Harpale

Harpale (in Greek old Ἅρπαλος / Hárpalos ) is a friend of childhood and the treasurer of Alexandre Large the. Its escape with part of the treasure involves it with Athens, where it is the release of a scandal which blames the speaker Démosthène. He is assassinated in Crete in 323 av. J. - C.

Biography

Harpale belongs to the entourage of Alexandre since his childhood. In 337 av. J. - C., Harpale intervenes in the marriage that Pixodaros, satrap of Carie, wants to tie between his/her daughter and Arrhidée, other wire of Philippe. Like the other friends of Alexandre, Néarque or Ptolémée, it suggests with the future conqueror thwarting this union and taking itself the young girl for wife. Once the discovered plot, Philippe exiles Harpale and the other companions of Alexandre.

It remains several times in Greece, in particular in Athens. During the Asian forwarding of Alexandre, it is named governor of the Babylonia. During its stay, it gets busy to acclimatize Greek plants to the climate of the area. At this point in time Alexandre asks him to forward to him of the books of Philistos (historian syracusain), of the tragedies of Euripide, Sophocle and Eschyle as well as Dithyrambe S of Telestès de Sélinonte and Philoxénos de Cythère.

Become treasurer of Alexandre, i.e. guard of its gold reserves, Harpale leaves Babylon with part of the money and takes refuge in Athens. There, it sticks the favors of a Hétaïre, Pythonikè, which it ends up marrying, which gives him a child and with who it will raise a tomb when it dies. Forgiven, it finds all its honors. With the autumn 325 av. J. - C., however, when Alexandre returns in Perside after his forwarding in India, Harpale flees again: it fears to be punished for its expensive way of life. It carries with him 5.000 talent S and settles initially with Tarse, in Cilicie. Then, cash on its generosities towards Athens, it leaves for the Attique. Alexandre then threatens Athens of a forwarding if it accommodates its treasurer in escape.

In spring 324 av. J. - C., Harpale is presented to the Pirée, extremely of 20 ships and of a thousand of Mercenaire S. the speaker Démosthène makes him at once prohibit the access of the city. Harpale is represented again with only one Trière and can enter. However, on the exhortations of Démosthène, it is stopped at once and its fortune is placed under sequestration, in waiting of an envoy of Alexandre. Pulled about between the desire to accommodate an enemy of Alexandre and the fear of the reprisals, the Athenians decide to close the eyes on the escape from Harpale, which flees in Crete. After the departure of this last, however, one finds nothing any more but half of the sum put under sequestration. Demosthene and other speakers are accused of Corruption: it is the Affaire of Harpale.

Little time after its arrival in Crete, Harpale is assassinated by Thimbron, one of his/her companions. The little girl whom it had of Pythonikè is collected by the Athenian speaker Phocion while the intendant of Harpale flees in his turn with the money with Rhodos.

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