The Lamian War — A False Start?

Abstract

In the early months of 324 B.C., Harpalus, treasurer to Alexander the Great, fled Babylon westwards rather than run the risk of remaining to face his king, whose return from the Indian expedition was marked by a widespread purge of satraps and generals. With a sizeable complement of ships, mercenaries and money, Harpalus appeared off Cape Sunium in Attica in mid-summer, seeking entry into Athens, and despite an initial refusal, was subsequently admitted, only to be placed under arrest soon afterwards. His detention was brief, however, and having successfully escaped from custody, he fled the Greek mainland, presently to meet his death at the hands of his own men. At Athens investigations were instigated, and following a protracted preliminary inquiry by the Areopagus, a number of prominent Athenian statesmen were named as having accepted bribes from Harpalus. The most notable outcome of the subsequent cases argued before the appointed dicastery was the conviction of Demosthenes who, on being unable to pay the allotted fine, went into temporary exile in southern Greece in the first half of 323 B.C. Such, in barest detail, is the Harpalus Affair, about which much has been written by numerous scholars in an attempt to explain satisfactorily the roles of both Harpalus and Demosthenes in the above-outlined sequence of events.

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