To Kill Our King — The Assassination Plot Against Alexander the Great
By 330 BCE, Alexander the Great was well into his campaign to defeat the Achaemenid Persian Empire of Darius III. During this time, a Macedonian soldier named Dimnos hatched a conspiracy to assassinate Alexander. Dimnos twice attempted to recruit two brothers to the plot. Each time the brothers refused, instead going to Philotas, the head of the elite Companion cavalry and Alexander’s boyhood friend, to urge him to take them to Alexander with the news. On each occasion, Philotas refused. The brothers then found another high-ranking officer to take them to Alexander, where they revealed the murder plot and Philotas’ inexplicable denial of their request to take the news forward.
Upon hearing of the conspiracy, Alexander sent soldiers to arrest Dimnos, but in the ensuing struggle, Dimnos was killed. Rumours quickly swirled that Dimnos was a mere pawn in the murder plot and that the real mastermind was Philotas himself. Philotas was arrested.
Even if Philotas was not a part of the conspiracy, Alexander believed his refusal twice to bring news of the plot made him as guilty as any other conspirator. Upon Philotas’ arrest, he was tortured, forced to confess, convicted, and stoned to death with the other accused plotters.
The Companions were the formidable cavalry unit of the Macedonian army, which Alexander himself led into battles. As the Companions head, Philotas wielded considerable power and influence. Philotas was also the oldest and only surviving son of Parmenion, an immensely talented general in the Macedonian army. Parmenion served with Phillip II, Alexander’s father, and Alexander in numerous battles. Parmenion’s strategy and tactical prowess delivered many victories for the Macedonians. Several historians have said that if it weren’t for Parmenion, both Phillip’s and Alexander’s empires would not have been as extensive as they became. Parmenion, now stationed in Media, was wealthy, brandished considerable influence amongst the people, and commanded 20,000 troops responsible for protecting the Macedonian army’s supply lines.
Upon Philotas’ execution, Alexander had his camp locked down, preventing anyone from leaving. He found a close friend of Parmenion and handed him four letters: one for Parmenion and the others for Parmenion’s three deputies. Alexander admonished Parmenion’s friend to ride to Media as fast as possible to hand-deliver the written message before the speed of rumour and hearsay could arrive. Alexander also reminded the friend that his two brothers would be held as hostages in the camp until the mission was complete. After ten days hard ride, the friend arrived at Parmenion’s villa, delivering Alexander’s written orders. While Parmenion read Alexander’s message, his three deputies slit the 70-year-old general’s throat.
Insight and Application
As was the Macedonian custom at the time, the head of a family was responsible for the actions of their family members. Although innocent, this would have made Parmenion as guilty as his son, regardless of complicity. The brutality of Philotas’ death would surely have angered his father, and Parmenion’s wealth, fame, likability, and skill as a military commander was something Alexander felt he could not risk lest it lead to an insurrection.
The undercurrent lesson in this story is the speed of the grapevine. Alexander recognized that he had to control the communication speed lest news of Philotas’ death reach Parmenion and allow him time to organize and act. Leaders must be just as wary of getting out in front of the news, both good and bad, to control its dissemination and provide factual information instead of allowing rumour and innuendo to pollute the people’s minds.
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