15. The Sacred Band of Thebes may have numbered just 300 men, but they fought and died for each other, as King Philip of Macedon found out
When King Philip of Macedon – Alexander the Great’s father – finally defeated the Sacred Band of Thebes, he was said to have wept at the sight of their bodies strewn across the field of battle. Not only did the Macedonian monarch admire their unrivaled bravery and fighting ability, he was also shedding a tear for the strong bonds the men of the elite fighting unit enjoyed, both in life and in death. According to the ancient historian Plutarch, all of the bodies of the slain soldiers of Thebes were lying in pair, with each man having been killed alongside his lover.
As Plutarch noted, the most elite unit of the army of Thebes, one of several kingdoms making up Greece, was composed of just 300 men. What’s more, according to the legend, the unit was actually made up of 150 pairs of male lovers. The Greek writer explained: “A band which is united by the ties of love is truly indissoluble and unbreakable, since both lovers and beloved are ashamed to be disgraced in the presence of each other, and each stands his ground at a moment of danger to protect one another.”
While the sexuality of the soldiers is the source of much debate, with the legend having long since taken precedence over reality, the Sacred Band of Thebes was undoubtedly an effective fighting force. During the 4th century BC, the 300 men scored major victories over Sparta at the Battle of Tegyra in 375BC and then the Battle of Luectra in 375BC. Their victory at Tagyra was especially notable since it was the only time that the legendary army of Sparta was defeated by a smaller force. Thanks to these two battlefield successes, Thebes became the dominant power in Greece. However, just a few years later, the Macedonian Army would invade, and the Sacred Band of brothers and lovers finally met their match.