Cratesipolis

Cratesipolis (Greek: Kρατησίπoλις meaning "conqueror of the city") was the ruler of Sicyon and Corinth in 314-308 BC. She was the wife of Alexander (son of Polyperchon) and was highly distinguished for her beauty, talents, and energy.

In 314 BC when her husband was assassinated at Sicyon, she assumed command of his forces, with whom her kindness had made her extremely popular. When the Sicyonians, hoping for an easy conquest over a woman, attacked the garrison to attempt to establishing an independent government, she quelled the sedition and crucified thirty of the rebels. Her victory held the town firmly in subjection under Cassander.

However in 308 BC she was induced by Ptolemy, the ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt, to surrender Corinth and Sicyon. When Ptolemy took control of Corinth and Sicyon, Cassander's only remaining city in Greece was Athens. Cratesipolis was at Corinth at the time and she knew that her troops would never consent to the surrender, so she sent some of Ptolemy's forces into the town instead, pretending that they were a reinforcement that she ordered from Sicyon. She then withdrew with her troops to Patras in Achaea, where she was living.

In 307 BC she had a noteworthy meeting with Demetrius Poliorcetes with whom she had a mutual admiration.[1] Prior to this casual meeting, Demetrius pitched a tent near the city of Megara so that Cratesipolis could arrive unseen. Anti Antigonid forces, however, were wise of Demetrius’ presence in the area and attacked, forcing Demetrius to flee the area. This is both the last mention of Cratesipolis in any source and history’s first attested “booty call”.

References

Notes
  1. Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca, xix. 67, xx. 37; Polyaenus, Ruses de guerre, viii. 58; Plutarch, Parallel Lives, "Demetrius", 9

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Missing or empty |title= (help)

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