Amyntas

Amyntas (Ancient Greek: Ἀμύντας) is a male given name, a variation of ἀμύντης (amyntes),^[1][2] derived from the Ancient Greek: ἀμύντωρ (amyntor) 'defender, helper'^[3] and ultimately from the verb ἀμύνω 'to ward off, to defend'.^[4] It was particularly widespread in ancient Macedon, and was given to several prominent ancient Macedonian and Hellenistic figures. It later became a stock name for lovelorn shepherds in 16th-century pastoral literature.^[5]

Coin of Amyntas III of Macedon. Greek inscription reads ΑΜΥΝΤΑ, lit. '[coin] of Amyntas'

Kings of Macedon

• Amyntas I of Macedon, king of Macedon (c. 540–498 BC)
• Amyntas II of Macedon, king of Macedon
• Amyntas III of Macedon, king of Macedon (393–369 BC)
• Amyntas IV of Macedon, king of Macedon (359 BC)

Military figures

• Amyntas (son of Andromenes), general of Alexander the Great, died in 330 BC
• Amyntas (son of Antiochus), fugitive to Persians
• Amyntas (son of Arrhabaeus), hipparchos
• Amyntas (son of Alexander)
• Amyntas, father of taxiarch Philip
• Amyntas, father of Philip and first father-in-law of Berenice I of Egypt
• Amyntas (Antigonid general), died in Cappadocia 301 BC
• Amyntas of Rhodes, admiral against Demetrius Poliorcetes
• Amyntas of Pieria, 2nd Thessalian praetor 194 BC
• Amyntas of Mieza, somatophylax of Philip III Arrhidaeus
• Amyntas II (son of Bubares), Persian ruler of Alabanda

Hellenistic kings

• Amyntas Nikator, Indo-Greek king who ruled in parts of the northern Indian subcontinent between 95 and 90 BC
• Amyntas of Galatia, tetrarch of the Trocmi and king of Galatia (37–25 BC)
• Amyntas, Tetrarch of the Tectosagii, king of Cilicia Trachae between 36 BC and 25 BC

Writers

• Amyntas of Heraclea, mathematician; student of Plato
• Amyntas (bematist), wrote Stathmoi
• Amyntas the surgeon

Athletes

• Amyntas of Aeolia in diaulos
• Amyntas of Ephesus, pankratiast
• Amyntas (son of Menophilos), Aiolian, winner of the horse race at the Greater Amphiareia, beginning of the first century

Fictional shepherds

• Amyntas, the title shepherd in Torquato Tasso's play Aminta, translated into English by Leigh Hunt as Amyntas, a Tale of the Woods^[6]
• Amyntas, the title shepherd in Thomas Watson's Latin eclogue cycle Amyntas^[5]
• Amyntas, the title shepherd in Thomas Randolph's play Amyntas, or The Impossible Dowry^[7]
• Amyntas, a shepherd in love with Cloris in Samuel Daniel's play The Queene's Arcadia^[8]

Places

• Tomb of Amyntas, ancient Lycian rock-hewn tomb at ancient Telmessos, in the district of Fethiye, Turkey.