▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁royal ▁house ▁of ▁L ync est is , ▁a ▁small ▁kingdom ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁included ▁in ▁Mac ed onia ▁by ▁King ▁Philip ▁II ▁of ▁Mac ed on . ▁Le onn atus ▁was ▁the ▁same ▁age ▁as ▁Alexander ▁and ▁was ▁very ▁close ▁to ▁him . ▁Later , ▁he ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁Alexander ' s ▁seven ▁body gu ards , ▁or ▁som at oph y la kes . ▁After ▁Alexander ▁died ▁in ▁ 3 2 3 ▁BC , ▁the ▁reg ent , ▁P erd ic cas , ▁made ▁Le onn atus ▁sat rap ▁of ▁H elles pont ine ▁Ph ry gia . ▁ ▁D iod orus ▁( Book ▁XVII . 3 7 - 3 8 ) ▁tells ▁us ▁that ▁during ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Iss us , ▁the ▁immediate ▁family ▁of ▁D arius ▁had ▁been ▁captured ▁by ▁the ▁Mac ed onian ▁Army . ▁ ▁D arius ' ▁family ▁was ▁h yst er ical ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁suffer ▁a ▁dread ful ▁fate . ▁ ▁However , ▁Le onn atus ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁explain ▁to ▁them , ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁Alexander , ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁the ▁case . ▁ ▁In ▁fact , ▁Alexander ▁promised ▁to ▁respect ▁them ▁as ▁royal ty , ▁increase ▁their ▁household ▁servants ▁and ▁to ▁raise ▁D arius ' ▁ 6 - year - old ▁boy ▁as ▁his ▁own . ▁ ▁Alexander ' s ▁sister ▁Cle op atra , ▁the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁King ▁Alexander ▁I ▁of ▁Ep irus , ▁offered ▁her ▁hand ▁to ▁Le onn atus