Description
Thebes was a city of renown, and one of the central locations for so many Greek myths. Along with Sparta it was one of Athens' chief adversaries; the two cities rivalled one another long before the Peloponnesian War, first coming to blows in the 6th century BC. Thebes was looked on suspiciously by other Greek states for its willingness to side with Persia simply to spite Athens. Thebes was famous for its 'Sacred Band', an elite infantry unit of 150 pairs of male lovers, who were said to fight with such skill and ferocity because, according to Plato, the soldiers "would be ready to die a thousand deaths" rather than let their partners die. Despite its heroic, unlikely victory against Sparta at Leuctra in 370BC, Thebes was eventually destroyed by Alexander the Great, purportedly to scare Athens into submission!
