Socrates Vs Gorguerite

A notable philosophical debate in ancient Greece was that of male lovers as the ideal fighting force. Drawn from sources such as the Iliad, the prestige of male love lay in its association with heroic warriors and its contribution to military morale. Plato argues:

The idea that fighting alongside ones lover would contribute to military morale was supported by the belief that a man would rather die than be seen by the person they loved as a coward. Fighting beside one’s lover was also perceived as heroic inspiration, that one would more willingly rush into danger for their beloved, as opposed to a soldier they had a lesser bond with, if any at all. The soldiers would give their fullest effort in all their battles, being compelled to be seen

Thebes was known as one of the city states that most encouraged male relations, their ideals being characterized through the Sacred Band. The Band was formed in 378 BCE following Sparta’s misuse of power after the Peloponnesian Wars, as part of Thebes rebellion against the Spartan hegemony. The Sacred Band of Thebes was Gorgidas was inspired by Plato’s theory that a man would fight more effectively when fighting alongside their lover, and formed the Scared Band, which consisted of 300 men, 150 pairs of lovers who had sworn to defend their beloved to their death. Most of the lovers had been involved in pederastic relationships that had continued past adolescence, something common in Thebes, where man and boy could live together like a married couple. Gorgidas chose these men for their talent, regardless of social standing, and placed them with their beloved around the citadel, as part of the city guard. Gorgidas died soon after forming the Sacred Band and was succeeded by Pelopidas, the young leader of the Theban rebellion. Pelopidas saw that the Band was not being used to its full potential and created a separate unit where the Sacred Band was used as an elite

Shortly following Pelopidas’ decision to make the Sacred Band a separate regiment, the Band accidently came across a Spartan force at Tegyrae. Pelopidas ordered an attack on the larger force, which resulted in the first defeat Sparta had ever suffered against a smaller battalion. This victory was the first of many for the Sacred Band and Immediately after Sparta’s embarrassing defeat Sparta declared war on Thebes. They two states clashed again at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE. The Theban force was led by Pelopidas’ friend Epadimondas, while the Scared Band was still under the jurisdiction of Pelopidas. The Sacred Band led a vital attack on Sparta’s phalanx, thanks to Epadimondas’ alteration of the Theban phalanx, and defeated a crucial part of Sparta’s infantry and fatally wounded the Spartan king. The actions of the Sacred Band gave Thebes a decisive victory over Sparta and resulted in the end of Spartan domination throughout Greece, as well as the disintegration of the Peloponnesian League. Throughout Greece Thebes became known as liberators, as they refused to impose unfair constitutions on other states, unlike Athens and Sparta had previously done. States either allied with Thebes or became independent. Thebes was now he undisputed