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Thebes (Greece)

Q11225429

Thebes: important Greek city-state in central Greece, main city of Boeotia.

Oedipus and the sphinx

Mythology: founded by Cadmus; the citadel is called "Cadmeia" and was inhabited since the third millennium BCE
Famous stories: birth of Dionysus, Oedipus, Antigone, Seven against Thebes, Epigoni, et cetera
Mycenaean background; largest known Mycenaean acropolis; prosperity since mid-second millennium; Babylonian seals (s.XIV) and Linear-B-tablets prove supraregional importance
Cadmeia evacuated during LH IIIB1 (earlier than other Mycenaean towns, which go in decline in LH IIIB2 and LH IIIC)
Lower city survives (perhaps confirmation of the story of the Epigoni)

Archaic pottery: a larnax

c. 560 BCE: Participates in the founding of Heraclea Pontica
Supported Pisistratids in Athens^note
Founding of the Boeotian League
c.519 BCE: War against Athens.^note
Pindar

Pindar
480 BCE: Persian Wars; Thebes is divided between Pro- and Anti-Persian politicians and forced to side with the invaders^note[Plutarch, The Malice of Herodotus.]
479 BCE: Besieged after the battle of Plataea;Boeotian League dissolved

Return to power in the course of the fifth century: collaboration with Sparta against Athens
457 BCE: Moderate oligarchic constitution^note[Aristotle,Politics 1274b 2-5.]
457 BCE: Battle of Tanagra, defeat against Athens; democratic constitution^note[Aristotle, Politics 1302b 27ff.]
447 BCE: Battle of Coronea, Athenian defeat; moderate oligarchy reintroduced with eleven boeotarchs^note[Hell. Oxyrh. 19.3.]
431-421 BCE: Archidamian War (Sparta, Corinth, Thebes against Athens); destruction of Plataea
415-404 BCE: Decelean War; demands destruction of Athens^note; when Sparta declines and supports a pro-Spartan oligarchy in Athens, Thebes supports the Athenian democrats
395-387 BCE: Corinthian War (Thebes, Corinth, Argos, Athens against Sparta)
387 BCE: King's Peace: Plataea restored
The battlefield of Chaeronea

382 BCE: End of moderate oligarchy; Spartan garrison in the Cadmeia
379 BCE: Spartan garrison expelled by Pelopidas; army reforms by Epaminondas; moderate democracy, member of Second Delian League
371 BCE: Boeotian League defeats Sparta at Leuctra
Attacks on the Peloponnese, from which Sparta never recovers
Third Sacred War: coalition with Philip of Macedonia
338 BCE: Battle of Chaeronea: the new hegemon is Macedonia
Lasting legacy: dual citizenship
Destroyed by Alexander the Great; house of Pindar saved

Thebes, Tombstone

Thebes, Head of Artemis

Thebes, Figurine of a young actor

Boeotia, Head of Dionysus

316 BCE: Rebuilt by Cassander
Briefly member of theAchaean League; 245 BCE switches to Aetolian League
236 BCE: Alliance with Macedonia
Statuette of Europa

197 BCE: Captured by the Roman general Flamininus; after this supporter of almost every anti-Roman politician (Antiochus III the Great; Perseus; Achaeans; Mithridates VI of Pontus)
Settlement reduced to Cadmeia, "not even a remarkable village" according to Strabo^note
125 CE: Visit of the Roman emperor Hadrian
Provincial town in the Roman Empire
Walls rebuilt against Alaric (king of the Visigoths)^note[Zosimus, New History 5.5.7.]
431 CE: Bishop Anysius attends the Council of Ephesus, supporting Cyril
551 Earthquake; repairs by Justinian^note[Procopius, Buildings 4.3.5.]