A History of Thessalian Cavalry Part 7

The following is part 7 of a 10 part brief outline of the history of ancient Thessaly highlighting the famous Thessalian cavalry—and Greek cavalry in general—up to the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE. If you encounter a word with which you are unfamiliar, be sure to check the ‘Glossary of Names and Terms’ (see the link on the right under Reference Aids).

Ancient Thessaly

Thessaly During the Tyranny of Jason of Pherai, the Collapse of the Lakedaimonian [Spartan] Hegemony, and the Rise of Thebes

In 382 BCE, while marching past Thebes with an army intended for a campaign against the northern Greek city of Olynthos, the Lakedaimonian [Spartan] general Phoibidas seized the Kadmeia, the citadel of Thebes, taking it by surprise. Phoibidas had acted on his own initiative in response to an invitation from a group of Theban oligarchs. The Lakedaimonians deprived Phoibidas of his command and fined him 100,000 drachmas for this controversial act of war, but nevertheless the Lakedaimonians unjustly retained the garrison that Phoibidas had placed in the Kadmeia. (Plutarch Pelopidas 5–6)

In ca. 380 BCE, Jason of Pherai aided Neogenes to become tyrant of Histiaia on the large island of Euboia. Histiaia was on the northwestern coast of Euboia opposite Akhaia Phthiotis. This is the first mention chronologically of the Pheraian tyrant, who was in all likelihood the son of Lykophron. Roughly two years later, Neogenes was ousted by the Lakedaimonian Theripides. (Diodoros 15.30.3–4)

During a winter night in 379 BCE, Theban exiles—led by Pelopidas amongst others—assassinated the Theban oligarchic leaders who had sided with the Lakedaimonians [Spartans]. Joined by many Thebans, they then forced the Lakedaimonian garrison of the Kadmeia to surrender. Thus was Thebes set free and set upon a path that would lead to a short lived Theban hegemony. For his part, Pelopidas was rewarded by the Thebans by being voted into office either as a Boiotarch or as commander of the Theban Sacred Band in every year of the rest of his life. The Theban Epameinondas had not been exiled by the oligarchs and he did not participate in their assassination. Nonetheless, Epameinondas joined in the expulsion of the Lakedaimonian garrison and subsequently rose to great prominence. (Plutarch Pelopidas 7–13)

In 375–374 BCE, Polydamas of Pharsalos journeyed to Sparta and appealed to the Lakedaimonians [Spartans] to aid the Thessalians against the Thessalian tyrant Jason of Pherai. Polydamas advised the Ladedaimonians that Jason had already subdued the greater part of Thessaly, that he had 6,000 exceedingly fit and well trained mercenaries, and that the Marakoi (an unknown people), the Dolopians, and Alketas (the king of Epeiros) were his hypēkooi (subjects). Jason had met personally with Polydamas and had entreated him to become his ally. Jason declared that with Polydamas’ support he could easily become tagos of all of Thessaly. Jason claimed that as tagos he would command 6,000 Thessalian horsemen, more than 10,000 Thessalian hoplites, and numerous peltasts from Thessaly’s subject-allies. After briefly reviewing the current overextension of their forces, the Lakedaimonians declined to intercede. The Pharsalians then allied with Jason and Polydamas aided Jason to become tagos of Thessaly. Enumerating his forces, Jason had more than 8,000 cavalry including his symmachoi (allies), not fewer than 20,000 hoplites, and peltasts sufficient in number to range in battle against all of mankind! (Xenophon Hellēnika 6.1)

Silver Drachma of Larisa, Thessaly, ca. 370–360 BCE.
Thessalian cavalryman wearing a Boiotian helmet and apparently wearing
a cuirass with pteryges, with a scabbard, and wielding a lance or javelin.

A few years later in 371 BCE, the Lakedaimonian [Spartan] hegemony came to an end when the Thebans led by Epameinondas and Pelopidas decisively defeated the Lakedaimonians at the battle of Leuktra (see part below). Xenophon observed that the Lakedaimonian cavalry at the battle of Leuktra was in a poor state because the wealthy Lakedaimonians reared the horses, but did not themselves serve as cavalrymen. This was apparently because service as a hoplite was held in the highest esteem amongst the Lakedaimonians. Whenever a levy of troops was assembled, cavalrymen were selected on the spot from those who were the weakest of body and the least ambitious. Each make-do cavalryman was assigned a horse and the appropriate arms and armour. Hopefully for these men, some of them had a bit of experience riding horses! (Xenophon Hellēnika 6.4.10-11)

In contrast to the Lakedaimonians [Spartans], the Thebans and other Boiotians had long been accomplished horsemen. The Boiotian League was divided into 11 districts each of which was required to contribute around 1,000 hoplites and 100 cavalry to a league army (Hellēnika Oxyrhynkhia. fragment 16.3-4). Thus, in theory, the customary size for a Boiotian League army was 11,000 hoplites and 1,100 horsemen, which was the second largest cavalry force in ancient mainland Greece after the Thessalians.

According to I. A. F. Bruce (An Historical Commentary on the Hellenica Oxyrhynchia. 2007. Page 163),

        The [Boiotian] cavalry was probably recruited from the rich citizens, as at Athens
        and elsewhere, for only the wealthy could afford the expense of maintaining a
        horse. It may well have been drawn from a superior property class of land-owning
        aristocrats.

In other words, the Boiotian cavalry—and Greek cavalry in general—were much like the heavy cavalry of Thessaly being composed of wealthy aristocrats equipped in the finest panoply that money could buy including helmets and cuirasses. As Aristotle (Politics 4.1289b) observed, “it is not easy to keep horses without being rich”.

Dichalkon (small bronze coin) of Pelinna, Thessaly.
Late 4th to early 3rd Century BCE.
Thessalian cavalryman wearing a Boiotian helmet or a variation with
a longer front visor and a cloak. He wields a long lance underhand.

In 371 BCE, Epameinondas, one of the Boiotarchs, along with Pelopidas, the commander of the Theban Sacred Band, decisively defeated a Lakedaimonian [Spartan] army at Leuktra in southern Boiotia. The Lakedaimonian king Kleombrotos was slain along with more than half of the Spartans serving in the army. The Thebans thereby brought an end to the undeserved legend of Spartan invincibility and at the same time established their own era of hegemony. Incidentally, Xenophon is notorious for not giving credit to his enemies. In what is surely the most egregious example of his partisanship, Xenophon mentions by name five Lakedaimonians, who were present at the battle of Leukra; but he does not mention either Epameinondas or Pelopidas, the two victorious Theban commanders! (Xenophon Hellēnika 6.4.1–26; Plutarch Pelopidas 23)

Following their momentous defeat of the Lakedaimonians [Spartans] at Leuktra, the Thebans promptly sent to Athens and to their ally Jason of Pherai requesting their aid. They did not receive a reply from the Athenians. However, the Thessalian tagos immediately marched south with his mercenaries and his personal cavalry troop through Phokis with which Jason was at war. Jason crossed Phokis so swiftly that the Phokians were unable to muster their forces before he had come and gone. Upon Jason’s arrival at Leuktra, the Thebans implored him to join them in attacking the remaining Lakedaimonians. However, Jason counselled both the Thebans and the Lakedaimonians to arrange a truce. Jason apparently did not want either side to be the dominant power. To convince the Lakedaimonians of his goodwill, Jason pointed out that his father—evidently Lykophron—had been their friend and that Jason himself was the Pheraian proxenos on behalf of the Lakedaimonians. Upon concluding a truce, the Lakedaimonians withdrew, joined up with a relief army under Arkhidamos (the son of the elderly king Agesilaos), disbanded their allies, and marched home. (Xenophon Hellēnika 6.4.20–26)

For his own part, Jason set out to return to Thessaly, but along the way he attacked the Phokian city of Hyampolis, which controlled the important pass between East Lokris and northeastern Phokis. He captured the outer city, pillaged the countryside, and killed many Hyampolitans. Continuing his march homeward, Jason then attacked and destroyed the walls of Herakleia in Trakhinia. Jason emasculated Herakleia, so that in the future this strategically located city could not block his advance into central Greece. Herakleia had been founded as a Lakedaimonian [Spartan] colony in 426 BCE during the Peloponnesian War superseding the earlier Malian city of Trakhis. In the course of the following decades, Herakleia had undergone many reversals of fortune and repopulation. At the battle of Leuktra, Herakleot cavalry had served in the Lakedaimonian army. The truce concluded after Leuktra and Jason’s supposedly cordial relations with the Lakedaimonians obviously provided the Herakleots with absolutely no protection whatsoever against Jason’s aggression. (Xenophon Hellēnika 6.4.9, 6.4.27; Thoukydides 3.92)

Silver Stater of Alexander of Pherai, Thessaly, ca. 369-358 BCE.
Thessalian heavy cavalryman wearing a Boiotian helmet, a metal
muscled cuirass with pteryges, and boots. Holding a spear overhand.

The Pythian Games were observed at Delphi every fourth year halfway between Olympic Games. They were scheduled to be celebrated the following year (370 BCE) under the auspices of the Amphiktyony, which of course was dominated by the Thessalians. Jason of Pherai ordered his dependent cities to make magnificent preparations of sacrificial animals as he intended to preside over the Pythian festival and the games. Jason also ordered the Thessalians to prepare to take the field with an army at about the same time. Jason’s attacks upon Herakleia and Hyampolis the previous year would seem to have been indicative of his plans as both cities controlled strategic passes into central Greece. However, apparently in Pherai at some point before the games, Jason held a review and inspection of the Pheraian cavalry and then sat arbitrating disputes. Seven youths approached as if they had a quarrel to submit for Jason’s judgment. In the very brutal language of Xenophon, they slit Jason’s throat and cut him to pieces. Jason’s doryphoroi (bodyguards) struck one of the youths with a lonkhē (lance) and killed him while he was striking Jason. Another of the assassins was caught while mounting his horse, received many wounds, and was slain. The other assassins leapt upon their horses and escaped. In the greatest number of the cities to which they came, the assassins were honoured as the Greeks had greatly feared the expanding tyranny of Jason of Pherai. (Xenophon Hellēnika 6.4.28–32; Diodoros 15.60.5)

[INSERT ANALYSIS OF JASON]

Go to Part 8

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Footnotes:

[1] xxx