Parmenion facts for kids

Parmenion (born around 400 BC, died 330 BC) was a very important Macedonian general. He served two powerful kings: Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander the Great. Parmenion was a trusted leader and a top military commander for both kings. Sadly, he was later killed after his son, Philotas, was accused of plotting against Alexander.

Parmenion's Service to King Philip II

Parmenion was a key general for King Philip II. In 356 BC, he won a big battle against the Illyrians. Ten years later, he captured the town of Halos in southern Thessaly.

Parmenion also helped make peace. He was one of the Macedonian leaders who signed a peace treaty with Athens in 346 BC. In 342 BC, he led an army to Euboea to make sure Macedonia's power was strong there.

In 336 BC, King Philip II sent Parmenion with an army of 10,000 soldiers into Anatolia. Their mission was to help free the Greek cities on the western coast from Persian rule. Things started well, and many Greek cities rebelled against Persia. But then, news arrived that King Philip had been murdered. His young son, Alexander, became the new king. The Macedonian soldiers felt sad and lost spirit because of Philip's death. They were later defeated by the Persians near Magnesia.

Parmenion's Service to Alexander the Great

When Alexander became king in 336 BC, some people didn't support him. One general, Attalus, was against Alexander. Parmenion, who was Attalus's father-in-law, had Attalus killed. This was a difficult choice, but Parmenion knew it was necessary for Alexander to become king smoothly. Because of this, Alexander owed Parmenion a lot. Parmenion was Alexander's most experienced general and commanded a large army.

Because Parmenion was so important, Alexander gave many of Parmenion's family members important jobs in the army. His youngest son, Nikanor, became the leader of a special infantry group called the Shield bearers. His son-in-law, Coenus, led a phalanx battalion (a group of soldiers fighting closely together). Another relative, Nicanor, became the admiral of the navy. Parmenion's friend Amyntas and his brother Asander also got important positions. Parmenion's oldest son, Philotas, became the commander of the Companion cavalry. This was a unit of 1,800 horsemen and was Macedonia's strongest fighting force. Parmenion himself became Alexander's second-in-command, just like he had been for King Philip.

Fighting the Persian Empire

In 334 BC, Alexander joined Parmenion in Anatolia with more soldiers. This marked the start of Alexander's big campaign against the Persian Empire. In the major battles that followed, Parmenion usually led the left side of the army, while Alexander led the right side.

The Persian governors gathered their forces near the Granicus River. The two armies met there. Many old writings say that Parmenion advised Alexander not to attack right away. He thought the army should rest first. Parmenion often suggested careful plans, but Alexander sometimes ignored him. Alexander attacked across the river anyway and won the battle.

After the battle, Parmenion captured Dascylium, an important Persian stronghold. Later, he also took Magnesia and Tralleis. His brother, Asander, was put in charge of governing Lydia.

Meanwhile, Alexander freed many Greek towns in Anatolia, like Sardis and Ephesus. During the winter of 334-333 BC, Alexander moved through Lycia. At the same time, Parmenion marched into central Anatolia from the west. He drove out the remaining Persian soldiers and took control of the area. The two armies met again in April 333 BC at Gordium. The united army then moved east to Cilicia, where Parmenion captured the city of Tarsus.

Alexander planned to attack the Persian King Darius in the plains of Sochi. However, Darius and his large army crossed the Amanus Mountains. They captured Issus, cutting off Alexander's supply route. The battle happened south of Issus in November 333 BC. The Macedonians won, even though the Persian army was much bigger. This was mainly because Parmenion successfully stopped the Persian attack, which allowed Alexander to launch his own counter-attack.

Alexander drinking while his doctor Philippe reads Parmenion's letter

At the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BC, Parmenion suggested a night attack on Darius's large army. Alexander thought this meant Darius would keep his troops ready all night, giving the Macedonians an advantage if they rested and fought in daylight. During the battle, Parmenion led the Pezhetairos (foot soldiers) on the left side. This part of the army was in trouble because Alexander's cavalry had advanced so quickly. Some stories suggest that King Darius escaped because Parmenion's leadership was "slow and not effective." Others even thought Parmenion might have been jealous of Alexander's successes.

Parmenion continued to be a very important commander until the conquest of Babylon. His steady leadership on the left side of the army was crucial. It allowed Alexander, the king, to make the final, winning moves in battles.

Parmenion's Death

After conquering a region called Drangiana, Alexander heard that Philotas, Parmenion's son, was involved in a plot against his life. Philotas was found guilty by the army and was put to death. Alexander worried about what Parmenion might do if he stayed alive, especially since Parmenion was a powerful general with his own army. He was also near Alexander's money and supply routes.

Even though there was no proof that Parmenion was part of the plot, Alexander sent orders to Media for Parmenion to be killed. As the head of Philotas's family, Parmenion would have been held responsible for his son's actions, even without direct evidence. Alexander acted quickly. He sent two officers, Cleander and Sitalces, on fast camels across the desert. They arrived and stabbed Parmenion to death before he even heard about Alexander's order or his son's execution.

Parmenion's brother, Asander, faced some difficulties in court after this event. However, he later became important again in Alexander's empire.

Parmenion in Stories and Movies

Parmenion appears as a character in many fictional works:

• He is the main character in David Gemmell's books Lion of Macedon and Dark Prince.
• In the 1956 film Alexander the Great, he was played by Niall MacGinnis.
• In the 1961 TV play Adventure Story, William Devlin played him.
• In the 2004 film Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone, Parmenion (played by John Kavanagh) is shown as a trusted but careful commander. The film shows him being killed by Cleitus the Black and Antigonus after reading a letter about his son's death. Historically, he was killed by Cleander and Sitalces before he knew about his son's fate.

Images for kids

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  Alexander drinking while his doctor Philippe reads Parmenion's letter

See also

In Spanish: Parmenión para niños