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99-472: Legend attributes Arpi's foundation to Diomedes , and the figure of a horse, which appears on its coins, shows the importance of horse-breeding in early times in the district. Its territory extended to the sea, and Strabo says that from the extent of the city walls one could gather that it had once been one of the greatest cities of Italy . As a protection against the Samnites , Arpi became an ally of Rome . In

198-634: A Jewish population of 2,000, the largest Jewish community in any Byzantine city of the 12th century, except for Constantinople. Though severely plundered by the Normans in 1146, Thebes quickly recovered its prosperity and continued to grow rapidly until its conquest by the Latins of the Fourth Crusade in 1205. Thanks to its wealth, the city was selected by the Frankish dynasty de la Roche as its capital, before it

297-644: A Mycenaean settlement and clay tablets written in the Linear B script, indicating the importance of the site in the Bronze Age . Thebes was the largest city of the ancient region of Boeotia and was the leader of the Boeotian confederacy. It was a major rival of ancient Athens , and sided with the Persians during the 480 BC invasion under Xerxes I . Theban forces under the command of Epaminondas ended Spartan hegemony at

396-522: A "woman and a coward" and promised to slay him personally. Diomedes thought three times of turning back and fighting Hector, but Zeus thundered from heaven each time. When all the Achaean seemed discouraged, Zeus sent an eagle as a good omen. Diomedes was the first warrior to read this omen, and he immediately attacked the Trojans and killed Agelaus. At the end of the day's battle, Hector made one more boast, "Let

495-540: A banished prince of Thebes , arrived in Argos; he approached Adrastus and pleaded his case to the king, as he requested his aid to restore him to his original homeland. Adrastus promised to do so and set out to gather an expeditionary force with which to march against Thebes. This force was made up of seven individual champions, each assigned to lead an assault on one of the seven gates of the city; Tydeus, Polynices and Adrastus were among them. Together, these champions were known as

594-576: A contingent of 400 was sent to Thermopylae and remained there with Leonidas before being defeated alongside the Spartans, the governing aristocracy soon after joined King Xerxes I of Persia with great readiness and fought zealously on his behalf at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. The victorious Greeks subsequently punished Thebes by depriving it of the presidency of the Boeotian League and an attempt by

693-511: A democratic constitution was set up in place of the traditional oligarchy. In the consequent wars with Sparta, the Theban army, trained and led by Epaminondas and Pelopidas , proved itself formidable (see also: Sacred Band of Thebes ). Years of desultory fighting, in which Thebes established its control over all Boeotia, culminated in 371 BC in a remarkable victory over the Spartans at Leuctra . The winners were hailed throughout Greece as champions of

792-533: A hostage, and had learnt much of the art of war from Pelopidas . Philip had honoured this fact, always seeking alliances with the Boeotians, even in the lead-up to Chaeronea. Thebes was also revered as the most ancient of Greek cities, with a history of over 1,000 years. Plutarch relates that, during his later conquests, whenever Alexander came across a former Theban, he would attempt to redress his destruction of Thebes with favours to that individual. Following Alexander

891-553: A magic elixir (which she had obtained from her father) that would make him immortal. However, she withdrew the intended privilege in apparent disgust when Tydeus gobbled down the brains of the hated enemy who had wounded him. Diomedes was four years old when his father was killed. At the funeral of their fathers, the sons of the seven fallen champions ( Aegialeus , Alcmaeon , Amphilocus , Diomedes, Euryalus, Promachus, Sthenelus, and Thersander) met and vowed to vanquish Thebes in order to avenge their fathers. These seven sons were known as

990-449: A power vacuum throughout much of Greece, which contributed, in part, to Thebes' besiegement by Demetrius Poliorcetes in 293 BC, and again after a revolt in 292 BC . This last siege was difficult and Demetrius was wounded, but finally he managed to break down the walls and to take the city once more, treating it mildly despite its fierce resistance. The city recovered its autonomy from Demetrius in 287 BC, and became allied with Lysimachus ,

1089-594: A severe defeat on an invading force of Athenians at the Battle of Delium , and for the first time displayed the effects of that firm military organization that eventually raised them to predominant power in Greece. After the downfall of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War, the Thebans, having learned that Sparta intended to protect the states that Thebes desired to annex, broke off the alliance. In 404 BC, they had urged

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1188-657: A spear, which wasn't enchanted as well as his father's sword. His golden armor bore a crest of a boar on the breast. It was created by a mortal smith but was blessed by Athena, who gave it to Tydeus. When he died, it passed to Diomedes. A skilled smith created the sword for Tydeus, which bore designs of a lion and a big boar. In Aulis, where the Achaean leaders gathered, Diomedes met his brother in arms Odysseus , with whom he shared several adventures. Both of them were favorite heroes of Athena and each shared characteristics of their patron goddess – Odysseus her wisdom and cunning, and Diomedes her courage and skill in battle; though neither

1287-492: A special Athenian embassy, led by Phocion , an opponent of the anti-Macedonian faction, was able to persuade Alexander to give up his demands for the exile of leaders of the anti-Macedonian party, and most particularly Demosthenes and not sell the people into slavery. Ancient writings tend to treat Alexander's destruction of Thebes as excessive. Plutarch, however, writes that Alexander grieved after his excess, granting them any request of favors, and advising they pay attention to

1386-670: A special vision to distinguish gods from men and asks him to wound Aphrodite if she ever comes to battle. She also warns him not to engage any other god. He continues to make havoc among the Trojans by killing Astynous, Hypeiron, Abas, Polyidus, Xanthus, Thoon, Echemmon and Chromius (two sons of Priam). Finally, Aeneas (son of Aphrodite ) asks Pandarus to mount his chariot so that they may fight Diomedes together. Sthenelus warns his friend of their approach. Diomedes faces this situation by displaying both his might and wisdom. Although he can face both of these warriors together, he knows that Aphrodite may try to save her son, Aeneas . He also knows

1485-471: A very unlikely suitor. Diomedes is known primarily for his participation in the Trojan War. According to Homer , Diomedes entered the war with a fleet of 80 ships, third only to the contributions of Agamemnon (100 ships) and Nestor (90). Both Sthenelus and Euryalus (former Epigoni) fought under his command with their armies. Sthenelus was the driver of Diomedes' chariot and probably his closest friend. All

1584-645: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Diomedes Diomedes ( / ˌ d aɪ ə ˈ m iː d iː z / ) or Diomede ( / ˈ d aɪ ə m iː d / ; Ancient Greek : Διομήδης , romanized :  Diomēdēs , lit.   'god-like cunning" or "advised by Zeus') is a hero in Greek mythology , known for his participation in the Trojan War . He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos , succeeding his maternal grandfather, Adrastus . In Homer 's Iliad Diomedes

1683-429: Is beyond all bounds, and there is none can vie with him in prowess." Helenus then sent Hector to the city of Troy to tell their mother about what was happening. According to the instructions of Helenus, Priam's wife gathered matrons at the temple of Athena in the acropolis and offered the goddess the largest, fairest robe of Troy. She also promised the sacrifice of twelve heifers if Athena could take pity on them and break

1782-499: Is considered to be the mightiest and the most skilled warrior among the Achaeans. He was overwhelming Telamonian Ajax in an armed sparring contest when the watching Achaeans bade the men to stop and take equal prizes because they feared for Ajax's life. Ajax gave Diomedes the prize (long sword) because Diomedes drew the first blood. He vanquished (and could have killed) Aeneas (the second best Trojan warrior) once. He and Odysseus were

1881-402: Is fighting among the Trojans". Athena answered "Diomedes most dear to my heart, do not fear this immortal or any other god for I will protect you." Throwing Sthenelus out of the chariot and mounting it herself, the goddess (who invented the chariot and taught humans to drive it) drove straight at Ares. She also put on the helmet of Hades, making her invisible to even gods. Ares saw only Diomedes in

1980-815: Is its medieval representative. Arpi today consists of a huge D-shaped enclosure, which abuts the Torrente Celone, and is visible both on the ground—as a still upstanding rampart—and in aerial photographs. Its extent was rediscovered by the British archaeologist John Bradford. Between 2005 and 2008, it was the subject of extensive surface finds survey by the UCL Institute of Archaeology Tavoliere-Gargano Prehistory Project, which showed its surface to be littered with Iron Age pottery. 41°33′11″N 15°36′41″E  /  41.5530319°N 15.6112769°E  / 41.5530319; 15.6112769 This Apulia location article

2079-425: Is left to fight against a now unarmed Diomedes, who picks up a huge stone and crushes Aeneas' hip with it. Fainting, Aeneas' mother protects him with her garment as Diomedes' comrade Sthenelus springs Aeneas' horses free from the Trojans and taken by Deipylus to their ships. Aphrodite drops her son, Aeneas, while under attack by Diomedes, who is following Athena's orders. Apollo comes to the rescue of Aeneas and sends

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2178-465: Is of no importance (therefore, trying to change it with gifts is useless). Diomedes said, "Let Achilles stay or leave if he wishes to, but he will fight when the time comes. Let's leave it to the gods to set his mind on that." (In Book 15, Zeus tells Hera that he has already planned the method of bringing Achilles back to battle, confirming that Diomedes was right all along) Agamemnon and Menelaus rounded up their principal commanders to get ready for battle

2277-457: Is on several crucial occasions shown to possess great wisdom, which is acknowledged and respected by his much older comrades, including Agamemnon and Nestor . Diomedes, Nestor and Odysseus were some of the greatest Achaean strategists. Throughout the Iliad , Diomedes and Nestor are frequently seen speaking first in war-counsel. Instances of Diomedes' maturity and intelligence as described in parts of

2376-692: Is regarded alongside Ajax the Great and Agamemnon , after Achilles , as one of the best warriors of all the Achaeans in prowess (which is especially made clear in Book 7 of the Iliad when Ajax the Greater, Diomedes, and Agamemnon are the most wished for by the Achaeans to fight Hector out of nine volunteers, who included Odysseus and Ajax the Lesser ). Subsequently, Diomedes founded ten or more Italian cities and, after his death,

2475-471: Is the largest city in Boeotia and a major center for the area along with Livadeia and Tanagra . It played an important role in Greek myths , as the site of the stories of Cadmus , Oedipus , Dionysus , Heracles and others. One myth had the city founded by Agenor , which gave rise to the (now somewhat obscure) name "Agenorids" to denote Thebans. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed

2574-732: Is the largest town of the regional unit of Boeotia. In 2011, as a consequence of the Kallikratis reform , Thebes was merged with Plataies , Thisvi , and Vagia to form a larger municipality , which retained the name Thebes. The other three became units of the larger municipality. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed cist graves dated to Mycenaean times containing weapons, ivory, and tablets written in Linear B . Its attested name forms and relevant terms on tablets found locally or elsewhere include 𐀳𐀣𐀂 , te-qa-i , understood to be read as * Tʰēgʷai̮s (Ancient Greek: Θήβαις , Thēbais , i.e. "at Thebes", Thebes in

2673-563: The Athens–Thessaloniki railway connect Thebes with Athens and northern Greece. The municipality of Thebes covers an area of 830.112 km (320.508 sq mi), the municipal unit of Thebes 321.015 km (123.945 sq mi) and the community 143.889 km (55.556 sq mi). According to the nearby weather station of Aliartos , Thebes has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification : Csa ) with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. During

2772-501: The Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC, with the Sacred Band of Thebes , an elite military unit of male lovers, celebrated as instrumental there. Macedonia would rise in power at the Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC , bringing decisive victory to Philip II over an alliance of Thebes and Athens. Thebes was a major force in Greek history prior to its destruction by Alexander the Great in 335 BC, and

2871-525: The Epigoni ("offspring"). Ten years later, the Epigoni set out to launch another expedition against Thebes, appointing Alcmaeon as their commander-in-chief. They strengthened their initial forces with contingents from Messenia, Arcadia, Corinth, and Megara. This army, however, was still small compared to that of Thebes. The war of the Epigoni is remembered as the most important expedition in Greek mythology prior to

2970-645: The Latin Archbishop of Thebes , Simon Atumano . Latin hegemony in Thebes lasted to 1458, when the Ottomans captured it. The Ottomans renamed Thebes "İstefe" and managed it until the Greek War of Independence (1821, nominally to 1832) except for a Venetian interlude between 1687 and 1699. In the modern Greek State, Thebes was the capital of the prefecture of Boeotia until the late 19th century, when Livadeia became

3069-523: The Seven against Thebes . The expedition proved to be a complete disaster, however, as all seven of the Argive champions were killed in the ensuing battle, except for Adrastus, who escaped thanks to his horse Arion , who was the fastest of all of his brethren. Diomedes' father, Tydeus, was among those who had been slain. Tydeus was Athena 's favorite warrior at the time, and when he was dying she wanted to offer him

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3168-451: The Trojan War . It was a favorite topic for epics, but, all of these epics are now lost . The main battle took place at Glisas where Prince Aegialeus (son of Adrastus and heir to the throne) was slain by King Laodamas, who was in turn killed by Alcmaeon. With their king dead, the Thebans, believing this to be the end for them, sought counsel from the seer Tiresias , who urged them to flee the city. They did so, and, faced with no opposition,

3267-428: The dative - locative case), 𐀳𐀣𐀆 , te-qa-de , for * Tʰēgʷasde ( Θήβασδε , Thēbasde , i.e. "to Thebes"), and 𐀳𐀣𐀊 , te-qa-ja , for * Tʰēgʷaja ( Θηβαία , Thēbaia , i.e. "Theban woman"). * Tʰēgʷai was one of the first Greek communities to be drawn together within a fortified city, and that it owed its importance in prehistoric days—as later—to its military strength. Deger-Jalkotzy claimed that

3366-620: The epic : Diomedes' aristeia ("excellence"—the great deeds of a hero) begins in Book V and continues in Book VI. This is the longest aristeia in the epic. Some scholars claim that this part of the epic was originally a separate, independent poem (describing the feats of Diomedes) that Homer adapted and included in the Iliad . Diomedes' aristeia represents many of his heroic virtues such as outstanding fighting skills, bravery, divine protection/advice, carefully planned tactics of war, leadership, humility and self-restraint. Book V begins with Athena,

3465-463: The Achaean council, Diomedes was the first one to speak: "Let there be no taking, neither treasure, nor yet Helen, for even a child may see that the doom of the Trojans is at hand." These words were applauded by all and Agamemnon said, "This is the answer of the Achaeans." Zeus ordered all other deities to not interfere with the battle. He made the Trojans stronger so they could drive away the Achaeans from battle. Then he thundered aloud from Ida and sent

3564-446: The Epigoni entered the city, plundering its treasures and tearing down its great walls. Having achieved their objective, the Epigoni returned home, but not before they installed Thersander , son of the fallen prince Polynices (the instigator of the first Theban expedition), as the city's new ruler. As Diomedes and the Argive forces travelled home, an elderly King Adrastus died of grief upon learning that his son Aegialeus had perished in

3663-498: The Great while he was campaigning in the north was punished by Alexander and his Greek allies with the destruction of the city (except, according to tradition, the house of the poet Pindar and the temples), and its territory divided between the other Boeotian cities. Moreover, the Thebans themselves were sold into slavery . Alexander spared only priests, leaders of the pro-Macedonian party and descendants of Pindar. The end of Thebes cowed Athens into submission. According to Plutarch,

3762-550: The Great's death in 323 BC, Thebes was re-established in 315 BC by Cassander , one of the diadochi who was ruling in Greece. In restoring Thebes, Cassander sought to rectify the perceived wrongs of Alexander – a gesture of generosity that earned him much goodwill throughout Greece. In addition to currying favor with the Athenians and many of the Peloponnesian states, Cassander's restoration of Thebes provided him with loyal allies in

3861-524: The Spartan property that was stolen. However, Hesiod does not include Diomedes in his list of suitors. It's possible that labelling Diomedes a suitor of Helen was a later addition, extrapolated from his name being listed in the Catalogue of Ships . If, in fact, Helen ruled Sparta with her husband Menelaus for ten years before her abduction, Diomedes would have still been a child at the time of their marriage and thus

3960-505: The Spartans to expel it from the Delphic amphictyony was only frustrated by the intercession of Athens. In 457 BC Sparta , needing a counterpoise against Athens in central Greece, reversed her policy and reinstated Thebes as the dominant power in Boeotia. The great citadel of Cadmea served this purpose well by holding out as a base of resistance when the Athenians overran and occupied the rest of

4059-401: The Spartans. The result of the war was especially disastrous to Thebes, as the general settlement of 387 BC stipulated the complete autonomy of all Greek towns and so withdrew the other Boeotians from its political control. Its power was further curtailed in 382 BC, when a Spartan force occupied the citadel by a treacherous coup de main . Three years later, the Spartan garrison was expelled and

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4158-483: The Theban exiles who returned to resettle the site. Cassander's plan for rebuilding Thebes called for the various Greek city-states to provide skilled labor and manpower, and ultimately it proved successful. The Athenians, for example, rebuilt much of Thebes' wall. Major contributions were sent from Megalopolis , Messene , and as far away as Sicily and Italy. Despite the restoration, Thebes never regained its former prominence. The death of Cassander in 297 BC created

4257-447: The Trojans and say, 'The son of Tydeus fled before me to the ships.' This is the vaunt he will make, and may the earth then swallow me." Nestor responded, "Son of Tydeus, though Hector say that you are a coward the Trojans and Dardanians will not believe him, nor yet the wives of the mighty warriors whom you have laid low." Saying these words, Nestor turned the horses back. Hector, seeing that they had turned back from battle, called Diomedes

4356-432: The alliance), drowning him while he was fishing. According to other stories, when Palamedes advised the Achaeans to return home, Odysseus accused him of being a traitor and forged false evidence and found a fake witness to testify against him, whereupon Palamedes was stoned to death. Some say that both Diomedes and Odysseus drowned Palamedes. Another version says that he conspired with Odysseus against Palamedes, and under

4455-509: The balance of power against its ally, preventing the formation of a Theban empire. With the death of Epaminondas at the Battle of Mantinea (362 BC) , the city sank again to the position of a secondary power. In the Third Sacred War (356–346 BC) with its neighbor Phocis , Thebes lost its predominance in central Greece. By asking Philip II of Macedon to crush the Phocians, Thebes extended

4554-408: The battle; as such, Diomedes was left as the last of Adrastus' male descendants. That being so, upon returning home to Argos, Diomedes ascended to the throne. In order to secure his grasp on the throne, Diomedes married Aegialeus' daughter, Princess Aegialia. Diomedes ruled Argos for more than five years and brought much wealth and stability to the city during his time. He was a skilled politician and

4653-450: The battlefield where the Battle of Plataea took place. The proximity to other, more famous travel destinations, like Athens and Chalkis , and the undeveloped archaeological sites have kept the tourist numbers low. A notable portion of the inhabitants of Thebes are Arvanites . The record of the earliest days of Thebes was preserved among the Greeks in an abundant mass of legends that rival

4752-613: The battleground, Diomedes took his stand before Nestor and ordered him to take Sthenelus' place. Having Nestor as the driver, Diomedes bravely rushed towards Hector. Struck by his spear, Hector's driver Eniopeus was slain. Taking a new driver, Archeptolemus, Hector advanced forward again. Zeus saw that both Hector and Archeptolemus were about to be slain by Diomedes and decided to intervene. He took his mighty Thunderbolt and shot its lightning in front of Diomedes' chariot. Nestor advised Diomedes to turn back since no person should try to transgress Zeus' will. Diomedes answered, "Hector will talk among

4851-430: The capital. Today, Thebes is a bustling market town , known for its many products and wares. Until the 1980s, it had a flourishing agrarian production with some industrial complexes. However, during the late 1980s and 1990s the bulk of industry moved further south, closer to Athens . Tourism in the area is based mainly in Thebes and the surrounding villages, where many places of interest related to antiquity exist such as

4950-638: The chariot and threw his spear which was caught by Athena. Diomedes then threw his spear (which was guided by Athena) at Ares, wounding his stomach. The god screamed in a voice of ten thousand men and fled away. This was how Diomedes became the only human to wound two Olympians in a single day. Diomedes continued his feats by killing Axylus and Calesius. Hector's brother Helenus described Diomedes' fighting skills in this manner: "He fights with fury and fills men's souls with panic. I hold him mightiest of them all; we did not fear even their great champion Achilles, son of an immortal though he be, as we do this man: his rage

5049-428: The city served as a regional administrative center, home to a local elite, a major producer of silk textiles, and an important regional market, all of which contributed to urban and demographic growth. Although there is no specific data on Thebes' overall population, estimates suggest it housed between 20,000 and 30,000 inhabitants, typical for a major Byzantine provincial city. Benjamin of Tudela reported that Thebes had

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5148-437: The complete destruction of Athens; yet, in 403 BC, they secretly supported the restoration of its democracy in order to find in it a counterpoise against Sparta. A few years later, influenced perhaps in part by Persian gold, they formed the nucleus of the league against Sparta. At the Battle of Haliartus (395 BC) and the Battle of Coronea (394 BC), they again proved their rising military capacity by standing their ground against

5247-474: The country (457–447 BC). In the Peloponnesian War , the Thebans, embittered by the support that Athens gave to the smaller Boeotian towns, and especially to Plataea, which they vainly attempted to reduce in 431 BC, were firm allies of Sparta, which in turn helped them to besiege Plataea and allowed them to destroy the town after its capture in 427 BC. In 424 BC, at the head of the Boeotian levy, they inflicted

5346-474: The first to fall and many another of his comrades round him. Would that I were as sure of being immortal and never growing old, and of being worshipped like Athena and Apollo, as I am that this day will bring evil to the Argives." These words subsequently turned out to be wrong. In spite of careful watch, Diomedes managed to launch an attack upon the sleeping Trojans. Hector was vanquished by Diomedes yet again and it

5445-557: The former's power within dangerous proximity to its frontiers. The revulsion of popular feeling in Thebes was expressed in 338 BC by the orator Demosthenes , who persuaded Thebes to join Athens in a final attempt to bar Philip's advance on Attica. The Theban contingent lost the decisive battle of Chaeronea and along with it every hope of reassuming control over Greece. Philip was content to deprive Thebes of its dominion over Boeotia; but an unsuccessful revolt in 335 BC against his son Alexander

5544-497: The glare of his lightning upon the Achaeans. Seeing this, all the great Achaean warriors—including the two Ajaxes, Agamemnon, Idomeneus and Odysseus—took flight. Nestor could not escape because one of his horses was wounded by Paris' arrow. He might have perished if not for Diomedes. This incident is the best example for Diomedes' remarkable bravery. Seeing that Nestor's life was in danger, the son of Tydeus shouted for Odysseus' help. The latter ignored his cry and ran away. Left alone in

5643-428: The great war. Diomedes is the key fighter in the first third of the epic. According to some interpretations, Diomedes is represented in the epic as the most valiant soldier of the war , who avoids committing hubris . He is regarded as the perfect embodiment of traditional heroic values. While striving to become the best warrior and attain honor and glory, he does not succumb to the madness which 'menos' might entail. He

5742-417: The history of Aeneas' two horses (they descend from immortal steeds that Zeus had once given King Tros, original founder of Troy). Since he has to carry out Athena's order, he orders Sthenelus to steal the horses while he faces Aeneas. Pandarus throws his spear mistakenly thinking he mortally wounds Diomedes. Diomedes returns the blow by throwing his spear at a bragging Pandarus, killing him instantly. Aeneas

5841-515: The importance of human choices and proposed to change Achilles' mind by offering many gifts. This proposal was approved by both Agamemnon and Odysseus. The embassy failed because Achilles himself had more faith in his own choices than fate or divine interventions. He threatened to leave Troy, never to return believing that this choice will enable him to live a long life. When the envoys returned, Diomedes criticized Nestor's decision and Achilles' pride saying that Achilles' personal choice of leaving Troy

5940-566: The invasion of Asia, and that if he failed, Thebes might once again become the ruling city-state. Although Thebes had traditionally been antagonistic to whichever state led the Greek world, siding with the Persians when they invaded against the Athenian-Spartan alliance, siding with Sparta when Athens seemed omnipotent, and famously derailing the Spartan invasion of Persia by Agesilaus . Alexander's father Philip had been raised in Thebes, albeit as

6039-434: The king of Calydon. He had been exiled from his homeland for killing his relatives, either his cousins or his paternal uncles. In any case, Tydeus was exiled, and he found refuge at Argos , where the king, Adrastus , offered him hospitality, even giving him his daughter, Deipyle, to be his wife. The two were happily married and had two children together—a daughter, Comaetho , and a son, Diomedes. Sometime later, Polynices ,

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6138-647: The king of Thrace, and the Aetolian League . After the dissolution of the Boeotian League after the Achaean War of 146 BC, Thebes came under Roman rule. In 27 BC, the city was included in the newly established Province of Achaia. Thebes was assigned to the Eastern Roman Empire after the imperial division of 395. During the early Byzantine period it served as a place of refuge against foreign invaders. In

6237-509: The late 6th century BC, the Thebans were brought for the first time into hostile contact with the Athenians , who helped the small village of Plataea to maintain its independence against them, and in 506 BC repelled an inroad into Attica. The aversion to Athens best serves to explain the apparently unpatriotic attitude which Thebes displayed during the Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC). Though

6336-709: The late 7th century, Justinian II created the Theme of Hellas with Thebes as the capital. The Holy church of Luke the Evangelist was built around the 10th century to commemorate the saint's tomb and relics at the location of his death. During the Byzantine–Bulgarian war of 913–927 , Thebes was sacked by Simeon I of Bulgaria . From the 10th century, Thebes became a centre of the new silk trade, its silk workshops boosted by imports of soaps and dyes from Athens. The growth of this trade in Thebes continued to such an extent that by

6435-557: The late LHIIIB, according to Palaima, * Tʰēgʷai was able to pull resources from Lamos near Mount Helicon , and from Karystos and Amarynthos on the Greek side of the isle of Euboia . As attested already in Homer 's Iliad , Thebes was often called "Seven-Gated Thebes" (Θῆβαι ἑπτάπυλοι, Thebai heptapyloi ) ( Iliad , IV.406) to distinguish it from " Hundred-Gated Thebes " (Θῆβαι ἑκατόμπυλοι, Thebai hekatompyloi ) in Egypt ( Iliad , IX.383). In

6534-404: The latter praised his bravery in front of others. Odysseus' words hinted that he actually did not wish to be selected. Thebes, Greece Thebes ( / ˈ θ iː b z / ; Greek : Θήβα , Thíva [ˈθiva] ; Ancient Greek : Θῆβαι , Thêbai [tʰɛ̂ːbai̯] ) is a city in Boeotia , Central Greece , and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It

6633-468: The middle of the 12th century, the city had become the biggest producer of silks in the entire Byzantine empire, surpassing even the Byzantine capital, Constantinople . The women of Thebes were famed for their skills at weaving. Theban silk was prized above all others during this period, both for its quality and its excellent reputation. Benjamin of Tudela visited Thebes around 1161 or 1162. At that time,

6732-557: The myths of Troy in their wide ramification and the influence that they exerted on the literature of the classical age. Five main cycles of story may be distinguished: The Greeks attributed the foundation of Thebes to Cadmus, a Phoenician king from Tyre (now in Lebanon) and the brother of Queen Europa . Cadmus was famous for teaching the Phoenician alphabet and building the Acropolis , which

6831-587: The next day. They woke up Odysseus, Nestor, Ajax, Diomedes and Idomeneus. While the others were sleeping inside their tents, king Diomedes was seen outside his tent clad in his armour sleeping upon an ox skin, already well-prepared for any problem he may encounter at night. During the Achaean council held, Agamemnon asked for a volunteer to spy on the Trojans. Again, it was Diomedes who stepped forward. The son of Tydeus explained "If another will go with me, I could do this in greater confidence and comfort. When two men are together, one of them may see some opportunity which

6930-434: The only Achaean heroes who participated in covert military operations that demanded discipline, bravery, courage, cunning, and resourcefulness. Diomedes received the most direct divine help and protection. He was the favorite warrior of Athena (who even drove his chariot once). He was also the only hero except Heracles , son of Zeus, that attacked Olympian gods. He even wounded Ares , whom he struck with his spear. Once, he

7029-589: The oppressed. They carried their arms into Peloponnesus and at the head of a large coalition, permanently crippled the power of Sparta, in part by freeing many helot slaves, the basis of the Spartan economy. Similar expeditions were sent to Thessaly and Macedon to regulate the affairs of those regions. The predominance of Thebes was short-lived, as the states that it protected refused to subject themselves permanently to its control. Thebes renewed its rivalry with Athens, which had joined with them in 395 BC in fear of Sparta, but since 387 BC had endeavoured to maintain

7128-442: The other has not caught sight of; if a man is alone he is less full of resource, and his wit is weaker." These words inspired many other heroes to step forward. Agamemnon put Diomedes in charge of the mission and asked him to choose a companion himself. The hero instantly selected Odysseus for he was loved by Athena and was quick witted. Although Odysseus had deserted Diomedes in the battlefield that very day, instead of criticizing him,

7227-404: The pretence of having discovered a hidden treasure, they let him down into a well and there stoned him to death. Others say that, though Diomedes guessed or knew about the plot, he did not try to defend Palamedes, because Odysseus was essential for the fall of Troy. Diomedes is one of the main characters in the Iliad . This epic narrates a series of events that took place during the final year of

7326-680: The record of wounding not one but two Olympians as a human. The transgression of Diomedes by attacking Apollo had its consequences. Urged by Apollo, Ares came to the battlefield to help Trojans. Identifying the god of war, Diomedes protected the Achaeans by ordering them to withdraw towards their ships. Hera saw the havoc created by her son and together with Athena, she came to the Achaeans' aid. When Athena saw Diomedes resting near his horses, she mocked him, reminding him of Tydeus who frequently disobeyed her advice. Diomedes replied, "Goddess, I know you truly and will not hide anything from you. I am following your instructions and retreating for I know that Ares

7425-434: The river Scamander on his own). His character also helps to establish one of the main themes of the epic: how human choices and efforts become insignificant when fate and immortals are in control. Diomedes follows Homeric tradition closely and having absolute faith on the superiority of fate, he predicts the conclusion of Achilles' efforts to go against fate. Apart from his outstanding fighting abilities and courage, Diomedes

7524-418: The spear of Diomedes. Athena, of course, did not grant it. Meanwhile, one brave Trojan named Glaucus challenged the son of Tydeus to a single combat. Impressed by his bravery and noble appearance, Diomedes inquired if he were an immortal in disguise. Although Athena has previously told him not to fear any immortal, Diomedes displayed his humility by saying, "I will not fight any more immortals." Glaucus told

7623-534: The statue base from Kom el-Hetan in Amenhotep III 's kingdom ( LHIII A:1) mentions a name similar to Thebes, spelled out quasi-syllabically in hieroglyphs as d-q-e-i-s , and considered to be one of four tj-n3-jj ( Danaan ?) kingdoms worthy of note (alongside Knossos and Mycenae). * Tʰēgʷai in LHIIIB lost contact with Egypt but gained it with "Miletus" ( Hittite : Milawata ) and "Cyprus" (Hittite: Alashija ). In

7722-544: The story of how he was descended from Bellerophon who killed the Chimaera and the Amazons. Diomedes realized that his grandfather Oeneus hosted Bellerophon, and so Diomedes and Glaucus must also be friends. They resolved to not fight each other and Diomedes proposed exchanging their armours. Cunning Diomedes only gave away a bronze armour for the golden one he received. The phrase 'Diomedian swap' originated from this incident. Diomedes

7821-449: The suitors would defend and protect the man who was chosen as Helen's husband against any wrong done against him in regard to his marriage. Accordingly, when the Trojan prince Paris stole Menelaus ' wife, all those who had sworn the oath were summoned by Agamemnon (Menelaus' brother), so that they would join the coalition that was to sail from Aulis to Troy in order to retrieve Helen and

7920-503: The throne. Later, Oeneus passed the kingdom to his son-in-law, Andraemon, and headed to Argos to meet Diomedes. He was assassinated on the way (in Arcadia) by Thersites and Onchestus. Unable to find the murderers, Diomedes founded a mythical city called "Oenoe" at the place where his grandfather was buried to honour his death. Later, Thersites fought against the Trojans in the Trojan War and noble Diomedes did not mistreat him (however, Thersites

8019-437: The troops from Argos, Tiryns, Troezen and some other cities were headed by Diomedes. Although he was the youngest of the Achaean kings, Diomedes is considered the most experienced leader by many scholars (he had fought more battles than others, including the war of the Epigoni, the most important war expedition before the Trojan War – even old Nestor had not participated in such military work). Second only to Achilles, Diomedes

8118-591: The two companions' first mission together. However, Pseudo-Apollodorus has Agamemnon send Odysseus and Talthybius instead. According to Euripides, neither of the two went to fetch Iphigenia, though he calls the plan Odysseus' idea in Iphigenia at Tauris . Once in Troy, Odysseus murdered Palamedes (the commander who outwitted Odysseus in Ithaca, proving him to be feigning insanity and thus forcing him to stand by his oath and join

8217-458: The war with Pyrrhus , the Arpani aided Rome with a contingent of 4000 foot and 400 horse. Arpi remained faithful to Rome until Rome's defeat at the battle of Cannae , but the consul Quintus Fabius Maximus, son of the famous Roman dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus , captured it in 213 B.C., and it never recovered its former importance. No Roman inscriptions have, indeed, been found here. Foggia

8316-439: The war-like goddess of wisdom putting valour into the heart of her champion warrior. She also makes a stream of fire flare from his shield and helmet. Diomedes then slays a number of Trojan warriors including Phegeus (whose brother was spirited away by Hera's son, Hephaestus before being slain by Diomedes) until Pandarus wounds him with an arrow. Diomedes then prays to Athena for the slaughter of Pandarus. She responds by offering him

8415-511: The winter months, Thebes is sometimes affected by the Aegean sea-effect snow , with snow depths reaching over 50 centimetres (20 in) on several occasions. Due to its inland location, Thebes may also record very low minimums. In recent years, as registered by the meteorological station operated by the National Observatory of Athens within the city limits, the record minimum temperature

8514-419: The women each of them light a great fire in her house, and let watch be safely kept lest the town be entered by surprise while the host is outside... I shall then know whether brave Diomed will drive me back from the ships to the wall, or whether I shall myself slay him and carry off his bloodstained spoils. Tomorrow let him show his mettle, abide my spear if he dare. I ween that at break of day, he shall be among

8613-616: The wounded Aphrodite fleeing back to Olympus. Disregarding Athena's advice, Diomedes attacks Apollo three times before he warns him not to match himself against immortals. Diomedes then withdraws from combat having failed to kill Aeneas, but succeeding in obtaining what he considers to be the finest steeds alive (and later in Book XXIII, winner of the chariot race for Patroclus, despite starting in last place). Aphrodite complained to her mother about Diomedes' handiwork. The latter reminded her of mighty Heracles (now, an Olympian himself) who held

8712-522: Was Diomedes that ended up being worshipped as an immortal. Agamemnon started shedding tears and proposed to abandon the war for good because Zeus was supporting the Trojans. Diomedes pointed out that this behavior was inappropriate for a leader like Agamemnon. He also declared that he will never leave the city unvanquished for the gods were originally with them. This speech signifies the nature of Homeric tradition where fate and divine interventions have superiority over human choices. Diomedes believed that Troy

8811-439: Was among the nine Achaean warriors who came forward to fight Hector in a single combat. When they cast lots to choose one among those warriors, the Achaeans prayed "Father Zeus, grant that the lot fall on Ajax, or on the son of Tydeus, or upon Agamemnon." Ajax was chosen to fight Hector. Idaeus of the Trojans came for a peace negotiation, and he offered to give back all the treasures Paris stole plus more—everything except Helen. In

8910-403: Was even granted divine vision in order to identify immortals. Only Diomedes and Menelaus were offered immortality and became gods in post-Homeric mythology. The god Hephaestus made Diomedes' cuirass for him. He was the only Achaean warrior apart from Achilles who carried such an arsenal of gear made by Hera's son. He also had a round shield with the mark of a boar. In combat, he also carried

9009-441: Was fated to fall and had absolute and unconditional faith in victory. However, this was one of the two instances where Diomedes' opinion was criticized by Nestor. He praised Diomedes' intelligence and declared that no person of such young age could equal Diomedes in counsel. He then criticized Diomedes for not making any positive proposal to replace Agamemnon's opinion – a failure which Nestor ascribed to his youth. Nestor believed in

9108-473: Was greatly respected by other rulers. He still kept an eye on Calydonian politics (his father's homeland), and when the sons of Agrius (led by Thersites) put Oeneus (Diomedes' grandfather) in jail and their own father on the throne, Diomedes decided to restore Oeneus to the throne. Diomedes attacked and seized the kingdom, slaying all the traitors except Thersites, Onchestus (who escaped to Peloponnesus) and Agrius (who killed himself) restoring his grandfather to

9207-409: Was hated by all the other Achaeans). In fact, when Thersites was brutally slain by Achilles (after having mocked him when the latter cried over Penthesilia 's dead body), Diomedes was the only person who wanted to punish Achilles. According to Hyginus and Pseudo-Apollodorus, Diomedes became one of the suitors of Helen and, as such, he was bound by the oath of Tyndareus, which established that all

9306-560: Was named the Cadmeia in his honor and was an intellectual, spiritual, and cultural center. Thebes is situated in a plain, between Lake Yliki (ancient Hylica ) to the north, and the Cithaeron mountains, which divide Boeotia from Attica , to the south. Its elevation is 215 m (705 ft) above mean sea level . It is about 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Athens , and 100 km (62 mi) southeast of Lamia . The A1 motorway and

9405-626: Was permanently moved to Athens. After 1240, the Saint Omer family controlled the city jointly with the de la Roche dukes. The castle built by Nicholas II of Saint Omer on the Cadmea was one of the most beautiful of Frankish Greece. After its conquest in 1311 the city was used as a capital by the short-lived state of the Catalan Company . In 1379, the Navarrese Company took the city with the aid of

9504-558: Was the most dominant city-state at the time of the Macedonian conquest of Greece. During the Byzantine period, the city was famous for its silks. The modern city contains an archaeological museum, the remains of the Cadmea (Bronze Age and forward citadel), and scattered ancient remains. The Holy Church of Luke the Evangelist is also in Thebes and contains Luke's tomb and relics. Modern Thebes

9603-454: Was the only human except for Heracles to be granted strength (with permission) to directly fight with immortals themselves and injures two Olympian immortals (both Ares and Aphrodite) in a single day. However, he still displays self-restraint and humility to retreat before Ares and give way to Apollo thus remaining within mortal limits. This is in contrast to Patroclus (who does not give way when opposed by Apollo) and Achilles (who resorts to fight

9702-678: Was wholly bereft of either aspect. They began to combine their efforts and actions already when being in Aulis. When the sacrifice of Iphigenia (Agamemnon's daughter) became a necessity for the Achaeans to sail away from Aulis, King Agamemnon had to choose between sacrificing his daughter and resigning from his post of high commander among Achaeans. When he decided to sacrifice his daughter to Artemis, Odysseus carried out this order of Agamemnon by luring Iphigenia from Mycenae to Aulis, where murder, disguised as wedding, awaited her. According to Hyginus, Diomedes went with Odysseus to fetch Iphigenia, making this

9801-469: Was worshipped as a divine being under various names in both Italy and Greece. In the account of Dares the Phrygian , Diomedes was illustrated as "stocky, brave, dignified, and austere. He was loud at the war-cry, hot-tempered, impatient, and daring." Diomedes was, on his father's side, an Aetolian , and on his mother's an Argive . His father, Tydeus , was himself of royal blood, being the son of Oeneus ,

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