Clitus the Black
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Clitus the Black (Greek: Κλείτος ο Μέλας) (ca. 375 BC-328 BC) was an officer of the Macedonian army led by Alexander the Great. He was son of Dropides and brother of Alexander's nurse, Lanike. Clitus saved Alexander's life at the Battle of the Granicus in 334 BC, when Alexander was personally under attack by Rhoesaces and Spithridates. Clitus chopped off Spithridates' arm before the Asian satrap could bring it down on Alexander. Clitus would meet his demise at the hands of Alexander in a drunken quarrel in 328 BC.
The death of Clitus took place at a conference of generals at what is now the town of Samarkand. Most of the members were rather drunk, and Alexander announced a reorganization of commands. Specifically, Clitus was given orders to take 15,000 of the defeated Greek mercenaries who formerly fought for the Persian King north to fight the steppe nomads in Central Asia.
Clitus knew that he would no longer be near the King and would be a forgotten man. Furious at the thought of commanding what he saw as second-rate men, fighting nomads in the middle of nowhere, he spoke his mind. To make matters worse, Alexander arrogantly boasted that his accomplishments were far greater than that of his father, Phillip II. Clitus said Alexander was not the legitimate King of the Macedonians, and that all of his glory was due to his father. Alexander called for his guards, but they did not want to intervene in a quarrel between friends.
Alexander threw an apple at Clitus's head and called for a dagger, but friends of the two men had removed the dagger and hustled Clitus out of the room. Not leaving well enough alone, Clitus came right back and spouted more insults. Alexander had by then got hold of a spear, and killed Clitus on the spot. Alexander would later regret killing his friend.
The death of Clitus at Alexander's hand is depicted in a scene of Oliver Stone's film Alexander, starring Colin Farrell, released on November 24, 2004. Gary Stretch plays Cleitus (Clitus). The scene was intended to be the "turning point" in the campaign- when the Greek generals began to insist (more quietly than Cleitus) that Alexander return home.
The movie Alexander portrays Clitus as particularily fond of ephebes.
