The Sacred Band

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From classicist James Romm comes a thrilling exploration of the final decades of ancient Greek freedom leading up to Alexander the Great’s destruction of Thebes and the saga of the Theban Sacred Band, an elite military corps of 150 pairs of male lovers. This unit exemplifies a tumultuous period marked by battles, ideological conflicts, and the rise of powerful figures, all centered around the fate of Thebes, the dominant power of the Greek world. The narrative begins in 379 BC, when Theban patriots, disguised as women, infiltrate occupied Thebes to eliminate Spartan agents, who had oppressed much of Greece. This act of defiance leads to the formation of the Sacred Band, whose legacy unfolds amid Theban democracy and fierce power struggles among city-states, alongside the increasing significance of eros, or sexual love, in public life. After four decades of undefeated valor, the Sacred Band meets its demise at the hands of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander in the Battle of Chaeronea, marking the end of Greek liberty for two millennia. Their remains, discovered in 1880, were found in pairs, arms linked, symbolizing their enduring bond. The narrative captures the violent clashes and the bold figures of the era, highlighting a pivotal moment in history.