Cleitus
4. An officer who commanded the Macedonian fleet for Antipater in the Lamian war, B. C. 323, and defeated the Athenian admiral, Eetion, in two battles off the Echinades.
In the distribution of provinces at Triparadeisus, B. C. 321, he obtained from Antipater the satrapy of Lydia ; and when Antigonus was advancing to dispossess him of it, in B. C. 319, after Antipater's death, he garrisoned the principal cities, and sailed away to Macedonia to report the state of affairs to Polysperchon. In B. C. 318, after Polysperchon had been baffled at Megalopolis, he sent Cleitus with a fleet to the coast of Thrace to prevent any forces of Antigonus from passing into Europe, and also to effect a junction with Arrhidaeus, who had shut himself up in the town of Cius. [See p. 350a.] Nicanor being sent against him by Cassander, a battle ensued near Byzantium, in which Cleitus gained a decisive victory.
But his success rendered him over-confident, and, having allowed his troops to disembark and encamp on land, he was surprised by Antigonus and Nicanor, and lost all his ships except the one in which he sailed himself. Having reached the shore in safety, he proceeded towards Macedonia, but was slain by some soldiers of Lysimachus, with whom he fell in on the way. (
Diod. 18.15,
39,
52,
72.)
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