Sacred Band of Thebes — An Army of Gay That Defeated Spartans
The time when an army of gay defeated muscular and powerful Spartans
There was a strange, weird, and hindered part of Greece’s military history, it was homosexuality.
During the ancient Greece period, the practices of gay were common among emperors. It was later seen in their military forces. This practice was not forceful, but there was a motive. It was to improve and uplift the military goals.
Not forceful but develop an inner commitment to contribute to the war and battlefield.
Increasing the feelings between the soldiers was the way to develop the morale to fight dedicatedly in the battle.
The influence of homosexuals was present from the emperors and empresses. It had also influenced the soldiers.
Spartans was one of the military forces that has a historical impression of the gay community.
It was the Sacred Band of Thebes, the soldiers who defeated the Spartans in the 4th century BC. It was then the beginning of their dominance and the end of the Spartans.
It was with an aim to their belief that they will always require a strong bonding within each other. It is possible that the influence of homosexual connection showing a sign of heroism.
Both had Homosexuality in their army
The history of the Thebes warriors still mentions the 150 warriors who were male lovers who fought the battle of Leuctra and defeated the Spartans. According to the Dinarchus, he was the earliest survivor in 324 BC mentions about General Pelopidas' troop. He was the leader that ended the dominance of the Spartans.
The creation of the Sacred Band was by Boeotarch Gorgidas between 379 to 378 BC, which slowly extended its soldiers to 300 members.
It was not that the Gay military forces were limited to the Thebes, but the Spartans' military forces were following similar strategies.
Another fact of having homosexuality in Spartans as well as in Thebes is to develop unity and oneness.
It had lead to having fewer conspiracies in the army. Those soldiers never had conversations on relationships. It was hampering the psychology and military administration where beauty was selected over strength.
In 378 BC, an elite military force was formed of 150 lovers who were commanded to march as the front-liners on the battlefield.
Battles by the Gay Soldiers
- Invasions of Agesilaus II —
The first battle was in 378 when the Gay soldiers of the Sacred Band were in the Boeotian war. Earlier to the formation of the soldier troops, the Athenians had helped the Theban take control over the Thebes and the citadel of Cadmea from Sparta.
The root of Sacred bands was not more vital initially. But in 378 BC, with the alliance with Athens, together it was strong enough to stand against Sparta led by King Agesilaus II. It was the start of the decline of the Spartans.
Homosexuality was a unique procedure to develop closeness and bind the troop of the Sacred Band. While It was already in Spartans’ army bringing a change. It was to increase the dedication towards their military forces.
Apart from having sexual relationships within the troops, they were also married to women.
Spartan teens were ready for a relationship with adult males
The differences between the everyday life and the Thebes soldiers were quickly established.
At an early age, as soon as they step into teenage, it was their time to develop homosexual relationships.
The training of the Spartans was highly disciplined.
The adult males from the military troops were always eager to find teenagers to establish similar relations.
When the Spartans turned seven, they were taken away from their parents. The rule of the State was to develop the mind of a warrior and people fulfilled with morals.
Spartans were not built with just a few years of training. After several years of training and a disciplined lifestyle, they developed as strong, unbeatable warriors.
Spartans defeated by the Sacred Band of Thebes
The Battle of Leuctra has been one of the significant examples of the unity of gays.
It is when the “Army of Lovers” were 150 couples led to winning the battle defeating Spartans.
The tactic of the leader by Epaminondas which were also as turnover encouraging in the future by Thebes leaders.
According to modern scholars, the Boeotian force had the strength of 6000 to 9000, while the Spartan side had 10,000 and 1000 troops. The first attack was by the Spartans, who were chasing the fighters of the Boeotian camp.
While Xenophon has stated about the Boetian camp trying to escape, the Spartans threatened them back to their base.
Finally, the Theban force turned to become a great retaliation in which the cavalry drove their strong enemies out of the field. It was an unexpected defeat that concerned the strength of the Spartans' army.
An attempt of Cleombrotus’s infantry was unsuccessful in breaking the Theban left column. While Theban led by Pelopidas, retaliated to Spartan hitting the head of the leader and killing him.
Sparta and the Spartans life was disciplined, but they lost it in the field, at the battle of Leuctra.
The life of Spartans as a warrior was not at all easy. Infants to survive were selected by their Sparta society. They decided to have the right to stay as a Spartan or not. Being an infant, they had to prove their strength if they failed and were left to die.
Education was the mainstream that was designed as such a way to provide them for future establishment. After separating from their parents, the young ones were sheltered in communal barracks. It was the beginning of their military life.
Their education was in warfare, hunting, athletics, stealth, and above all scholastic careers.
Was it the lover’s strength that blended in the army of the Sacred band Thebes? Or it was the misleading of the Cleombrotus that forced them to accept defeat in the war.
The armed and military strength was greater than the armed force of the lovers, but they lost.
Somewhere the homosexuality bonding was more substantial with more significant emotional attachments that enabled to build extremely disciplined warriors.
In the same manner, in the battle of Tegra, the number of Spartan soldiers was almost twice that of the Thebes, but on flanking, it showed the performance of the Sacred Band Thebes was not less. Athenians were slowly able to understand that Thebes is growing into power in the battle of Teyra in 375 BC.
First, there was a reason, to begin with, harsh military training, including homosexuality in Sacred Band Thebes and Spartan.
But it was difficult to choose quality over lust.
Plato’s Symposium has described this strategy to increase the sensation of being bold and brave in male power. Using homosexuality enabled to improvise the boldness and bravery among the military.
