12-14-2009, 02:59 AM
I suppose I must either make my point, if it is one, at this time. Thus I will first refer you to this site; http://www.fanaticus.org/DBA/armies/I52h.html where you can read the following;
"Two obscure battles fought prior to 480 BC helped Phokis throw off the Thessalian yoke. In a battle in the pass at Hyampolis, they defeated the Thessalian cavalry by strategem, which involved digging a ditch, filling it with empty water jars, and then leveling it over with dirt. The jars broke beneath the weight of the charging Thessalian horse, dismounting riders and crippling the legs of their steads.
The Thessalians retaliated with a massive invasion of Phokia. A reconnaisance force of 300 Phokians under Gelon was destroyed to the man, prompting a panic among the Phokians. All their women, children and goods were collected and placed under the charge of 30 men with orders to kill them and burn the goods if the Thessalians should prevail in the coming battle (a.k.a. "The Phocian Despair"). The Phokians then mustered their forces with Daiphantes of Hyampolis commanding the horse and Rhoeus of Ambrossus leading the foot under the overall direction of Tellias, a seer of Elias, who brought a favorable oracle from Delphi. In the subsequent battle, the Phokians fought desperately and wrenched victory against long odds against the Thessalians who were compelled to retire.
Subsequently, Tellias the Eleian hand-picked six hundred Phokians and had them and their armor and shields covered in white chalk. They attacked the Thessalians at night in their encampment, causing a panic and slaying over 4000. Defeated and demoralized, the Thessalians withdrew.
In 481 AD, the Spartan King Leonidas set a Phokian contingent of 1000 to guard the Anoplaia, a path through the mountains that flanked the Greek position at Thermopylae. Guided by a local shepard, Hydarnes and his Persian Immortals surprised the Phokians, driving them to the safety of a nearby mountain under hail of arrows, and descended into the rear of the Greek army, thus sealing the fate of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans. Herodotus (Histories, Book VII) describes the fateful role of the Phokians as follows:
While the Persians were ascending they were concealed from these, since all the mountain was covered with oak-trees; and the Phokians became aware of them after they had made the ascent as follows: the day was calm, and not a little noise was made by the Persians, as was likely when leaves were lying spread upon the ground under their feet; upon which the Phokians started up and began to put on their arms, and by this time the Barbarians were close upon them. These, when they saw men arming themselves, fell into wonder, for they were expecting that no one would appear to oppose them, and instead of that they had met with an armed force. Then Hydarnes, seized with fear lest the Phokians should be Lacedemonians, asked Epialtes of what people the force was; and being accurately informed he set the Persians in order for battle. The Phokians however, when they were hit by the arrows of the enemy, which flew thickly, fled and got away at once to the topmost peak of the mountain, fully assured that it was against them that the enemy had designed to come, and here they were ready to meet death. These, I say, were in this mind; but the Persians meanwhile with Epialtes and Hydarnes made no account of the Phokians, but descended the mountain with all speed.
Following the disaster at Thermoplae, Phokia was occupied by the Persians under Mardonius who impressed 1000 Phokian hoplites under Harmokydes into service to support their campaign against Thebes. Considering the Phokians to be unreliable based on the reports of his Thessalian allies, Mardonius sent a force of Persian cavalry to shoot down the Phokians. Harmokydes exhorted his countrymen to die fighting for their honor, and the Phokians closed ranks and resisted the Persian on-slaught. According to Herodotus, Mardonius was impressed by their display and sent a herald who announced: 'Be of good courage, Phokians, for ye proved yourselves good men, and not as I was informed. Now therefore carry on this way with zeal, for ye will not surpass in benefits either myself or the king."
From the above just to make the point that the Spartans were certainly not the first group of Greeks or Proto Greeks / Hellenes to lose 300 troops, but similar contingents, in the same pass, were also taken by a suprise attack after the discovery of a secret passage! So, in this Greek world, it seems we had at lest three groups of 300 who met their ends in battle, the Sacred Band of Thebes, the Phokians, and the Spartans, with all of these events taking place in either the same place or nearby. How could one figure out the odds of three of these battles surviving into modern times? Could it really be mere chance?
End of first post.
Regards,
Ron
"Two obscure battles fought prior to 480 BC helped Phokis throw off the Thessalian yoke. In a battle in the pass at Hyampolis, they defeated the Thessalian cavalry by strategem, which involved digging a ditch, filling it with empty water jars, and then leveling it over with dirt. The jars broke beneath the weight of the charging Thessalian horse, dismounting riders and crippling the legs of their steads.
The Thessalians retaliated with a massive invasion of Phokia. A reconnaisance force of 300 Phokians under Gelon was destroyed to the man, prompting a panic among the Phokians. All their women, children and goods were collected and placed under the charge of 30 men with orders to kill them and burn the goods if the Thessalians should prevail in the coming battle (a.k.a. "The Phocian Despair"). The Phokians then mustered their forces with Daiphantes of Hyampolis commanding the horse and Rhoeus of Ambrossus leading the foot under the overall direction of Tellias, a seer of Elias, who brought a favorable oracle from Delphi. In the subsequent battle, the Phokians fought desperately and wrenched victory against long odds against the Thessalians who were compelled to retire.
Subsequently, Tellias the Eleian hand-picked six hundred Phokians and had them and their armor and shields covered in white chalk. They attacked the Thessalians at night in their encampment, causing a panic and slaying over 4000. Defeated and demoralized, the Thessalians withdrew.
In 481 AD, the Spartan King Leonidas set a Phokian contingent of 1000 to guard the Anoplaia, a path through the mountains that flanked the Greek position at Thermopylae. Guided by a local shepard, Hydarnes and his Persian Immortals surprised the Phokians, driving them to the safety of a nearby mountain under hail of arrows, and descended into the rear of the Greek army, thus sealing the fate of Leonidas and his 300 Spartans. Herodotus (Histories, Book VII) describes the fateful role of the Phokians as follows:
While the Persians were ascending they were concealed from these, since all the mountain was covered with oak-trees; and the Phokians became aware of them after they had made the ascent as follows: the day was calm, and not a little noise was made by the Persians, as was likely when leaves were lying spread upon the ground under their feet; upon which the Phokians started up and began to put on their arms, and by this time the Barbarians were close upon them. These, when they saw men arming themselves, fell into wonder, for they were expecting that no one would appear to oppose them, and instead of that they had met with an armed force. Then Hydarnes, seized with fear lest the Phokians should be Lacedemonians, asked Epialtes of what people the force was; and being accurately informed he set the Persians in order for battle. The Phokians however, when they were hit by the arrows of the enemy, which flew thickly, fled and got away at once to the topmost peak of the mountain, fully assured that it was against them that the enemy had designed to come, and here they were ready to meet death. These, I say, were in this mind; but the Persians meanwhile with Epialtes and Hydarnes made no account of the Phokians, but descended the mountain with all speed.
Following the disaster at Thermoplae, Phokia was occupied by the Persians under Mardonius who impressed 1000 Phokian hoplites under Harmokydes into service to support their campaign against Thebes. Considering the Phokians to be unreliable based on the reports of his Thessalian allies, Mardonius sent a force of Persian cavalry to shoot down the Phokians. Harmokydes exhorted his countrymen to die fighting for their honor, and the Phokians closed ranks and resisted the Persian on-slaught. According to Herodotus, Mardonius was impressed by their display and sent a herald who announced: 'Be of good courage, Phokians, for ye proved yourselves good men, and not as I was informed. Now therefore carry on this way with zeal, for ye will not surpass in benefits either myself or the king."
From the above just to make the point that the Spartans were certainly not the first group of Greeks or Proto Greeks / Hellenes to lose 300 troops, but similar contingents, in the same pass, were also taken by a suprise attack after the discovery of a secret passage! So, in this Greek world, it seems we had at lest three groups of 300 who met their ends in battle, the Sacred Band of Thebes, the Phokians, and the Spartans, with all of these events taking place in either the same place or nearby. How could one figure out the odds of three of these battles surviving into modern times? Could it really be mere chance?
End of first post.
Regards,
Ron
