Nicanor (in Greek Νικάνωρ; died 330 BC), son of Parmenion, was a distinguished officer in the service of Alexander the Great. He is first mentioned at the passage of the Danube river, in the expedition of Alexander against the Getae, 335 BC, on which occasion he led the phalanx.¹ But during the expedition into Asia he appears to have uniformly held the chief command of the body of troops called the Hypaspists (υπασπισται) or foot-guards, as his brother Philotas did that of the εταιρoι, or horse-guards. We find him mentioned, as holding this post, in the three great battks of the Granicus, of Issus, and of Gaugamela. He afterwards accompanied Alexander with a part of the troops under his command, during the rapid march of the king in pursuit of the king Darius III Codomannus (330 BC); which was probably his last service, as he died of disease shortly afterwards, during the advance of Alexander into Bactria. His death at this juncture was probably a fortunate event, as it saved him from participating either in the designs or the fate of his brother Philotas.2

References

Smith, William (editor); Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, "Nicanor (1)", Boston, (1867)

Notes

1 Arrian, Anabasis Alexandri, i. 4

2 Arrian, i. 14, ii. 8, iii. 11, 21, 25; Curtius Rufus, Historiae Alexandri Magni, iii. 24, iv. 50, v. 37, vi. 22; Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca, xvii. 57

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This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1867).