The Spartans witnessed some terrible debacles on the battlefield, too as any great army that celebrated big victories.
During the battle of Tegyra that played away in 375 B.C., between Sparta and their Greek city-state rival Thebes, the Spartan troops numbering at minimum one thousand males were apparently battered by a little troop of just 300 guys, known as the Sacred Band of Thebes.
The clash unfolded near a shrine of Apollo in your community, where in fact the Sacred Band ended up being led by its then-leader Pelopidas. The thinly numbered guys had been surprisingly met by the much larger Spartan unit, and also at very very first, the specific situation seemed hopeless.
Mythological temple associated with the Greek god Apollo.
Nonetheless, Pelopidas ordered their cavalrymen to hit an enemy’s exposed flank and grouped their hoplites in to a tightly packed product development.
Bravely fighting, the Sacred Band seemed invincible. The Spartan was broken by them line, killing their frontrunner in short order.
Marble statue of a hoplite that is helmed century BC), Archaeological Museum of Sparta, Greece. Picture by de:Benutzer:Ticinese CC BY-SA 3.0
Susceptible and without guidance, the Spartans held back once again to enable the much smaller Theban force to go out of intact.
But rather of escaping the battlefield, Pelopidas involved their males an additional assault, plus in just one swift move, another hoard of enemy soldiers were disassembled.
Band of Thebes. Composite constructed sculpture of historical figure(s) reputed to have experienced a sex that is same. Picture by Pinkpasty CC with SA 4.0
It absolutely was a glorious success, and Pelopidas hired the Sacred Band for just about any army campaign that followed. But who had been these brave-fighting individuals? In accordance with sources that are ancient different historians, them all had been homosexual enthusiasts, 150 extremely well-trained pairs of these. (mais…)
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