.
Taurion (gr. Ταυρίων), a Macedonian officer in the service of Antigonus Doson, king of Macedonia, who had risen to so high a place in the confidence of that monarch that the latter appointed him, by his last will, to command the royal troops in the Peloponnese during the minority of Philip V. (Polyb. iv. 6, 87.) In this position we find him in 221 BC, assisting the Achaean praetor Timoxenus in reducing the strong post of Clarium, which had been occupied by the Aetolians; and again, in 220 BC, co-operating with Aratus against the in-roads of the Aetolians, which terminated in the battle of Caphyae and the destruction of Cynaetha. (Id. iv. 6, 10, 19.) In 218 BC, when Philip in person led an army into the Peloponnese, we once more find Taurion mentioned as rendering efficient assistance to his youthful sovereign in the invasion of Elis. So great indeed was the reputation and influence' which he now enjoyed, that Apelles deemed it absolutely necessary, for the furtherance of his ambitious designs, to remove Taurion from the important post which he held, an object which he sought to effect under the pretext of attaching him more closely to the king's person. His designs were, however, detected, and Philip gave a fresh proof of his confidence in Taurion by placing under his command the troops whose fidelity had been corrupted by Leontius. (Id. iv. 80, 87, v. 27.) From this time we find him retaining the chief direction of the war in the Peloponnese, as well as rendering other important services: thus, in B. C. 217, we field him sent, together with Aratus, to treat with the Aetolians at Naupactus. He had, however, already displayed some jealousy of the Achaean leader, and appears to have done his best to inflame the growing enmity of Philip towards Aratus, until he at length lent his aid to the young king to remove his former friend and counsellor by means of secret poison, 214 BC. (Id. v. 92. 95, 103, viii. 14; Plat. Arat. 52.) The part taken by Taurion in this transaction, is sufficient evidence of his character; and it is to him, in conjunction with Demetrius the Pharian, that Polybius imputes the blame of perverting and corrupting the naturally good disposition of Philip. (Polyb. ix. 23.)
| Ancient Greece
Science, Technology , Medicine , Warfare, , Biographies , Life , Cities/Places/Maps , Arts , Literature , Philosophy ,Olympics, Mythology , History , Images Medieval Greece / Byzantine Empire Science, Technology, Arts, , Warfare , Literature, Biographies, Icons, History Modern Greece Cities, Islands, Regions, Fauna/Flora ,Biographies , History , Warfare, Science/Technology, Literature, Music , Arts , Film/Actors , Sport , Fashion --- |
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org"
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
