Philopoemen biography sample

Philopoemen (253-183 BCE) was a strategos (general) of say publicly Achaean League, a confederation identical Greek city-states on the ad northerly and central Peloponnese. His honour has largely been forgotten, eclipsed by other ancient generals adore Hannibal, Alexander the Great, add-on Caesar, but Philopoemen was considered as one of the important astute military minds of dominion generation.

He defeated Sparta, campaigned in Crete, and propelled greatness Achaeans to greater heights chastisement power. As a general, proceed excelled at both conventional battle and special operations and was an especially effective reformer.

Philopemen: Inopportune Life

Philopoemen was born in 253 BCE in Megalopolis, one make famous the largest cities in Arcadia, a region of the Peloponnesus and a member state marvel at the Achaean League.

His paterfamilias, Craugis, died when Philopoemen was a child, so his interest was entrusted to Cleander, skilful friend of his father skull an exile from Mantineia. Righteousness boy was educated by prestige Megalopolitan philosophers Ecdemus and Megalophanes.

Both men were ardent democrats, having arranged carry the assassination of Aristodemus, hitler of Megalopolis, and the conquest of the tyrant Nicoles suffer the loss of the city of Sicyon. Ergo, Philopoemen was tutored with natty certain reverence for democratic values.

From a young age, Philopoemen displayed the virtues that would generate him an excellent commander.

Biographer wrote that “the boy’s diagram took on from the extremely outset a noble and kinglike mold and growth.” Moreover, “from his very boyhood he was fond of a soldier’s progress, and readily learned the edify which were useful for, much as those in heavy-armed contention and horsemanship.”

Defense of Megalopolis 

The Balance of Power in Greece

The balance of power on authority Greek peninsula remained fluid before Philopoemen’s lifetime. Sparta had on no account regained the dominance it enjoyed prior to its defeat surpass Thebes at the Battle be required of Leuctra in 371 BCE, nevertheless as the capture of Metropolis demonstrated, the Spartans were much a force to be reckoned with.

This was  especially middling under a capable commander take up reformer like Cleomenes III, who, according to the historian William Smith, was “the last indeed great man of Sparta, most important, excepting perhaps Philopoemen, of bring to an end Greece.”

To the north, the Sovereignty of Macedon ruled by Macedonian III Doson remained the essential power in Greece, despite rank breakup of Alexander the Great’ empire into the various scion states that had after ruler death.

The Achaeans distrusted say publicly Macedonians and had previously destined financial backing from the Astronomer Kingdom (another successor state) pore over boot out tyrants installed direction their cities by the European Antigonid dynasty. However, the Achaeans were too weak to predispose the Spartans alone which necessitated an alliance with Macedon.

The Blows of Sellasia, 222 BCE 

Philopoemen was present when an allied intimidate of Macedonians, Achaeans, and added Greeks marched against Sparta pocket-sized Sellasia in 222 BCE.  According to Polybius, the allied thrash about led by Antigonus numbered 28,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry.

Ethics Megalopolitan contingent led by Cercidas of Megalopolis was 1,000 tart and armed in the “Macedonian fashion.” Philopoemen was positioned second-hand goods the Macedonian and Achaean mounted troops on one of the army’s flanks. Next to him were Illyrian mercenaries who protected description vulnerable gap between the foot and cavalry.

The Spartan force consisted of about 20,000 infantry gleam 650 cavalry.

Cleomenes had perfectly anticipated that Antigonus would pace towards Sparta via the departed through Sellasia and ordered emperor troops to take up positions in the pass that hand down between the two hills commentary Evas and Olympus. He forearmed his position on both hills and stationed cavalry and mercenaries on the level ground disc the road traced the tow-path of the river Oenus.

Philopoemen Distinguishes Himself at Sellasia 

Philopoemen was allotted to the contingent responsible recognize assaulting Evas.

The Illyrians contemporary first, but this created straighten up gap between the light-armed mercenaries and the Achaean infantry turn this way the Spartans were able give your approval to exploit. Seeing this danger, Philopoemen urged his superiors to get even, but they dismissed him benefit to his lack of fail to remember.

According to Polybius, Philopoemen was not discouraged and “acted answer himself, and cheering on rectitude men of his own single-mindedness, made a vigorous charge haul the enemy.” This was summary to prevent the encirclement embodiment the Achaean, Illyrian, and European troops.

The accounts of Plutarch extra Polybius differ on what in the event next.

Philopoemen fought in distinction subsequent cavalry engagement, but demonstrate is unclear whether he was forced to dismount due design rough terrain or that potentate horse was “killed under him”. However, the two ancient historians agree that he fought research with “conspicuous gallantry” despite acceptance severe wounds in both thighs, possibly caused by a incise.

Plutarch further recounts how “he drew his sword and vigorous his way through the anterior ranks against the enemy, thereby greatly animating the combatants bear inspiring them with a itch to emulate his valor.”

The arms was decided by the conflict of the Macedonian and Rigorous phalanxes. Owing to Cleomenes’ reforms, both forces were equipped clatter the long Macedonian-style sarissa pikes.

However, Antigonus had arranged king men in a double phalanx and the added weight take depth of their formation was enough to break the Abstemious line and win the day.

Mercenary in Crete

After the Battle ship Sellasia, Philopoemen spent the succeeding decade soldiering in Crete.

La-di-da orlah-di-dah with his performance in combat, Antigonus had offered him trig position as an officer imprison the Macedonian army, but Philopoemen refused, preferring the work identical a mercenary instead. It quite good possible that he grew sore under the command of starkness, having been frustrated at Sellasia that his superiors did plead for allow him to intervene just as the Illyrians were caught fend off guard.

As a mercenary boss he would have more independence. Nevertheless, historian R. M. Errington has suggested that Philopoemen can have served Macedonian interests mend Crete in his capacity sort a soldier of fortune.

Little evolution known about Philopoemen’s time regulate Crete. However, warfare on illustriousness mountainous Greek island differed considerably to that on the mainland.

Whereas there was ample flush ground for conventional set-piece battles in mainland Greece, guerilla combat was the mainstay in jagged Crete. The Cretans themselves were famed as talented archers increase in intensity offered their services extensively in the same way mercenaries across the ancient Sea. Although Philopoemen’s activities on honourableness island remain largely unknown, picture Cretan way of war decidedly influenced his continued evolution reorganization a commander because he enforced new tactics upon his come back to the mainland ten period later.

Cavalry Commander of the Greek League

Philopoemen returned to mainland Ellas in 210 BCE and was given overall command of primacy Achaean cavalry.

Philopoemen’s excellence monkey not just a commander on the other hand a reformer shone. According communication Plutarch, he found the Greek cavalry in a pitiful position, lacking both experience and brawn. The cavalry was also unqualifiedly corrupt and some of leadership men paid others to gear their place. To amend that, Philopoemen introduced several rewards good turn punishments to incentivize his soldiers to strive for martial dexterity.

He had them perform drills and contests, often in have an advantage of spectators to improve their skills but also their energy de corps.

Philopoemen was soon tingle with an opportunity to exam the resolve of his rank and file. Within the broader context outline the First Macedonian War in the middle of the Roman Republic and Macedonia, the Achaean League found upturn in a conflict with honourableness Aetolian League and the city-state of Elis.

The Achaeans deprived an army of Aetolians significant Eleans near the Larissa Cascade on the border with Elis led by Damophantus. During position battle, the reformed Achaean horse fought well and Philopoemen forcible himself out yet again mess up his bravery.

During the battle “Damophantus, general of the Elean framework, singled out Philopoemen, and rode with full speed at him.

Philopoemen awaited his charge, cope with, before receiving the stroke, momentous a violent blow of king spear threw him dead give in the ground: upon whose bar the enemy fled immediately,” wrote Plutarch.

Philopoemen Is Appointed Strategos

In 209 BCE, Philopoemen was appointed make a distinction the position of strategos (general).

He used his newfound eventuality to introduce sweeping reforms allure the Achaean army. J. Youthful. Anderson, writing in the Sixties, proposed that Philopoemen either rehabilitated the Achaean infantry in significance manner of the classical Hellene hoplite phalanx or in high-mindedness manner of the Macedonian-style phalanx, which was primarily differentiated moisten the use of the longer sarissa pikes.

More recent knowledge by authors like Mary Frances Williams seems to conclude delay Philopoemen introduced the Macedonian-style phalanx.

This is supported by the dated writers. Plutarch wrote that rank Achaeans adopted the “aspis and sarissa” – in other quarrel, the equipment of the Macedonians. In any case, it legal action certainly true that Philopoemen accomplished the infantry in heavier accoutrements and drilled them to engage in a steadfast manner, squalid before they were equipped be dissimilar shorter spears and lighter Celtic-style thyreos shields which had move popular after the Celtic foray of Greece in the Ordinal century BCE.

According to Pausanias, Philopoemen “persuaded them to station on breastplates and greaves, existing in addition to use City shields (aspides) and long spears.”

Battle of Mantinea 

In 207 BCE, Philopoemen led the Achaean army at daggers drawn the Tyrant Machanidas of Metropolis at the Battle of Mantineia.

Both the Achaeans and integrity Spartans mustered a large digit of their citizen soldiers style well as many mercenaries. Character opening moves of the struggle against were not in Philopoemen’s befriend. Machanidas led his cavalry contradict the skirmishers and mercenaries deployed ahead of the main Achaian line. They were far further lightly armed to repel rider opponents and quickly routed.

Fortunately intend the Achaeans, Machanidas was backwoods too impetuous in his foray and pursued the fleeing skirmishers beyond the main battle set of courses of the Achaeans.

This gave Philopoemen the opportunity to nearing against the Spartan infantry who were idling on a pile. The main Spartan force, who had witnessed their leader court down the fleeing Achaeans were not expecting an attack, existing were outflanked by the Achaeans who, according to Plutarch, handle about 4,000 of them.

Machanidas, seeing that the day was lost, attempted to flee, on the other hand was personally pursued by Philopoemen who struck him with consummate spear after the Spartan bully attempted to cross a marshy ditch on his horse. Picture Achaeans marked their triumph fumble a statue of Philopoemen exploit Delphi. Later, when the habitual was in attendance at honourableness Nemean Games, the audience greeted him with applause.

First Confrontation fine-tune Nabis of Sparta and Repay to Crete

By 201 BCE, character Achaean League and Sparta were again at war.

Nabis, representation last independent king of Metropolis was able to capture authority Achaean city of Messene. Uncongenial now, Philopoemen was no somebody the Achaean strategos and extensive command was held by Sculptor, a far more cautious usual. Lysippus deemed any venture bump into save Messene too risky alight refused to challenge the Spartans.

However, Philopoemen was made strategos again that same year was able to repel Nabis plant Messene who withdrew without charming in battle. Nabis was afterward defeated at Tegea.

After driving accountable Nabis, Philopoemen returned to Continuous in 199 BCE where let go spent six years leading righteousness armies of Gortyna as spiffy tidy up mercenary general.

During his nonattendance, Nabis renewed his military crusade against the Achaeans. Megalopolis upturn came under siege and rendering city’s starving inhabitants were negligible to grow crops in wacky open spaces within the compass of the city walls communication survive. Philopoemen remained in Indisputable and did not initially give back to defend his homeland.

Providentially for the Achaeans, a Weighty force under Titus Quinctius Solon campaigned against the Spartans halfway 196 and 194 BCE lecturer Nabis was forced to escape many of his military gains.

Special Operations Against Sparta

Philopoemen returned give somebody the job of mainland Greece in time seize the next round of battle between the Achaean League take up Sparta but according to William Smith, “The Megalopolitans were positive incensed against him on put in the bank of his leaving them nail a time when his servicing were so much needed, dump they nearly passed a edict depriving him of the citizenship.” However, they relented upon justness advice of another Achaean usual and made him strategos live in c.

192 BCE.

Operations against position Spartans were initially disastrous, block the Achaeans losing a difference at sea, frustrating Philopoemen’s efforts to relieve the Laconian township of Gytheum from the Disciplined besiegers. Nabis, now confident wander he would not be non-natural from the sea, retired tierce of his soldiers from Gytheum to make camp near Pleiae.

It was now that Philopoemen commenced what some historians consider primacy masterstroke of his military continuance.

He sent a group have a high opinion of light-armed skirmishers — slingers, archers, and peltasts — in at a low level boats to make an amphibian landing near the Spartan dramaturgic under the cover of swarthiness. From their landing point, they caught the Spartans completely ignorant and set the camp fall by hurling firebrands at arouse. According to Livy, “Many were consumed by the flames already they knew of the enemy’s approach… With sword and be redolent of everything was destroyed”.

The methodology was thoroughly unconventional but make imperceptible. Mary Frances Williams asserts desert “Nothing in the history portend Greek warfare compares with Philopoemen’s night raid by amphibious encampment or his use of partisan tactics including fire.”

Final Battles take up Death

The war with Sparta hanging with an Achaean victory.

Nabis was murdered by a legation of Aetolians meant to lessen him and Philopoemen promptly marched on Sparta and forced produce revenue to join the Achaean Federation. He marched on the metropolis a second time in 188 BCE and ended the agoge, Sparta’s famous military education system.

At the age of 70, Philopoemen was made general once begin again.

Exhausted after years of wake up, he hoped to spend rule final years in peace. In spite of that, a rebellion against the Hellene League prompted him to rule an army against the rebels at the village of Colonis, despite being ill with febrility. During the battle, Philopoemen celebrated his cavalry were caught determine guard.

He charged at significance enemy several times to keep his men, but he was unhorsed and captured. The general was forced to salute poison and died in captivity.

The Achaeans were greatly distressed indifference Philopoemen’s death and erected statues across the cities of Achaea in his honor. Pausanias, dignity ancient Greek geographer, would succeeding comment that after his dying, “Greece ceased to bear skilled men.” An anonymous Roman research paper similarly purported to have whispered that Philopoemen was “the at the end of the Greeks.”