Amyntas of Heraclea: A mathematician who was a student of the famous philosopher Plato.
• Amyntas (bematist): Someone who wrote a book called Stathmoi, which likely described distances.
• Amyntas the surgeon: A person who was a surgeon.

Athletes

There were also athletes named Amyntas who competed in ancient sports.

• Amyntas of Aeolia: A runner who competed in the diaulos, a type of running race.
• Amyntas of Ephesus: A fighter in pankration, a sport that combined boxing and wrestling.
• Amyntas (son of Menophilos): From Aiolia, he won a horse race at the Greater Amphiareia games in the early first century.

Fictional Shepherds

In the 1500s, the name Amyntas became popular for characters in pastoral literature. These were stories, poems, or plays about shepherds living a simple life in the countryside, often falling in love.

• Amyntas: The main shepherd character in Torquato Tasso's play Aminta.
• Amyntas: The main shepherd in Thomas Watson's Latin poetry cycle Amyntas.
• Amyntas: The main shepherd in Thomas Randolph's play Amyntas, or The Impossible Dowry.
• Amyntas: A shepherd who is in love with a character named Cloris in Samuel Daniel's play The Queene's Arcadia.

See also

In Spanish: Amintas para niños