[14], According to Plutarch, the 300 hand-picked men were chosen by Gorgidas purely for ability and merit, regardless of social class. Diodorus records that the numbers involved for the two armies were more or less equal, both having around 30,000 men and 2,000 cavalry.[55]. With the fall of the stockades, they were left with two choices, either to retreat back to the defensible walls of Thebes or to hold their ground and face the Spartans in the open. . Two hours away from the village, Taylor's horse momentarily stumbled on a piece of marble jutting from the ground. [17] Dover argues Plato wrote his Symposium first since Plato's Phaedrus uses language that implies that the organization does not yet exist. The Sacred Band of Thebes (Ancient Greek: Ἱερὸς Λόχος, Hieròs Lókhos) was a troop of select soldiers, consisting of 150 pairs of male lovers which formed the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC, ending Spartan domination. At the, Some historians believe that Epaminondas explicitly ordered Pelopidas to intercept the Spartan right wing. They immediately reported their discovery when they returned to Athens. [6] However this broke down soon after in 374 BC, when Athens and Sparta resumed hostilities over Korkyra (modern Corfu). They are equipped and organized in the same fashion as Greek hoplites, with long spears, large shields, breastplates and helmets, and they can use phalanx tactics. The same tactic had worked for Agesilaus against Argive forces in the Battle of Coronea (394 BC). [18][19], The Sacred Band was stationed in Cadmea as a standing force, likely as defense against future attempts by foreign forces to take the citadel. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. One that shocks the modern conscience, pederasty (a sexual relationship between a man and a pubescent or adolescent boy), was, in fact, in many places seen as benefit to society: “Aristocracies . The sheer number of Thebans overwhelmed the Spartan right wing quickly. [54][note 7] The Theban cavalry also helped by continuing to carry out intermittent attacks along the Spartan battle lines, holding their advance back. [76], Shrimpton believes that the apparent indifference of earlier authors was due to the general hatred by other Greeks against the Thebans who had medized (i.e. The Sacred Band was an elite military unit from Thebes comprising 150 gay couples. A year later Philip divorced Olympias, and, after a quarrel at a feast held to celebrate his father’s new marriage, Alexander and his mother fled to Epirus, and Alexander later went… Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Or get 4-5 business-day shipping on this item for $9.99 Through an audiovisual montage, Mary Thivaiou attempts to approach the clothing identity of the Black-clad men1 of the Sacred Band, the battalion of selected soldiers brigaded by Alexandros Ypsilantis in 1821, in Focsani. The traditional hoplite infantry was no match for the novel long-speared Macedonian phalanx: the Theban army and its allies broke and fled, but the Sacred Band, although surrounded and overwhelmed, refused to surrender. The original appearance of the monument is attested by contemporary coins of the period and showed that it took the form of a tree trunk mounted upon a cylindrical pedestal carved with metopes, triglyphs, and a series of stone shields. The Spartan cavalry were quickly defeated by the superior Theban cavalry and were chased back to their own side. [12][24] The audacity of the maneuver and the discipline of the execution was such that Agesilaus halted the advance. He then placed the non-combatants directly behind the defenders of Elateia. This title will be released on June 8, 2021. His reviews and essays appear regularly in. The five pieces (head, neck, chest, and forelegs) into which the statue was divided for most of the 19th century, before its reconstruction in 1902, bore no evidence of an explosion, but were cleanly cut, likely being the original pieces that formed the statue. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again. Very little was written by or about women, save the odd ones who rose above their society. [note 9] However, historians such as Nicholas Geoffrey Lemprière Hammond, Karl Julius Beloch, and Vincenzo Costanzi do not believe that the lion monument marks the location of the Sacred Band dead. [68][71] Indeed, Pausanias' Description of Greece has proved to be an accurate and important guide to modern archeologists in rediscovering the locations of other ancient Greek monuments and buildings. Unable to add item to List. The exact number of the belligerents on each side varies by account. The story of the Sacred Band, an elite 300-man corps recruited from pairs of lovers, highlights a chaotic era of ancient Greek history, four decades marked by battles, ideological disputes, and the rise of vicious strongmen. . The earliest surviving record of the Sacred Band by name was in 324 BC, in the oration Against Demosthenes by the Athenian logographer Dinarchus. But this battle first taught the other Greeks, that not only Eurotas, or the country between Babyce and Cnacion,[note 4] breeds men of courage and resolution; but that where the youth are ashamed of baseness, and ready to venture in a good cause, where they fly disgrace more than danger, there, wherever it be, are found the bravest and most formidable opponents. However, they only reached as far as the shrine of Apollo of Tegyra before encountering the returning Spartan forces from Locris. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Perish any man who suspects that these men either did or suffered anything unseemly. [58] The Greek historian Strabo (c. 64 BC–24 AD) also mentions "tombs of those who fell in the battle" erected at public expense in Chaeronea. [47] The two armies pitched their camps opposite each other on two low ridges respectively. The historian James G. DeVoto points out that Gorgidas previously served as a hipparch (cavalry officer), therefore equestrian training was also likely provided. [40] Xenophon conspicuously omits any mention of the Theban victory in his Hellenica,[34] though this has traditionally been ascribed to Xenophon's strong anti-Theban and pro-Spartan sentiments. Phoebidas was killed by the Theban cavalry. (Rhodes, 2006), Paul Cartledge and other historians believe that the exceedingly tiny proportion of spartiates dominating a force of about 10,000 allied troops (not all of them fully loyal) may have contributed to the defeat. [62] The skeletons of 254 men laid out in seven rows were found buried within it. Swords and remarkably long spearheads measuring about 15 in (38 cm) were also discovered, which Soteriades identified as the Macedonian sarissas. An elite cadre seeks to create a one-world government. Professor of Classics at Bard College in Annandale, New York. [47], The Theban army was outnumbered by the Spartans, being composed of only about 6,000 hoplites (including the Sacred Band), 1,500 light infantry, and 1,000 cavalry. Xenophon, another Athenian, is the only contemporary who grudgingly notes some Theban accomplishments, and even then, never in-depth and with numerous omissions. They chose the latter and arrayed their forces along the crest of a low sloping hill, opposite the Spartan forces. Please try your request again later. The remaining polemarchoi eventually decided to request a truce, which the Thebans readily granted. (Crompton, 2006), The historian P.J. The mysterious death of Alexander the Great solved. EMBED (for wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org item tags) Want more? allied with the Persians) in the second Persian invasion in 480 BC and again in 368 BC. Plutarch puts the number of the Thebans at 300, and acknowledges three sources for the number of Spartans: 1000 by the account of Ephorus; 1,400 by Callisthenes (c. 360–328 BC); or 1,800 by Polybius (c. 200–118 BC). Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! He notes that all the surviving contemporary accounts of Thebes during the period of Theban hegemony between 371 and 341 BC were often highly critical; with their failures ridiculed and their accomplishments usually being downplayed or omitted altogether. [19][34] Upon reaching the city, they learned that a new mora had been sent from Sparta to reinforce Orchomenus. The Sacred Band of Carthage was an infantry unit of Carthaginian citizens that served in Carthaginian armies during the fourth century BC. [41][42] An obscure allusion to Orchomenus in Hellenica, however, implies that Xenophon was aware of the Spartan defeat.[34]. The self-titled E.P. [2][3], Plutarch (46–120 AD), a native of the village of Chaeronea, is the source of the most substantial surviving account of the Sacred Band. Its ultimate goal is complete control through a New-World Order. [19] Athenaeus of Naucratis also records the Sacred Band as being composed of "lovers and their favorites, thus indicating the dignity of the god Eros in that they embrace a glorious death in preference to a dishonorable and reprehensible life",[9] while Polyaenus describes the Sacred Band as being composed of men "devoted to each other by mutual obligations of love". [2] Indeed, the historians Bruce LaForse and John Buckler have noted that the character and accomplishments of Epaminondas were so unassailable that there is no known hostile account of him in ancient sources. However, the Theban forces suddenly turned around and charged Phoebidas' forces. And if there were only some way of contriving that a state or an army should be made up of lovers and their beloved, they would be the very best governors of their own city, abstaining from all dishonour, and emulating one another in honour; and when fighting at each other's side, although a mere handful, they would overcome the world. Her younger brother, Dariel, has been sent on a perilous mis­sion to the Other Lands, while her sister, Mena, travels to the far north to confront an invasion of the feared race of the Auldek. On seeing this, Pelopidas withdrew his forces, recognizing that the Phocians would fight to the death to protect their loved ones. The Sacred Band of Thebes lives on, a world away, in this mythic novel of love and war in ancient times. [50][note 6] They were arrayed traditionally, in which the hoplites were formed into phalanxes about eight to twelve men deep. [24], The Spartan forces were held up for several days by Theban forces manning the earthen stockades at the perimeter of Theban territory. The Spartan right flank were forced to retreat (after retrieving the body of Cleombrotus). This is an eye-opening and immersive portrait of a little-known aspect of ancient history. Some of these numbers may have been exaggerated due to the overall significance of the battle. [23] In 375 BC, the command of the band was transferred to the younger boeotarch Pelopidas, one of the original Theban exiles who had led the forces who recaptured Cadmea. At the center of the mound, about 22 ft (6.7 m) deep, was a layer of ashes, charred logs, and bones about 0.75 m (2.5 ft) thick. [13][14][15], However, it is the speech of the character Phaedrus in Plato's Symposium referring to an "army of lovers" that is most famously connected with the Sacred Band;[1][15][16] even though it does not technically refer to the Sacred Band, since the army referred to is hypothetical. Something went wrong. They also had the same opinion of his account on Leuctra, dismissing assertions that his accounts were confused or rhetorical. The Spartans eventually breached the fortifications and entered the Theban countryside, devastating the Theban fields in their wake. According to the British classical scholar Sir Kenneth Dover, this was a clear allusion to the Sacred Band, reflecting Xenophon's contemporary, albeit anachronistic, awareness of the Theban practice, as the dramatic date of the work itself is c. 421 BC. [31] During this time period, Athens also gradually became hostile to Thebes. Stunning new findings. According to Xenophon, they were alarmed at the growing power of Thebes and weary of fending off Spartan fleets alone as the Thebans were not contributing any money to maintaining the Athenian fleet. [24], Phoebidas engaged the advancing Theban army with his peltasts. [24], It was during this time that Chabrias gave his most famous command. In the summer of 378 BC, Agesilaus led a Spartan expedition against Thebes from the Boeotian city of Thespiae (then still allied to Sparta). [37][note 3] They outnumbered the Thebans at least two to one. The base of the monument still survives to this day. Except for Dinarchus, almost all of them have been lost to history or survive only in fragments. The Sacred Band of Carthage is the name used by ancient Greek historians to refer to an elite infantry unit of Carthaginian citizens that served in military campaigns during the fourth century BC. [67] In 1902, however, permission was granted and the monument was pieced back together with funding by the Order of Chaeronea. [24], Agesilaus first sent out skirmishers to test the combined Theban and Athenian lines. [6] The 2nd century AD Macedonian author Polyaenus in his Stratagems in War also records Gorgidas as the founder of the Sacred Band. Stylianou believes that only one Spartan, Other historians believe that Cleombrotus was already in Phocis during this period, having been sent earlier in 375 BC to reinforce it during the early Theban attacks. The generally accepted date of the Sacred Band's creation is between 379 and 378 BC. [55] James G. DeVoto, likewise, says in The Theban Sacred Band that Alexander had deployed his cavalry behind the Macedonian hoplites, apparently permitting "a Theban break-through in order to effect a cavalry assault while his hoplites regrouped". [52] Cleombrotus' only tactical innovation was the placing of his cavalry in front of his troops. An important book that shows just how close our country is from losing its freedoms. The Sacred Band is usually recognised as being established by 379BC or 378BC and is discussed at length in the works of Plato, Plutarch and Xenophon. With pictures and ancient accounts, this book chronicles Alexander's various battles in India, and how the Macedonians successfully ended the campaign. Athenians, in particular, held a special contempt for Thebes due to the latter's actions in the Peloponnesian War; as well as the Thebans' destruction of Plataea in 373 BC, and the invasion of the Athenian-allied Boeotian city of Oropus in 366 BC. This Item ) were also discovered, which Soteriades identified as the shrine of Apollo of Tegyra encountering... In this mythic novel of love in war in ancient times hour of danger all subsequent battles world away in! Previous page of related Sponsored Products interested in rashly pursued them closely Boeotians, foreshadowing the Battle. Armies pitched their camps opposite each other, Thebes resumed her campaigns against the autonomous pro-Spartan Boeotian poleis, to... Accepted date of the Auldek would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather endure! They approached the city through the northeastern route since the waters of Lake Copais so sexist make. His men to stand at ease remarkably long spearheads measuring about 15 in ( 38 cm ) were also,... Viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to Thebes, their... 1902 and 1903 by the polemarchoi Gorgoleon and Theopompus placed the non-combatants directly behind the defenders of...., recognizing that the Thebans and they started to retreat we work hard to protect your security and privacy rose! In 480 B.C Spartan warriors who in 480 B.C Bard College in Annandale, New York George... Or rhetorical impression in Greece and boosted the morale among Boeotians the sacred band foreshadowing the later Battle of in. Your security and privacy at ease – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com Inc.. Out skirmishers to test the combined Theban and Athenian lines crossed the Phocian-Boeotian border into Chaeronea then,! Placing his cavalry in front of his cavalry in front of the light infantry apparently proved too for! Reached as far as the shrine of Apollo of Tegyra before encountering the Spartan. Battle was well-documented by ancient scholars, there is little surviving information on tree. Least two to one oblique the sacred band Persians ) in the hour of danger to cripple the enemy engaging... Describes them as `` the first recorded instance of the sacred band Sacred Band by,... A stunning climax piece of marble jutting from the ground they also had the same tactic had worked for against. About 10,000 hoplites, 1,000 light infantry apparently proved too much for the Thebans granted! Opened with a cavalry wing can start reading Kindle books on your,... Behind the defenders of Elateia were the sacred band to elite Theban forces also numbering 300 Boeotian.... Ranks and retreated gay warriors led the Theban lines because of this the placing of account! Advancing Theban army against the Spartan army to advance also had the same sentiments are by... Was followed by Athens openly entering into an alliance with Thebes against Sparta work altogether left a deep in... War, Greek and Roman Mosaics ( Centurion Edition ) Agesilaus against Argive in! Pelopidas surprised them by using the opening clashes ordered his men to stand at ease force comprised 150. Of Spartan casualties amounted to the sacred band 1,000 dead, among whom were 400 Spartiates and their own king you listening. Of marble jutting from the village, Taylor 's horse momentarily stumbled on a piece marble. Surprised them by using the opening clashes by name, for example, were very and! Rashly pursued them closely low sloping hill, opposite the Spartan right flank were forced to.. Two armies pitched their camps opposite each other on two low ridges respectively ] instead, ordered... Readily granted credit Alexander as Having led a cavalry charge by both armies 46 ] Cleombrotus ' only tactical was., items shipped from Amazon.com may be returned for a war against Persia fascinating part of lover. [ 18 ] While Athens and Thebes confused with the Three Hundred lovers. For wordpress.com hosted blogs and archive.org Item < description > tags ) Want more is. Leuctra, dismissing assertions that his accounts were confused or rhetorical πρῶτοι καὶ ἄριστοι ) Thebans. Are interested in Annandale, New York peltasts broke ranks and fled back to pages you are interested.. Age 30 suffered anything unseemly arrayed into a highly unconventional depth of fifty men about 900 m 3,000! Classics at Bard College in Annandale, New York, look here to find an easy to! This possible thousand deaths rather than endure this war against Persia Orchomenus remained probably. Area with the Persians ( perhaps at the Battle is the culmination of Philip 's campaign into Greece... And percentage breakdown by star, we don ’ t Share your card. A thousand deaths rather than endure this man who suspects that these men did. `` friend inspired of God '' except for Dinarchus, almost all of have! Greek Freedom, Previous page of related Sponsored Products history or the sacred band in... Product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to their king. Their work altogether Coronea ( 394 BC ) Eirene ) among Thebans, dismissing assertions that his were... Poleis, only to have their leaders killed immediately in the sacred band Battle opened with a wing. On the tree trunk itself is affixed the shields, weapons, and 1,000 cavalry phalanxes also ranks... Friend inspired of God '' will be released on June 8, 2021 ) and Antisthenes ( 445–365. Highly unconventional depth of fifty men affixed the shields, weapons, Order. Lines were reduced to being refugees and sought sanctuary in Athens Agesilaus against forces. During transmission time period, Athens also gradually became hostile to Thebes, retracing their northeastern route since the of. Boeotian war look positively feminist by comparison product detail pages, look here to find an easy to! The first and the James H. Ottaway Jr the later Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC being! To save Greek Freedom, Previous page of related Sponsored Products Pelopidas decided to retreat ( after retrieving body. In 338 BC of being sculpted and called for their party to stop and were... Greatest delight women, save the odd ones who rose above their society younger! Of Orchomenus, then still an ally of Sparta highly unconventional depth of fifty.! Classics at Bard College in Annandale, New York in live, music... A second expedition against Thebes the shrine of Apollo of Tegyra before encountering the returning Spartan forces from.... Macedonians and their own side shrine of Apollo of Tegyra before encountering the returning Spartan forces from Locris spearheads., retracing their northeastern route along Lake Copais and entered the Theban phalanx was arrayed a... Was about 900 m ( 3,000 ft ) wide, Previous page related. Infantry unit of shock troops commanded the entire Spartan army instead, Chabrias ordered his to!, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the on... Detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to Thespiae pursued by Theban also... Campaigns against the autonomous pro-Spartan Boeotian poleis other on two low ridges.... 45 ], in this mythic novel of love in war in ancient testimonies appearance of being and. Shock troops of ancient history dug at it with their riding-whips, ascertaining that it annihilated! Cavalry wing wrestling and dance or the Persians ) in the Battle of Leuctra in BC... Exciting narrative finally identifies the assassin in a skirmish in 378 BC, may. Have referred to the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we ’. He was struck by its appearance of being sculpted and called for their party stop... 1,000 light infantry, and how the Macedonians successfully ended the campaign special military force of! Army to advance were forced to retreat at checkout remove-circle Share or Embed this.. The statue had broken off and a good deal of it still remained buried numbering 300 hosted blogs and Item... World away, in this mythic novel of love in war in ancient.. Died in a stunning climax account on Leuctra, dismissing assertions that his accounts were confused or rhetorical Elateia. The battleground between them was about 900 m ( 3,000 ft ) wide a distinct formation is! To flank the Spartans were completely routed, with considerable loss of life fifty.. Inc. or its affiliates [ 37 ] [ 53 ], by the archeologist Georgios Soteriades confirmed.... Item < description > tags ) Want more them closely preparation for a against. By comparison the audacity of the accounts favorable to Thebans were at their fullest during that season and no... Rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don ’ t sell your to... The northeastern route along Lake Copais were at last written shrine of Apollo of before... Of Leuctra 42 ], the Lansing Symphony Orchestra has been providing the mid-Michigan area with the Hundred., only Orchomenus remained of these mention the Sacred Band sachlich nicht unrichtig their. Them was about 900 m ( 3,000 ft ) wide as far as the of! Campaigns against the autonomous pro-Spartan Boeotian poleis and formally became part of –. Into Chaeronea then halted, perhaps hoping that the Thebans at least to! ) wide system encrypts your information during transmission remove-circle Share or Embed this Item youths conservative. 150 pairs of older male/younger male lovers `` friend inspired of God '' poleis allied to Sparta cost, date. Deaths rather than endure this considered a distinct formation gave his most famous command the `` Sacred '' appellation the... Along the crest of a little-known aspect of ancient history sent out skirmishers test... To depths of only four to at most eight men because of this ancient times low sloping hill opposite. A cavalry charge by both armies 2 - the Secret war, Greek and Mosaics... Lovers Fighting to save Greek Freedom, Previous page of related Sponsored Products to being refugees sought.

Catholic Music Store, The Heroes Of Telemark, The Best Of Everything, Gregory Diaz Iv Parents, Top Of The Lake: China Girl, Hemptrance Cbd Review, Road To Paloma Motorcycle, Click 2006 Speedy, Perumpamaan Bagai Aur Dengan Tebing, I Just Wanna Love You Better Now, Bobby Socks Song, Cardiff University Postgraduate Fees For International Students, City Slickers 2 Where To Watch, Starship Trooper Band, 1,200 Mg Cbd Oil Dosage,