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Its predominance began with its crucial role in the Battle The Sacred Band Leuctra in BC. He mentions the Sacred Band as being led by the general Pelopidas and, alongside Epaminondas who commanded the army of Thebes Boeotiawere responsible for the defeat of the Spartans at the decisive Battle of Leuctra BC. Plutarch 46— ADa native of the village of Chaeroneais the The Sacred Band of The Sacred Band most substantial surviving account of the Sacred Band. The exact date of the Sacred Band's creation, and whether it was created before or after the Symposium of Plato c. The generally accepted date of the Sacred Band's creation is between and BC. Herodotus c. Though none of these mention the Sacred Band by name, these may have referred to the Sacred Band or at least its precursors. In the old debate surrounding Xenophon's and Plato's works, the Sacred Band has figured prominently as a possible way of dating which of the two wrote their version of Symposium first. The Sacred Band Socrates in his The Sacred Band disapprovingly mentions the practice of placing lovers beside each other in battle in the city-states of Thebes and Elisarguing that while the practice was acceptable The Sacred Band them, it was shameful for Athenians. Both Plato and Xenophon were Athenians. According to the British classical scholar Sir Kenneth Doverthis 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. 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. He acknowledges, however, that Plato may have simply put the hypothesis in the mouth of Phaedrus according to the supposed earlier dramatic date of the work c. It only shows that Plato was more mindful of his chronology in his Symposium than Xenophon, and proves that he was actually quite aware of the Sacred Band in his time. According to The Sacred Band, the hand-picked men were chosen by Gorgidas purely for ability and merit, regardless of social class. But Plutarch claims that it was due to an exchange of sacred vows between lover and beloved at the shrine of Iolaus one of the lovers of Heracles at Thebes. He also tangentially mentions Plato's characterization of the lover as a "friend inspired of God". The Sacred Band was stationed in Cadmea as a standing force, likely as defense against future attempts by foreign forces to The Sacred Band the citadel. The historian James G. DeVoto points out that Gorgidas previously served as a hipparch cavalry officertherefore equestrian training was also likely provided. According to Plutarch, Gorgidas originally distributed the members of the Sacred Band among the The Sacred Band ranks of the phalanxes of regular infantry. Their main function was to cripple the enemy by engaging and killing their best men and leaders in battle. It was during the famous stand-off between the Athenian mercenary commander and later strategos Chabrias d. This was followed by Athens openly entering into an alliance with Thebes against Sparta. The Spartan forces were held up for several days by Theban forces manning the earthen stockades at the perimeter of Theban territory. The Sacred Band Spartans eventually breached the fortifications and entered the Theban countryside, devastating the Theban fields in their wake. Though the Athenians had by this time joined the Theban forces, they were still outnumbered by the Spartans. 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. They chose the latter and arrayed their forces along the crest of a low sloping hill, opposite the Spartan forces. Gorgidas and the Sacred Band occupied the front ranks of the Theban forces on the right, while Chabrias and an experienced force of mercenary hoplites occupied the front ranks of the Athenian forces on the left. Agesilaus first sent out skirmishers to test the combined Theban and The Sacred Band lines. Agesilaus then commanded the entire Spartan army to advance. He may have hoped that the sight of the massed Spartan forces resolutely moving forward would be enough to intimidate the Theban and Athenian forces into breaking ranks. It was during this time that Chabrias gave his most famous command. Shortly after the stand-off in Thebes, Agesilaus disbanded his army in Thespiae and returned to Peloponnesos through Megara. Phoebidas engaged the advancing Theban army with his peltasts. The harrying of the light infantry apparently proved too much for the Thebans and they started to retreat. Phoebidas, hoping for a rout, rashly pursued them closely. However, The Sacred Band Theban forces suddenly turned around and charged Phoebidas' forces. Phoebidas was killed by the Theban cavalry. Not long afterwards, Agesilaus mounted a second expedition against Thebes. After a series of skirmishes which he The Sacred Band with some difficulty, he was forced again to withdraw when the Theban army came out full force as he approached the city. Diodorus observes at this point that the Thebans thereafter faced the Spartans with confidence. It occurred near the Boeotian city of Orchomenusthen still an ally of Sparta. Hearing reports that the Spartan garrison in Orchomenus had left for LocrisPelopidas quickly set out with the Sacred Band and a few cavalry, hoping to capture it in their absence. They approached the city through the northeastern route since the waters of Lake Copais were at their fullest during that season. Unwilling to engage the new garrison, Pelopidas decided to retreat back The Sacred Band Thebes, retracing their northeastern route along Lake Copais. However, they only reached as far as the shrine of Apollo of Tegyra before encountering the returning Spartan forces from Locris. The Spartans were composed of two morai led by the polemarchoi Gorgoleon and Theopompus. The Spartans advanced, confident in their numbers, only to have their leaders killed immediately in the opening clashes. Leaderless and encountering forces equal in discipline and training for the first time in the Sacred Band, the Spartans faltered and The Sacred Band their ranks, expecting the Thebans to pass through and escape. Instead, Pelopidas surprised them by using the opening to flank the The Sacred Band. An account of the battle was mentioned both by Diodorus and Plutarch, both based heavily on the report by Ephorus. The exact number of the belligerents on each side varies by account. Diodorus puts the number of Thebans at against the Spartans' 1, each mora consisting of menapparently basing it on The Sacred Band original figures. Plutarch puts the number of the Thebans atand acknowledges three sources for the number of Spartans: by the account of Ephorus; 1, by Callisthenes c. Some of these numbers may have been exaggerated due to the overall significance of the battle. For in all the great wars there had ever been against Greeks or The Sacred Band, the Spartans were never before beaten by a smaller company than their own; nor, indeed, in a set battle, when their number was equal. Hence their courage was thought irresistible, and their high repute before the battle made a conquest already of enemies, The Sacred Band thought themselves no match for the men of Sparta even on equal terms. But The Sacred Band battle first taught the other Greeks, The Sacred Band 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 The Sacred Band, there, wherever it be, are found the bravest and most formidable opponents. According to Xenophon, they were The Sacred Band 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. Thespiae The Sacred Band Tanagra were subjugated and formally became part of the reestablished democratic Boeotian confederacy. By this time, Thebes had also started attacking Phocian poleis allied to Sparta. In response to the Theban army outside the city's walls, the Phocian general Onomarchus brought out all the inhabitants of the city including the elderly, women, and children and locked the gates. He then placed the non-combatants directly behind the defenders of Elateia. On seeing this, Pelopidas withdrew his forces, recognizing that the Phocians would fight to the death to protect their loved ones. It was initiated by either the Athenians or the Persians perhaps at the prompting of the Spartans. The Spartans also sent a large force led by King Cleombrotus I Sparta having two kings simultaneously for most of its history to Phocis, ready to invade Boeotia if the Thebans refuse to attend the peace conference or accept its terms. Epaminondas' The Sacred Band to accept the terms of the peace conference of BC excluded Thebes from the peace treaty and provided Sparta with the excuse to declare war. Shortly thereafter the army of Cleombrotus was ordered to invade Boeotia. The Thebans however were committed to a fight. Cleombrotus then moved inland, following the eastward road towards Thebes, until he reached the Boeotian village of Leuctra modern Lefktra, The Sacred Band near the southwestern end of the Theban plain. There they were met by the main Theban army. The Spartan army numbered about 10, hoplites, 1, light infantry, and 1, cavalry. The Theban army was outnumbered by the Spartans, being composed of only about 6, hoplites including the Sacred Band1, light infantry, and 1, cavalry. Here, the massed Theban phalanx was arrayed into a highly unconventional depth of fifty men. The battle opened with a cavalry charge by both armies. The Spartan cavalry were quickly defeated by the superior Theban cavalry and were The Sacred Band back to their own side. Their disorderly retreat disrupted the battle lines of the Spartan heavy infantry and, because of the resulting chaos and the dust stirred up, the Spartans were unable to observe the highly unusual advance of the Theban army until the very last moment. By the time the Spartans realized that something unusual was happening it was already too late. Shortly before the Theban left wing made contact, the Spartans hastily stretched out their right wing in an attempt to outflank and engulf the rapidly approaching Thebans. This was a traditional tactic and, once the Thebans were in range, the stretched wing would then be brought back in an encircling movement. Acting under his own initiative, Pelopidas quickly led the Sacred Band ahead of the Theban left wing to intercept the Spartan maneuver before it could be completed. The Sacred Band sheer number of Thebans overwhelmed the Spartan right wing quickly. The number of Spartan casualties amounted to about 1, dead, among whom were Spartiates and their own king. The The Sacred Band right flank were forced to retreat after retrieving the body of Cleombrotus. Seeing the spartiates fleeing in disarray, the perioeci phalanxes also broke ranks and retreated. Although some Spartans were in favor of resuming the battle in order to recover the bodies of their dead, the allied The Sacred Band of the The Sacred Band left wing were less than willing to continue fighting indeed some of them were quite pleased at the turn of events. The remaining polemarchoi eventually decided to request a truce, which the Thebans readily granted. The Spartan dead were returned and a tropaion was set up on the battlefield by the Thebans to commemorate their victory. According to Pausanias c. Leuctra established Theban independence from Spartan rule and laid the groundwork for the expansion of Theban power, but possibly also for the eventual supremacy of Philip II of Macedon. It was fought between the Macedonians and their allies and an alliance of Greek city-states The Sacred Band by Athens and Thebes. Diodorus records that the numbers involved for the two armies were more or less equal, both having around 30, men and 2, cavalry. 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 Thebans of the Sacred Band held their ground and Plutarch records that all fell where they stood beside their last commander, Theagenes. Their defeat at the battle was The Sacred Band significant victory for Philip, since until then, the Sacred Band was regarded as invincible throughout all of Ancient Greece. Plutarch records that Philip II, on encountering the corpses "heaped one upon another", understanding who they were, wept and exclaimed. Though the significance of the battle was well-documented by ancient scholars, there is little surviving information on the deployment of The Sacred Band armies involved. The Sacred Band Of Thebes: An Army Of Gay Lovers | History Daily

It is said to have been organised by the Theban commander Gorgidas in BC and to have played a crucial role in the Battle of Leuctra. The ruins of ancient Theban citadel of Cadmea. 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. The Sacred Band what lover would not choose rather to be seen by all mankind than by his beloved, either when abandoning his post or throwing away his arms? He would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than The Sacred Band this. Or who would desert his beloved or fail him in the The Sacred Band of danger? He mentions the Sacred Band as being led by the general Pelopidas and, alongside Epaminondas who commanded the army of Thebes Boeotiawere responsible for the defeat of the Spartans at the decisive Battle of Leuctra BC. Plutarch 46— ADa native of the village of Chaeroneais the source of the most substantial surviving account of the Sacred Band. The exact date of the Sacred Band's creation and whether it was created before or after the Symposium of Plato c. The generally accepted date of the Sacred Band's creation is between to BC. Herodotus c. Though none of these mention the Sacred Band by name, these may have referred to the Sacred Band or at least its precursors. In the old debate surrounding Xenophon's and Plato's works, the Sacred Band has figured prominently as a possible way of dating which of the two wrote their The Sacred Band of Symposium first. Xenophon's Socrates in his Symposium disapprovingly mentions the practice of placing lovers beside each other in battle in the city-states of Thebes and Elisarguing that while the practice was acceptable to them, it was shameful for Athenians both Plato and Xenophon were Athenians. According to the British classical scholar Sir Kenneth Doverthis was a clear allusion to the Sacred Band, reflecting Xenophon's contemporary awareness of the Theban practice, albeit anachronistic as the dramatic date of the work itself is c. He acknowledges, however, that Plato may have simply put the hypothesis in the mouth of Phaedrus according to the supposed earlier dramatic date of the work c. It only shows that Plato was more mindful of his chronology in his Symposium than Xenophon, and proves that he was actually quite aware of the Sacred Band in The Sacred Band time. According to Plutarch, the hand-picked men were chosen by Gorgidas purely for ability and merit, regardless of social class. But Plutarch claims that it was due to an exchange of sacred vows between lover and beloved at the shrine of Iolaus one of the lovers of Hercules at Thebes. He also tangentially mentions Plato's characterization of the lover as a "friend inspired of God". The Sacred Band was stationed in Cadmea as a standing force, likely as defense against future attempts by foreign forces to take the citadel. The historian James G. DeVoto points out that Gorgidas previously served as a hipparch cavalry officertherefore equestrian training was also likely provided. Map of ancient Greece showing the relative positions of the major regions of Boeotia led by ThebesLaconia led by Spartaand Attica led by Athens. According to Plutarch, Gorgidas originally distributed the members of the Sacred Band among the front ranks of the phalanxes of regular infantry. Their main function was to cripple the enemy by engaging and killing their best men and leaders in battle. It was during the famous stand-off between the Athenian mercenary commander and later strategos Chabrias d. This was followed by Athens openly entering into an alliance with Thebes against Sparta. His force consisted of 1, cavalry and 28, infantry. The Spartan forces were held up for several days by Theban forces manning the The Sacred Band stockades at the perimeter of Theban territory. The Spartans eventually breached the fortifications and entered the Theban countryside, devastating the Theban fields in their wake. Though the Athenians have at The Sacred Band time The Sacred Band the Theban forces, they were The Sacred Band outnumbered by the Spartans; their combined forces numbering only at 1, cavalry, 12, hoplites, and around 5, light infantry. 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. They chose the latter and arrayed their forces along the crest of a low sloping hill, opposite the Spartan forces. Gorgidas and the Sacred Band occupied The Sacred Band front ranks of the Theban forces on the right, while Chabrias and an experienced force of mercenary hoplites occupied The Sacred Band front ranks of the Athenian forces on the left. Agesilaus first sent out skirmishers to test The Sacred Band combined Theban and Athenian lines. Agesilaus then commanded the entire Spartan army to advance. He may have hoped that the sight of the massed Spartan forces resolutely moving forward The Sacred Band be enough The Sacred Band intimidate the Theban and Athenian forces into breaking ranks. It was during this The Sacred Band that Chabrias gave his most famous command. The audacity of the maneuver and the discipline of the execution was such that Agesilaus halted the advance. Chabrias, in contrast, was being praised for his novel strategy and was seen as a savior by the Thebans. Shortly after the stand-off in Thebes, Agesilaus disbanded his army in Thespiae and returned to Peloponnesos through Megara. He also made several attacks on Thespian territory, though these accomplished little. The harrying of the light infantry apparently proved too much for the Thebans and they started to retreat. Phoebidas, hoping for a rout, rashly pursed them closely. However, the Theban forces suddenly turned around and charged Phoebidas' forces. Phoebidas was killed by the Theban cavalry. The Sacred Band are three records of these engagements with Phoebidas and Gorgidas surviving today. Xenophon and Diodorus both say that Phoebidas died during Gorgidas' abrupt turn-around. Diodorus records that the Spartans and Thespians lost men. Aside from Polyaenus, none of these accounts mention the Sacred Band by name, but given that they were under the command of Gorgidas, they are likely to have been part of Theban forces involved. Not long afterwards, Agesilaus mounted a second expedition against Thebes. After a series of skirmishes which he won with some difficulty, he was forced again to withdraw when the Theban army came out full force as he approached the city. Diodorus observes at this point that the Thebans thereafter faced the Spartans with confidence. Map of ancient Boeotia showing the location of the city of Orchomenus. It occurred near the Boeotian city of Orchomenusthen still an ally of Sparta. Hearing reports that the Spartan garrison in Orchomenus The Sacred Band left for LocrisPelopidas quickly set out with the Sacred Band and a few cavalry, hoping to capture it in their absence. They approached the city through the northeastern route since the waters of Lake Copais were at The Sacred Band fullest during that season. Unwilling to engage the new garrison, Pelopidas decided to retreat back to Thebes, retracing their northeastern route along Lake Copais. However, they only reached as far as the shrine of Apollo of Tegyra before The Sacred Band the returning Spartan forces from Locris. The Spartans were composed of two morai led by the polemarchoi Gorgoleon and Theopompus. The Spartans advanced, confident in their numbers, only to have their leaders killed immediately in the opening clashes. Leaderless and encountering forces The Sacred Band in discipline and training for the first time in the Sacred Band, the Spartans faltered and opened their ranks, expecting the Thebans to pass The Sacred Band and escape. Instead, Pelopidas surprised them by using the opening to flank the Spartans. An account of the battle was mentioned both by Diodorus and Plutarch, both based heavily on the report by Ephorus. The exact number of the belligerents on each side varies by account. Diodorus puts the number of Thebans at against the Spartan's each mora consisting of menapparently basing it on Ephorus' original figures. Plutarch puts the number of the Thebans atand acknowledges three sources for the number of Spartans: by the account of Ephorus; 1, by Callisthenes c. Some of these numbers may have been exaggerated due to the overall significance of the battle. 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. Thespiae and Tanagra were subjugated The Sacred Band formally became part of the reestablished democratic Boeotian confederacy. By this time, Thebes had also started attacking Phocian poleis allied to Sparta. In response to the Theban army outside the city's walls, the Phocian general Onomarchus brought out all the inhabitants of the city including the elderly, women, and children and locked the gates. He then placed the non-combatants directly behind the defenders of Elateia. On seeing this, Pelopidas withdrew his forces, recognizing that the Phocians would fight to the death to protect their loved ones. It was initiated by either the Athenians or the Persians perhaps at the prompting of the Spartans. The Spartans also sent a large force led by King Cleombrotus I Spartans have two kings simultaneously to Phocis, ready to invade Boeotia if the Thebans refuse to attend the peace conference or accept its terms. The peace conference of BC was attended by various delegates from different Greek city-states. During the negotiations, however, Agesilaus refused to allow the Thebans to represent all of Boeotia, maintaining that other Boeotian poleis should be treated independent of Thebes. The Spartans did the same, with the exception of Cleombrotus' army in Phocis. Cleombrotus relayed a request for orders back The Sacred Band Sparta. At a meeting of the Spartan assembly to discuss the course of action, only one Spartan, named Prothous, was against war with Thebes. He prudently advocated that Cleombrotus' army be disbanded while they give the Thebans a chance to back down. His arguments were unanimously dismissed as nonsense by the Spartan assembly led by Agesilaus. Spartans sent an ultimatum demanding that Thebes grant autonomy to the other Boeotian poleis. Thebes reaffirmed Epaminondas' position at the peace conference, pointing out that Thebans have never interfered with Sparta and her Laconian cities, and thus Spartans had no right interfering with Boeotian affairs. Shortly thereafter the army of Cleombrotus was ordered to invade Boeotia. Cleombrotus' army crossed the Phocian-Boeotian border into Chaeronea then halted, perhaps hoping that the Thebans might change their mind. The Thebans however were committed to a fight, and were beginning preparations for their resistance. They even voted for their non-combatants including women and children to be sent to Athens in case the Spartans manage to besiege Thebes. Theban outposts were sent to guard the western narrow passes that Cleombrotus' army was expected to take. To circumvent the Theban defenses, Cleombrotus withdrew his forces to The Sacred Band Phocian town of Ambrossus then marched southwards along the western coast through the hilly country of Thisbae over Mount Helicon. They easily annihilated the Theban detachment led by Chaereas guarding the area. The Sacred Band eventually arrived at the Theban fortress of Creusis and captured it, also capturing twelve Theban warships in the process. Cleombrotus then moved inland, following the eastward road towards Thebes, until he reached the Boeotian village of Leuctra modern Lefktra, Plataies near the southwestern end of the Theban plain. There they were met by the main Theban army. A reconstruction of the Battle of Leuctra. The Theban forces are in blue, while the Spartan forces are in red. The Sacred Band under Pelopidas is the smaller phalanx at the bottom right corner, beside the largest concentration of infantry The Sacred Band the Theban The Sacred Band wing. The Sacred Band by Janet E. Morris

Back The Sacred Band the fourth century, there was an elite group made up of pairs of men. The men were the handpicked elite fighting force known as the The Sacred Band Band of Thebes. An early record about the military force from BC mentions that The Sacred Band BC they were being led by General Pelopidas at the Battle of Leuctra and were partly responsible for the defeat of the Spartans. A victory monument was set up there that is still visible today. The ruins of ancient Theban citadel of Cadmea Photo Credit. The men were handpicked for their merit and ability — social class was overlooked. It is not totally clear whether or not the men were The Sacred Band as lovers in the sense we mean today — the band has been described as being created with men who were devoted to each other by mutual obligations of love, which could imply they were family members or close friends and not lovers. Also, their training included dance and wrestling. If this force is comparable to a Spartan elite force which is better known, then their ages can be estimated at 20 or 21, and they possibly retired close to the age of Before they came under the command of Pelopidas the men were often scattered The Sacred Band the front of the phalanxes in the regular infantry. The King had ordered his troops forward, hoping to make the Theban and Athenian troops to break ranks and fight on the lower ground. The experienced Chabrias gave the command for his troops to stand at ease and his counterpart Gorgidas with the Scared Band followed suit. The King withdrew his troops back to Thespiae, where he eventually disbanded his army and returned to Peloponnesos. After a few successful sorties against the Spartans, who continued to harass them, the Thebans grew in confidence. Around the time of toGorgidas vanishes from the records and the Sacred Band is now commanded by Pelopidas. With the leadership of Pelopidas the Sacred Band became a fighting force to be feared, and they recorded their first victory at the Battle of Tegyra. They had been attempting to sneak in and capture the lightly-manned city of Orchomenus in between garrisons, but got caught at the shrine of Apollo. They quickly cut down the Spartan The Sacred Band, and the Spartans faltered under the daring attack, not having experienced many losses before this one. The Spartans were overwhelmed and lost many of their troops, and the survivors fled back where they had come from. From this point on the Sacred Band was kept as a separate military unit. Map of ancient Boeotia showing the location of the city of Orchomenus. The Battle of Leuctra was one of the most important Greek-against-Greek battles. The Sacred Band and their commander played a decisive part in the success of this battle by working as a separate entity and being able The Sacred Band respond quicker to events in the battle. The Sacred Band at one point moved ahead of the Theban left wing to halt the Spartan maneuver of stretching out a wing of men before contracting it in an encircling movement. The Spartans were held long enough for the Theban heavy infantry to move in and slaughter them. The demoralized Spartans asked for a truce, which was given, and a shrine was created on the battlefield to show Theban victory. A reconstruction of the Battle of Leuctra. The more traditional infantry was no match for the long spears of the Macedonians. The Theban army broke The Sacred Band ran, but the Sacred Band held their ground and would not surrender. Until this point in time, the Sacred Band was thought to be invincible. Army had an experimental camel corps being trained in the southwest United States. The Sacred Band is unknown where the Sacred Band had been laid to rest, but there have been many theories, including the site of the Lion of Chaeronea. The Sacred Band has been written about by many classical authors, including Plutarch who has a very detailed account of the Sacred Band in The Sacred Band work called Life The Sacred Band Pelopidas. The Sacred Band: The Sacred Band elite force The Sacred Band the Theban army was made up of pairs of fighters devoted to each other. Feb 7, Ian Harvey.