Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History
The Sacred Band of Thebes: Greece's Gay Military Unit
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Sacred Band of Thebes, an elite military unit of 150 male couples that dominated Greek warfare for decades. They discuss its formation by Gorgidas in 378 BCE, its transformation under the command of Pelopidas and Epaminondas, and how the band's unique structure—based on the belief that lovers fight harder beside their beloveds—led to stunning victories like the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE, where they shattered Spartan supremacy. The conversation also covers the band's defeat at Chaeronea in 338 BCE by Philip II of Macedon and his son…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.