In early 324 BC a boyhood friend of Alexander the Great fled from the Macedonian king, becoming the most wanted man in the empire. His name was Harpalus, the former imperial treasurer.
Absconding with a small fortune, thousands of veteran mercenaries and a small fleet, Harpalus set sail west to Europe: to Athens.
The fate of Harpalus
Having deposited his mercenaries off at Taenarum, a camp in the southern Peloponnese, Harpalus arrived at Athens as a suppliant, requesting safety.
Though the Athenians initially admitted him, over time it became clear to Harpalus that support for his protection was waning. Staying in Athens too long would risk him being handed over to Alexander in chains.
One night in late 324 BC Harpalus fled the city to Taenarum, where he collected his mercenaries and set sail for Crete.
Having arrived at Kydonia, Harpalus set about considering his next move. Should he head east, west or south? Where was the best place for he and his men to go to escape Alexander’s grasp? In the end the decision was taken out of his hands.
