Stasander was born in the
Kingdom of Soli, in the 4th century BC At the time of his birth the
ten city-kingdoms of Cyprus were vassals of the
Achaemenid Empire (Persia) which had conquered them either in 546 or 526 BC. In May 334 BC, the Achaemenids came into
conflict with
Kingdom of Macedon ruled by
Alexander the Great. The Cypriots and Phoenicians formed the core of the Persian navy in the Mediterranean consisting of 400 ships. Upon receiving news of the devastating Persian defeat at the
Battle of Issus, the Cypriot kingdoms defected to the Macedonians assembling at
Sidon in the middle of May 332 BC. Alexander pardoned the Cypriots on account that their allegiance to the Persians was a matter of duress. Cypriots took part in Alexander's numerous conquests starting from the
Siege of Tyre. Stasander and his brother
Stasanor were among those who entered the service of Macedon, eventually becoming two of Alexander's
companions, an inner circle of his most trusted generals. Their rapid promotion may have been due to the fact that they belonged to the royal house of Soli. Alexander ordered Stasanor to arrest Arsaces the
satrap of
Aria. Stasanor consequently assumed power in the satrapy himself. In 323 BC, Alexander died and his empire was partitioned among his generals. As a result of the 321 BC
Partition of Triparadisus Stasanor was granted the satrapies of
Bactria and
Sogdiana, whilst Stasander took over Aria and
Drangiana. During the course of the
Wars of the Diadochi he sided with
Eumenes against
Antigonus I Monophthalmus. He was defeated by the
Antigonids at the
Battle of Gabiene. Antigonus ultimately defeated Eumenes and his allies giving Stasander's satrapies to
Euitus. The date of Stasander's death is unknown. ==See also==