The Elite Sacred Band Of Thebes Consisted Of 150 Pairs Of Gay Lovers
In the 4th century BCE, ancient Greece was made up of warring city-states. One of the major players was the Boeotian League, a confederation of city-states that was first formed in 550 BCE and led by Thebes, the most powerful among its members. In 378 BCE, when the Boeotian League went to war with Sparta, the top Theban general Gorgidas formed the Theban Band, an elite unit made up of 300 warriors.
Today the Theban Band is remembered for being made up of 150 pairs of male romantic partners, under the assumption that lovers will fight harder for each other. But they were also the first professional standing army in the ancient world.
Ultimately, the Theban Band came to an end along with the rest of the Theban army when Macedonia invaded under Philip II in 338 BCE, at the Battle of Chaeronea. In the 19th century, the mass grave where they had been buried was recovered.
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