Iphicrates

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Iphicrates
Native name
Ιφικράτης
Bornc. 418 BC
Diedc. 353 BC (aged c. 65)
AllegianceAthens
Years of service391 - 378 BC
Battles/warsCorinthian War
Battle of Lechaeum
ChildrenMenestheus and 1 other son
pelte shield, and are depicted thrusting overarm with a long spear.[1][2]

Iphicrates (

Athenian general, who flourished in the earlier half of the 4th century BC. He is credited with important infantry reforms that revolutionized ancient Greek warfare by regularizing light-armed peltasts.[3]

Cornelius Nepos wrote that Iphicrates was such a leader, that he was not only comparable to the first commanders of his own time, but no one even of the older generals could be set above him. He had a deep knowledge of military tactics, he often had the command of armies and he never miscarried in an undertaking by his own fault. He was always eminent for invention and excellence that he not only introduced much that was new into the military art, but made many improvements in what existed before.[4]

Biography

The son of a shoemaker of the

Thracian King Cotys I and had a son with her.[3] His son was named Menestheus (Μενεσθεύς), after the legendary King of Athens during the Trojan War.[3] Iphicrates' other son, who was also called Iphicrates, was sent as the Athenian ambassador to the Persian court sometime before 335 BC. He was captured by Alexander the Great along with the Persian court and other Greek ambassadors in the aftermath of the Battle of Issus. Alexander treated him with special honour, both from friendship to the city of Athens and from recollection of his father's glory; when he died from an unknown disease Alexander paid for the transportation of his body to his homeland.[6][7]

When Eurydice I of Macedon asked Iphicrates (the elder) to protect her sons after the death of Amyntas III of Macedon, he took them under his protection.[8]

Plutarch wrote that Iphicrates thought that the mercenary soldier might well be fond of wealth and fond of pleasure, in order that his quest for the means to gratify his desires might lead him to fight with greater recklessness.[9][10]

Iphicratean reforms

He owes his fame as much to the improvements he made in the equipment of the peltasts or light-armed mercenaries (named for their small pelte shield) as to his military successes.

Athenian navy.[12]

Traditional Greek infantry soldiers used very large shields, short spears and small swords; Iphicrates introduced the smaller and lighter pelte shields, which helped them be more active in movements and encounters, doubled the length of the spears and made the swords longer. In place of bronze

cuirasses he promoted use of the linen linothorax, which offered protection equivalent to metal armour at a greatly lessened weight.[4] He also made lightweight soldiers' boots that were easy to untie. These boots were afterwards called Iphicratides (Greek: Ἰφικρατίδες).[13][14][15]
The longer weapons, combined with the lighter armor and shield, helped his troops to move rapidly and take a more aggressive approach in tactical situations.

Iphicrates was a strict commander who paid special attention to drill and maneuver. Cornelius Nepos mentions that no troops in Greece were ever better disciplined or more obedient to the orders of their leader than those of Iphicrates.[16]

The Iphicratean reforms are considered to have been one of the leading influences on Philip II of Macedon, when he created the sarissa-armed Macedonian phalanx. His son, Alexander the Great, used this new infantry formation in his many conquests.[17]

Corinthian War

When Iphicrates invaded the territory of Phlius, the men from the city came out against him in an unguarded way, but Iphicrates had set an ambush and his troops killed many of them.[18]

Iphicrates and his troops invaded many districts of

Arcadia, plundering unprotected areas and even attacking walled towns. The hoplites of the Arcadians stayed within their walls rather than face Iphicrates' famous peltasts.[19]

With his troops, Iphicrates dealt the

Hellespont, where he was equally successful.[11]

Thrace - Seuthes

After the

Odrysae, who was an ally of the Athenians,[16] to recover his kingdom, and fought against Cotys, with whom, however, he subsequently concluded an alliance.[20]

Egyptian campaign

Iphicrates was part of the Achaemenid campaign of Pharnabazus II against Egypt in 373 BC.

Around 378 BC, he was sent with a force of mercenaries to assist the

Lacedaemonians.[21]

Thrace - Cotys

After the peace of 371 BC, Iphicrates returned to

Thracian Chersonese.[21] Iphicrates, however, refused to besiege the Athenian strongholds and fled to Antissa.[22]

Social War

The Athenians soon pardoned him and gave him a joint command in the Social War against some of their allies from the second Athenian Empire. He and two of his colleagues were impeached by Chares, the fourth commander, because they had refused to give battle during a violent storm.[21]

Iphicrates was acquitted but sentenced to pay a heavy fine. Afterwards, he remained at Athens until his death around 353 BC (although according to some he retired to Thrace).[21]

References

  1. ^ SMITH, A.H. A CATALOGUE OF SCULPTURE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES. British Museum. p. 49.
  2. ^ The Numismatic Chronicle. Royal Numismatic Society. 2005. p. 83.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1107030534
    .
  4. ^ a b Cornelius Nepos: Life of Iphicrates, § 1
  5. ISBN 9789004354050
    .
  6. ^ Habicht 1998, p. 38.
  7. ^ Arrian, Anabasis, 2.15.4
  8. ^ Cornelius Nepos: Life of Iphicrates, § 3
  9. ^ Plutarch, Galba, Gal.1.1 - GR
  10. ^ Plutarch, Galba, Gal.1.1 - EN
  11. ^ a b Chisholm 1911, p. 737.
  12. ^ Ueda-Sarson, Luke, The Evolution of Hellenistic Infantry, Part 1: The Reforms of Iphikrates
  13. ISBN 978-1107053243
    .
  14. ^ "Diodorus Siculus, Library, 15.44.3". Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
  15. ^ A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890) William Smith, LLD, William Wayte, G. E. Marindin, Ed., calceus
  16. ^ a b Cornelius Nepos: Life of Iphicrates, § 2
  17. ^ Mattew, C. (2015) An Invincible Beast: Understanding the Hellenistic Pike Phalanx in Action, Pen and Sword. p. 119
  18. ^ Xenophon, Hellenika, 4.4.15
  19. ^ Xenophon, Hellenika, 4.4.16
  20. ^ Chisholm 1911, pp. 737–738.
  21. ^ a b c d Chisholm 1911, p. 738.
  22. ^ Demosthenes, Against Aristocrates

Sources

External links

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