360 B.C.-312 B.C.

Greek Military Commander

Acommander under Alexander the Great, Nearchus served as admiral over a fleet that sailed from the coast of the Indian subcontinent to the Euphrates river in distant Mesopotamia. In so doing, he proved that a sea route between India and the Near East existed, and thus made possible later Greek and Roman trade with India.

Nearchus apparently came from Crete, and at some point in his career gained naval experience. It is likely that if he did serve on a ship, this must have happened before the time he joined the forces of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.): in conquering his vast Greco-Macedonian empire, Alexander relied on land troops, using his navy almost solely for transport.

Nearchus's role as admiral would come much, much later; but from the outset it was clear that as a longtime friend of Alexander...