Cleitus the Black
Commander of the Royal Squadron of the Companion Cavalry
"It was this hand, Alexander, that saved your life at the Granicus."
Biography
Cleitus the Black (distinguished from 'Cleitus the White') was one of Alexander's most trusted officers, the brother of his childhood nurse Lanice, and the man who saved his life at the Battle of the Granicus by cutting off the arm of the Persian nobleman who had split Alexander's helmet with an axe. He fought at Granicus, Issus, and Gaugamela, earning a reputation for personal bravery. In 328 BC, at a drunken banquet in Maracanda (Samarkand), a dispute broke out over the relative merits of Alexander's and Philip II's achievements. Cleitus, drunk, took Philip's side and accused Alexander of claiming too much personal credit while forgetting the men who had made his victories possible. Enraged, Alexander seized a spear from a guard and ran Cleitus through. Immediately horrified, Alexander tried to fall on the spear himself; his friends restrained him. He spent three days locked in his tent refusing food, weeping.
Did you know?
Cleitus's sister Lanice was Alexander's childhood nurse — which meant he grew up knowing her brother, and killing him was not just a political act but an intensely personal betrayal. Alexander's grief after the murder was the deepest he experienced until Hephaestion's death.
Key Battles
Battle of the Granicus River
Macedonian Empire victoryMay 334 BC · 2,500 total casualties
The Granicus established Alexander's personal leadership style — leading from the front in the most dangerous position — and eliminated the Persian satrap class that governed Asia Minor. The near-death experience also introduced a recurring theme: Alexander's survival at the hinge of the ancient world often depended on inches.
Battle of Issus
Macedonian Empire victoryNovember 333 BC · 60,000 total casualties
Issus was the first meeting between Alexander and Darius III and ended in the Persian emperor's flight — a catastrophic blow to Persian morale and political legitimacy. Alexander's treatment of the royal women became legendary in the ancient world as an example of self-restraint, reinforcing his claim to legitimacy as the new ruler of Asia.
Battle of Gaugamela
Macedonian Empire victoryOctober 1, 331 BC · 55,000 total casualties
Gaugamela was the decisive engagement of the ancient world — the battle that ended the Achaemenid Persian Empire, which had ruled Asia for 220 years. The oblique advance and gap-exploitation that Alexander used became the template for cavalry decisive-point tactics studied by commanders from Julius Caesar to Napoleon.
Life Journey
Timeline
375 BC
🌅 Birth
Born in Macedonia
334 BC
⚔️ Battle
Saves Alexander's life at Granicus — cuts off Persian noble's sword arm
331 BC
⚔️ Battle
Commands Royal Squadron of Companions at Gaugamela
328 BC
✝️ Death
Killed by Alexander in a drunken quarrel at Maracanda (Samarkand)