Were spartans gay lovers

Most historians today generally agree that the unit was likely formed around to BC. However, a number of prominent Greek historians mention a strong group of Theban troops that were trained to an elite level well before this date. They were likely hand-picked by Theban military leader Gorgidas for their abilities rather than their social class.

Was the army of : One such occasion was in ancient Greece— B

With an almost assured victory, the Spartan troops moved in on the smaller unit but were quickly dealt a vicious blow when the Sacred Band immediately killed the Spartan leaders. This shock defeat established the Sacred Unit as a deadly force.

Xenophon, whose own sons were educated in the Spartan agoge, wrote that pederastic homosexual relationships were considered “on par with the act of incest,” and Aristotle bemoaned the fact that Spartan women had so much power, attributing Sparta’s problems to the lack of homosexual relationships in Spartan society.

Later, the unit was involved in the Battle of Tegyra in BC. The Sacred Band stumbled across Spartan forces returning from the Greek region of Locris and were outnumbered two to one. Agesilaus ordered his entire force to advance towards the Theban and Athenian troops in the hopes that they would flee at the sight.

Epaminondas and Caphisodorus were buried together, [13] something usually reserved for a husband and wife in Greek society. Each couple had a dominant older lover and a younger more passive lover. A portion of the Sacred Band performed a flanking maneuverer and a bloodbath ensued, resulting in a large number of Spartan casualties.

But the defenders actually lowered their weapons and shields in confident defiance, causing Agesilaus himself to call off the attack. But for the Sacred Band, surrender was not an option. The ancient Greek city of Thebes was surprisingly relaxed about gay relationships, even catching the attention of famous Greek philosopher Plato, who noted that opinions on the matter in his city of Athens were complicated.

Under the leadership of Gorgidas, the Sacred Band was placed at the front edge of an attack.

How an army of : C

A unit of Theban troops named the Sacred Band were established to protect the city and were comprised solely of male couples. The Sacred Band has mostly been overlooked throughout history, but Thebes, in general, is not as widely discussed as states like Athens and Sparta.

This force received extensive training, making them one of the most elite forces around at the time. This elite unit actually defeated the revered Spartans in battle, but unlike the Spartans, the Sacred Band has mostly been forgotten by history.

He had two male lovers: Asopichus, who fought together with him at the battle of Leuctra, where he greatly distinguished himself, [12] and Caphisodorus, the latter died with him at Mantineia in battle. Little is known about the Sacred Band and only a few accounts detail their exploits.

None of these references use the name Sacred Band, but this similar group may be a precursor to that unit. They fought hard until all were dead, ending the mythical unit for good. The army of same-sex lovers who made up Sparta's biggest rivals Although their fearsome reputation is well established in the historical sources, they were by no means the only professional soldiers with a formidable reputation on the battlefield that arose from ancient Greece.

The Spartan troops were further alarmed upon realizing that this was no ordinary unit, but one that was equally skilled. Their courage and eventual death impressed their enemy, who buried them with honor. Over the next few decades, the Sacred Band earned a reputation for being seemingly invincible, however, they would finally taste defeat at the Battle of Chaeronea in BC.

Theban and Athenian allies faced off against the Macedonian forces but were simply no match, with most of them fleeing for their lives.