Sacred Band of Thebes

[Ghostmojo]

I thought it was 7000, but probably wrong. :?
The Spartans were reduced in numbers due to the decrease in
The elites, due to many years of defeat, and low birthates among other
causes of their decline. IIRC.... :roll:

Yes more like 700 of whom 400 perished (including most/all of the Hippeis).

The decline in Spartiate (as opposed to Spartan) numbers was down to more than just birthrate decline. It was more because of a wandering from true Lykourgan principles and the continuing and worsening division of land inequality, which meant many homoioi couldn't pay their dues and suffered a subsequent loss of status. A growing proportion of the Spartan warrior males would have become Hypomeiones who were 'inferiors' - but only because of loss of mess status. Not because they weren't brave or useful soldiers. However, their preparedness to fight for something that they were no longer a part of would have irked many and this issue developed and worsened over time.

Regarding the reason why the Thebans chose 300 men (150x2 pairs) for their Sacred Band, I can only guess because this was a common number in Greek elite warrior band formations at the time.

It is an odd figure though, because (like the Hippeis at Sparta) it doesn't equate well with larger unit numbers which were more often of the 32-36/128-144/512-576 nature. The Spartans also used other units of 300 on occasions (who weren't the Hippeis) and of course the famous Skiritai numbered 600 and the Brasideioi 700.

The Thebans may well have chosen 300 purely to match the 300 at Sparta - a figure possibly going back to the two contending sides at the Battle of the Champions between Argos and Sparta. My own view as to why they had 300 at Sparta was because the oft-quoted 100 bodyguards of the Spartan King actually meant 100 men each from each of the three Dorian sub-ethnic groups = 300 men in total - possibly acting in rotation - possibly also acting together on occasion (as the Hippeis). It seems logical (although difficult to prove) that each Hippagretai chose 100 men from one of these sub-groups; the Dorian 'tribes' - 100 Dymanes, 100 Hylleis, 100 Pamphyloi. At Thebes of course they weren't Dorian Greeks, but Aiolian Greeks, and the 300 was 150x2 (for different reasons) rather 100x3; but the numerical inspiration may well come from copying the Spartans who possibly/probably were the first to employ this figure.