Autodicus Explained

Autodicus also known as Autodikos, Autolycus and Autolykos[1] (early to mid-340s BC[2] -?) was an Ancient Macedonian nobleman and official.

Autodicus was the third born of four sons to Agathocles[3] and his wife, perhaps named Arsinoe. His paternal grandfather may have been called Alcimachus and one of his brothers was Lysimachus one of the Diadochi of Alexander the Great.[4]

His father was a nobleman of high rank who was an intimate friend of King Philip II of Macedon, who shared in Philip II’s councils and became a favorite in the Argead court.[5] Autodicus with his brothers grew up with the status of Macedonians; he with his brothers enjoyed prominent positions in King Alexander the Great’s circle[6] and Autodicus with his brothers were educated at the court at Pella.[7]

Autodicus was appointed in 321 BC[8] as one of the four Somatophylakes at Triparadeisus for the Greek Macedonian King Philip III Arrhidaeus[9] who reigned 323 BC-317 BC, who was a paternal half-brother of Alexander the Great.

During Lysimachus’ reign in 306–281 BC over Thrace, Anatolia and Macedonia, Autodicus and his family were prominent figures in his court[10] and were among those who stayed loyal to Lysimachus.[11]

According to an inscription found, Autodicus had a wife called Adeia,[12] by whom he had children. However the identities of their children are unknown.

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Heckel, Who’s who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander’s empire, p.65
  2. Heckel, Who’s who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander’s empire, p.65
  3. Lund, Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship, p.3
  4. Web site: Lysimachus’ article at Livius.org . 2020-03-26 . 2014-04-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140423010517/http://www.livius.org/lu-lz/lysimachus/lysimachus.html . dead .
  5. Lund, Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship, p.2
  6. Lund, Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship, p.2
  7. Heckel, Who’s who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander’s empire, p.153
  8. Lund, Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship, p.3
  9. Heckel, Who’s who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander’s empire, p.65
  10. Lund, Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship, p.180
  11. Lund, Lysimachus: A Study in Early Hellenistic Kingship, p.187
  12. Heckel, Who’s who in the age of Alexander the Great: prosopography of Alexander’s empire, p.65