Orontobat

Orontobat was married to the daughter of the ruler of Kariya Piksodar, and on behalf of the Persian king he replaced his father-in-law after his death in 334 BC. e.

After the invasion of Alexander the Great in Asia Minor in 334 BC. e. and the defeat of the coalition of Asia Minor satraps in the battle of Granik Orontobat, along with the Greek military leader serving in the Persians, Memnon of Rhodes was besieged in Halicarnassus . The garrison of the city consisted of Persians, Carians and Greek mercenaries. From land, Halicarnassus was protected by strong walls, as well as a wide and deep moat. The harbor was a military triera . Alexander had previously dismissed almost all of his rather weak, compared with the Persian, fleet. All this made it difficult to take Halicarnassus. However, Alexander, setting out to capture all the coastal cities, proceeded to a siege.

After long stubborn resistance, the besieged, having lost hope of defending the city, decided to leave it, having previously destroyed the defensive wooden towers and warehouses so that the enemy would not get anything. Memnon was evacuated to the neighboring island of Kos , where the treasury had previously been exported, while Orontobat, with a large supply of provisions, took the acropolis located on a high hill. Also, the Carian satrap retained control of the nearby cities of Mind , Kand , Fera and Kallipol. The Macedonians entered the deserted Halicarnassus, which was then destroyed. Now, Alexander did not want to spend all his strength on the capture of the inaccessible acropolis. Therefore, leaving several thousand soldiers and returning power in Caria to his ally - the former Queen Ada , the youngest daughter of Hekatomn , Alexander moved further along the coast.

The following year, while in Cilicia , Alexander learned that Orontobat was defeated by fighting the Macedonian commanders Ptolemy and Asander .

It is also known that a military leader named Orontobat was in the ranks of the army of Darius III at the Battle of Gaugamela , being one of the leaders of the “people from the Red Sea coast.” It is unclear whether this refers to the former satrap of Caria or to another person.

Primary sources

• Arrian Anabasis Alexandra (I.20-23, II.5.7, III.8.5.)
• Diodorus of Sicily . Historical Library (XVII.23-27)
• Quintus Curtius Rufus . History of Alexander the Great (III.7.4.)

Research

• Smith W. Orontobates // Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology . - Boston, 1870.