(d. c. 47 B.C.E.) Military officer of Egypt He served PTOLEMY XIII (r. 51–47 B.C.E.) and was possibly present when the murder of POMPEY the Great took place. Pompey had fled to Egypt for safety but was assassinated on September 28, 48 B.C.E. His head was reportedly preserved and presented as an offering to Julius CAESAR. When Caesar occupied ALEXANDRIA, Achillas was involved in a siege of that capital, an offensive that proved unsuccessful.
A veteran of many battles, esteemed by other military figures, even among his political foes, Achillas ran afoul of ARSINOE (4), the royal sister of CLEOPATRA VII. Arsinoe was an enemy of Cleopatra and Caesar, wanting the throne of Egypt for herself. She raised an army to depose her sister and her Roman allies, and she asked Achillas to serve as her commanding general. Not skilled in court intrigues or in the murderous ways of Arsinoe and her predecessors, Achillas managed to confront and infuriate the princess, who had him executed.
