What was Parmenion doing in Asia Minor?

[aleksandros]

does anyone have any details about what exactly was Parmenion doing there?
like where his troops were, any conflicts with Persians etc..

[Vergina Sun]

Hi aleksandros,

The Pothos article regarding Parmenion states,

Outside the major battles Parmenion’s main role was largely to secure the supply lines and take charge of the army’s supply train. While Alexander went gallivanting along the coast of Asia Minor the old general took the baggage train and the rest of the army onto the Anatolian Plateau to secure the hinterland until Alexander came to meet him at Gordium.

Also, in Who's Who in the The of Alexander the Great, Heckel says,

In winter of 335/4, he [Parmenion] rejoined Alexander in Europe and, in the spring, transported most of the infantry and cavalry from Sestos to Abydos; in Asia Minor, he commanded the infantry - 12,000 Macedonians, 7,000 allies, and 5,000 mercenaries

I hope this helps!

[aleksandros]

i meant what was he doing in Asia Minor before Alexander's invasion. I know he was sent by philip with 10.000 troops.

Did he score any victories there? In which ways would his activity have benefited a full force invasion by philip later?

[Vergina Sun]

Oh, forgive me. Before Alexander's reign, Parmenion was in Asia Minor to secure defensive posts in preparation of Philip's invasion. Diodorus says,

King Philip, installed as leader by the Greeks, opened the war with Persia by sending into Asia as an advance party Attalus and Parmenion, assigning to them a part of his forces and ordering them to liberate the Greek cities, while he himself, wanting to enter upon the war with the gods' approval, asked the Pythia whether he would conquer the king of the Persians. (16.91.2)

I haven't found too much on the victories Parmenion scored, but Heckel does say,

Parmenion enjoyed mixed success in Asia Minor

[aleksandros]

if thats all the info we got , i d say we know nothing about these events. So many questions running through my mind...

[marcus]

if thats all the info we got , i d say we know nothing about these events. So many questions running through my mind...

I'm pretty sure that Diodorus XVI says more, because we do know that Parmenion got down as far as Ephesus before Memnon turned him back and pretty much threw him back across the Hellespont.

Unfortunately I am about to leave home for a week and do not have time to find the precise bits in Diodorus to support this - perhaps someone else can fill in the gaps?

ATB

[ScottOden]

Diodorus XVII has a goodly bit on what Parmenion was doing in Asia Minor. Unfortunately, I don't have my copy handy and the only parts I have saved on this computer have to do with Memnon and his role in repulsing Parmenion and Attalus:

XVII [3] The king gave him five thousand mercenaries and ordered him to march to Cyzicus and to try to get possession of it. With this force, accordingly, Memnon marched on across the range of Mt. Ida.

XVII [8] Memnon traversed this mountain and suddenly falling upon the city of Cyzicus came within an ace of taking it. Failing in this, he wasted its territory and collected much booty.

I think it was Attalus who was menacing Cyzicus; Memnon tricked him into thinking his force was a relief column of Macedonians and very nearly dislodged him.

XVII [9] While he was thus occupied, Parmenion took by storm the city of Grynium and sold its inhabitants as slaves, but when he besieged Pitane Memnon appeared and frightened the Macedonians into breaking off the siege.

Parmenion made it as far south as the suburbs of Ephesus before the threat of his supply lines being cut forced him to pull back to the Troad (I think I read in some commentary somewhere that Attalus was supposed to defend the supply lines but wasn't doing a very good job of it); regardless, all of Parmenion's successes were nullified and the Macedonians were left with a strip of land near Abydos, Cape Rhoetium, I think its called.

Though it's pure speculation on my part, I think Memnon let Parmenion keep that small strip of land. I'm of the opinion Memnon wanted to use Philip's looming invasion -- and hopefully defeat Philip on Persian soil -- as a way of securing his brother Mentor's old command. But, when the invasion occured, it was Alexander rather than Philip and the local satraps tried to stymie Memnon's ambitions at Granicus. We all know how well THAT went for the satraps

Hope this helps!

Scott

[Paralus]

Literary license Scott, literary license.

[marcus]

Diodorus XVII has a goodly bit on what Parmenion was doing in Asia Minor. Unfortunately, I don't have my copy handy and the only parts I have saved on this computer have to do with Memnon and his role in repulsing Parmenion and Attalus:

XVII [3] The king gave him five thousand mercenaries and ordered him to march to Cyzicus and to try to get possession of it. With this force, accordingly, Memnon marched on across the range of Mt. Ida.

XVII [8] Memnon traversed this mountain and suddenly falling upon the city of Cyzicus came within an ace of taking it. Failing in this, he wasted its territory and collected much booty.

I think it was Attalus who was menacing Cyzicus; Memnon tricked him into thinking his force was a relief column of Macedonians and very nearly dislodged him.

XVII [9] While he was thus occupied, Parmenion took by storm the city of Grynium and sold its inhabitants as slaves, but when he besieged Pitane Memnon appeared and frightened the Macedonians into breaking off the siege.

Parmenion made it as far south as the suburbs of Ephesus before the threat of his supply lines being cut forced him to pull back to the Troad (I think I read in some commentary somewhere that Attalus was supposed to defend the supply lines but wasn't doing a very good job of it); regardless, all of Parmenion's successes were nullified and the Macedonians were left with a strip of land near Abydos, Cape Rhoetium, I think its called.

Though it's pure speculation on my part, I think Memnon let Parmenion keep that small strip of land. I'm of the opinion Memnon wanted to use Philip's looming invasion -- and hopefully defeat Philip on Persian soil -- as a way of securing his brother Mentor's old command. But, when the invasion occured, it was Alexander rather than Philip and the local satraps tried to stymie Memnon's ambitions at Granicus. We all know how well THAT went for the satraps

Hope this helps!

Scott

Yes, I had a chance to check, and all the info is in Book 17. In fact, Book 16 says nothing more than that Philip sent Parmenion and Attalus to Asia. All the detail, such as it is, is at the beginning of Book 17.

ATB

[amyntoros]

Here's Chapter 7 of Diodorus' Book 17 in full.

[1] Dareius became king before the death of Philip and thought to turn the coming war back upon Macedonia, but when Philip died, Dareius was relieved of his anxiety and despised the youth of Alexander. [2] Soon, however, when Alexander's vigour and rapidity of action had secured for him the leadership of all Greece and made evident the ability of the young man, then Dareius took warning and began to pay serious attention to his forces. He fitted out a large number of ships of war and assembled numerous strong armies, choosing at the same time his best commanders, among whom was Memnon of Rhodes, outstanding in courage and in strategic grasp. [3] The king gave him five thousand mercenaries and ordered him to march to Cyzicus and to try to get possession of it. With this force, accordingly, Memnon marched on across the range of Mt. Ida. [4] Some tell the story that this mountain got its name from Ida, the daughter of Melisseus. It is the highest mountain in the region of the Hellespont and there is in its midst a remarkable cave in which they say the goddesses were judged by Alexander. [5] On this mountain are supposed to have lived the Idaean Dactyls who first worked iron, having learned their skill from the Mother of the Gods. An odd occurrence has been observed in connection with this mountain which is known nowhere else. [6] About the time of the rising of the Dog Star, if one stands upon the highest peak, the stillness of the surrounding atmosphere gives the impression that the summit is elevated above the motion of the winds, and the sun can be seen rising while it is still night. Its rays are not circumscribed in a circular orb but its flame is dispersed in many places, so that you would think that there were many patches of fire burning along the horizon. [7] Presently, then, these draw together into one huge flame the width of which reaches three plethra. Finally, as the day dawns, the usually observed size of the sun's ball is attained and produces normal daylight. [8] Memnon traversed this mountain and suddenly falling upon the city of Cyzicus came within an ace of taking it. Failing in this, he wasted its territory and collected much booty. [9] While he was thus occupied, Parmenion took by storm the city of Grynium and sold its inhabitants as slaves, but when he besieged Pitane Memnon appeared and frightened the Macedonians into breaking off the siege. [10] Later Callas with a mixed force of Macedonians and mercenaries joined battle in the Troad against a much larger force of Persians and, finding himself inferior, fell back on the promentory of Rhoeteium. That was the situation in Asia.

Parmenion doesn't get a mention again until Chapter 16 (after Alexander took Thebes) and it looks like he might have been back in Macedonia by then.

Diodorus 17.16.1-4 Thereupon the king returned with his army to Macedonia, assembled his military commanders and his noblest Friends and posed for discussion the plan for crossing over to Asia. When should the campaign be started and how should he conduct the war? [2] Antipater and Parmenion advised him to produce an heir first and then to turn his hand to so ambitious an enterprise, but Alexander was eager for action and opposed to any postponement, and spoke against them. It would be a disgrace, he pointed out, for one who had been appointed by Greece to command the war, and who had inherited his father's invincible forces, to sit at home celebrating a marriage and awaiting the birth of children. [3] He then proceeded to show them where their advantage lay and by appeals aroused their enthusiasm for the contests which lay ahead. He made lavish sacrifices to the gods at Dium in Macedonia and held the dramatic contests in honour of Zeus and the Muses which Archelaus, one of his predecessors, had instituted.[4] He celebrated the festival for nine days, naming each day after one of the Muses. He erected a tent to hold a hundred couches and invited his Friends and officers, as well as the ambassadors from the cities, to the banquet. Employing great magnificence, he entertained great numbers in person besides distributing to his entire force sacrificial animals and all else suitable for the festive occasion, and put his army in a fine humour.

Best regards,

[ScottOden]

Literary license Scott, literary license.

*Checks to make sure his literary license is up-to-date*