Stasander was born in the Kingdom of Soloi, in the 4th century B.C. At the time of his birth the ten city-kingdoms of Cyprus were vassal states of the Achaemenid Empire (Persians) which had conquered them either in 546 or 526. In May 334, the Achaemenids came into conflict with Kingdom of Macedon ruled by Alexander the Great. The Cypriots and Phoenicians formed the core of the Persian navy in the Mediterranean consisting of 400 ships. Upon receiving news of the devastating Persian defeat at the Battle of Issus, the Cypriot kingdoms defected to the Macedonians assembling at Sidon in the middle of May 332. Alexander pardoned the Cypriots on account that their allegiance to the Persians was a matter of duress. Cypriots took part in Alexander's numerous conquests starting from the Siege of Tyre. Stasander and his brother Stasanor were among those who entered the service of Macedon, eventually becoming Alexander's companions, an inner circle of his most trusted generals. Their rapid promotion may have been due to the fact that they belonged to the royal house of Soloi.