Coenus

Coenus or Koinos may refer to:

Coenus of Macedon

Coenus or Koinos (Greek: Κοῖνος) was, after Karanus, the second king of the ancient kingdom of Macedon.

The Macedonian historian Marsyas of Pella relates the following aetiological story regarding his name: "...a certain Knopis from Colchis came to Macedonia and lived in the court of Caranus; when the royal male child was born, Caranus had the desire to name him after his father, Kiraron or Kararon, but the mother opposed and wanted after her father the child to be named. When Knopis was asked responded: by neither name. Therefore he was called Koinos (common)".

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Coenus (general)

Coenus (Greek: Koῖνος; died 326 BC), a son of Polemocrates and son-in-law of Parmenion, was one of the ablest and most faithful generals of Alexander the Great in his eastern expedition.

General of Alexander

In the autumn of 334 BC, when Alexander was in Caria, and sent those of his soldiers who had been recently married, to Macedonia, to spend the ensuing winter with their wives there, Coenus was one of the commanders who led them back to Europe.

In the spring of the year following (333 BC), Coenus returned with the Macedonians, and joined Alexander at Gordium.

After the conquest of Drangiana, in the latter part of 330 BC, Coenus joined in accusing his wife's brother, Philotas, of treason for conspiring against Alexander. This led to the execution of Philotas, and the assassination of his father-in-law, Parmenion.

Coenus commanded a portion of Alexander's army, and distinguished himself on various occasions. In all of Alexander's major battles, Coenus commanded the right-most battalion of infantry in the massive Macedonian phalanx. In the Macedonian battle tradition, the farther right you were in formation, the more honorable of a position you held. His distinction as commander of the "best" infantry of the phalanx indicates he was tactically reliable, probably extremely intelligent in warfare, and brave in battle; he was probably the epitome of the highly respected "lead-by-example" Macedonian general.