What happened to the Sacred Band of Thebes?

In 338 BC, the Sacred Band of Thebes was dealt a fatal blow. It came during the Battle of Chaeronea, in which Thebes and Athens joined forces to fight against the forces of Philip II of Macedon and his son, Alexander.

Was the lovers Sacred Band of Thebes?

The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite force of shock troops in the Theban army, consisting of 150 paired male lovers that were famed in the classical world during the 4th century BC for their legendary courage and military strength in battle.

Who destroyed the Sacred Band of Thebes?

Alexander
The Sacred Band of Thebes was destroyed by a contingent of elite Macedonian troops led by the young Alexander, at the time serving under his father. Forty years since its founding, having led Thebes to many victories, having tipped the balance of power in Greece, the band was no more.

Why was the Sacred Band of Thebes important?

The Sacred Band fought the Spartans at Tegyra in 375 BC, vanquishing an army that was at least three times its size. It was also responsible for the victory at Leuctra in 371 BC that established Theban independence from Spartan rule and laid the groundwork for the expansion of Theban power.

When was the Sacred Band of Thebes formed?

Ancient Thebes
Sacred Band of Thebes/Founded

What was the military like in Thebes?

Thebes was strong in cavalry but its infantry phalanx looked certain to lose against the experienced Spartans. Epaminondas improvised a major departure from Greek military convention. Traditionally the armored hoplite phalanx fought in a block twelve deep, with the best troops in the place of honor on the right.

How many members did the Sacred Band of Thebes have?

150
The Sacred Band of Thebes (Ancient Greek: Ἱερὸς Λόχος, Hieròs Lókhos) was a troop of select soldiers, consisting of 150 pairs of elite soldiers which formed the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC, ending Spartan domination.

Who created the Sacred Band of Thebes?

Gorgidas
Sacred Band of Thebes/Founders
He records that the Sacred Band was originally formed by the boeotarch Gorgidas, shortly after the expulsion of the Spartan garrison occupying the Theban citadel of Cadmea. The 2nd century AD Macedonian author Polyaenus in his Stratagems in War also records Gorgidas as the founder of the Sacred Band.

Where was Thebes located?

Upper Egypt
Location. The bustling city of Thebes, which is known to the locals as ‘Waset’, lies around 800 kilometres (500 miles) south of the Mediterranean on the banks of the river Nile. Thebes is the main city of ‘Upper Egypt’, the southern region of the country that extends to Nubia.

How did the 300 Spartans lose?

Leonidas established his army at Thermopylae, expecting that the narrow pass would funnel the Persian army toward his own force. For two days, the Greeks withstood the determined attacks of their far more numerous enemy. Leonidas and the 300 Spartans with him were all killed, along with most of their remaining allies.

Why did Sparta fight Thebes?

The Theban–Spartan War of 378–362 BC was a series of military conflicts fought between Sparta and Thebes for hegemony over Greece. Sparta had emerged victorious from the Peloponnesian War against Athens (431–404 BC), and occupied an hegemonic position over Greece.