Harpalus
Harpalos
Harpalus son of Machatas of Elimeia, a childhood friend of Alexander who had been exiled along with Ptolemy and Nearchus after the Pixodarus affair and was rehabilitated by Alexander on the accession. Despite being physically unfit for military service he was appointed royal treasurer — custodian of the accumulated Persian and Macedonian treasuries at Ecbatana — a role he apparently exploited with increasing boldness from 330 onward (Arr. *Anab.* 3.6.6–7 records a first flight to Greece before Issus, and a subsequent pardon that restored him to the treasurership). By 324, with Alexander returning from India and conducting purges of corrupt satraps, Harpalus absconded with 5,000 talents of royal silver and a mercenary force of 6,000 men, making first for Taenarum and then Athens (Diod. 17.108.4–6; Plut. *Dem.* 25.1–4). His arrival at Athens with the mercenaries and the money — technically an act of piracy against the Macedonian treasury — triggered the 'Harpalus Affair', in which Demosthenes the orator and several other politicians were accused of accepting bribes from him; Harpalus himself was later murdered by his own officers in Crete (Diod. 17.108.8; Paus. 2.33.4).