Dioscurides
4th century Macedonian officer, admiral for Antigonus Monophthalmus
About Dioscurides
Lived 350 BC – 313 BC (aged 36–37). Dioscurides was a military personnel and sovereign.
Dioscurides or Dioskourides (, ) was a nephew of Antigonus I Monophthalmus and admiral during the Wars of the Diadochi.
Little is known about him. He might have been a brother of Polemaios, another nephew of Antigonus. Dioscurides is first mentioned in the history of Diodorus of Sicily, in 314 BC, when he led 80 ships from the Hellespont and Rhodes to assist Antigonus during his siege of Tyre. This might indicate that he had been put in charge of raising ships in these areas by his uncle . Antigonus then sent him with a fleet of 190 ships to the Aegean Sea, with the task of getting the local islands to switch their support to Antigonus. He was apparently successful in this mission, and this event is generally considered by modern scholars to mark the establishment of the Nesiotic League.
In late 313 BC, Dioscurides led an Antigonid fleet in the defence of Lemnos from the Athenians, who had been encouraged to attack the island by Antigonus' rival, Cassander. Nothing further is known of him thereafter. According to Antigonus' biographer Richard Billows, this may be because Dioscurides died young, or because he later participated in Polemaios' unsuccessful rebellion against Antigonus.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Dioscurides's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Dioscurides's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Dioscurides?
4th century Macedonian officer, admiral for Antigonus Monophthalmus
When was Dioscurides born?
Dioscurides was born in 350 BC.
When did Dioscurides die?
Dioscurides died in 313 BC.
What was Dioscurides's occupation?
Dioscurides was a military personnel and sovereign.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Dioscurides (nephew of Antigonus I)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dioscurides. https://biography.guide/dioscurides/
MLA: "Dioscurides." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dioscurides/.
Chicago: "Dioscurides." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dioscurides/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:20 UTC