Jason of Pherae
Jason of Pherae (
Life
The geographer Pausanias records that Jason was familiar with the teachings of the Sophist Gorgias (6.17.9),[1] and Isocrates claims to have been in contact with Jason, though none of this correspondence survives.(To the Children of Jason 1.1)[2]
Aristotle records Jason as saying that "he had to do some few unjust things in order to do many just ones" in the Rhetoric Book I Chapter 12 Bekker lines 1373a25-27. ὥσπερ ἔφη Ἰάσων ὁ Θετταλὸς δεῖν ἀδικεῖν ἔνια, ὅπως δύνηται καὶ δίκαια πολλὰ ποιεῖν (Ross, 1959).
The figure of Jason makes a sudden appearance in the history of classical Greece with Xenophon swiftly mentioning his name during his commentary on Theban hegemony during the 370s.[3] From seemingly out of nowhere arose a very ambitious proto-Philip general with a large and competent army. Xenophon quotes Jason as claiming:
I have men of other states as mercenaries to the number of six thousand, with whom, as I think, no city could easily contend. As for numbers,' he said, `of course as great a force might march out of some other city also; but armies made up of citizens include men who are already advanced in years and others who have not yet come to their prime. Furthermore, in every city very few men train their bodies, but among my mercenaries no one serves unless he is able to endure as severe toils as I myself.[4]
There was a very realistic threat posed by Jason to his neighbours and arguably to all of
Death
Jason was assassinated in 370 BC by a group of unidentified young men. Xenophon suggests the assassination may have been motivated by fear over Jason's perceived desire to take over control of the
Eventually Alexander, possibly his son, inherited the title of tagus and ruled harshly before finally being defeated by the Thebans.
Xenophon wrote of Jason:
His generalship is of the highest quality—he is one who whether his methods are those of plain force, or working in the dark, or of seizing an unexpected advantage, very seldom fails to achieve his objects. He can use the night-time as well as the day time, and when he wants to move fast, he will put breakfast and dinner into one meal, so as not to interrupt his work. He will not think it right to rest until he has reached the point for which he set out and done all that had to be done. And he has trained his men to behave in the same way, although he knows how to gratify the feelings of his soldiers when they have won some success as the results of extra hard work. So all who follow him have learned this too—that one can have a good time also, if one works for it. Then, too, he is more self controlled than any man I know with regard to bodily pleasures. These never take up his time and prevent him from doing what has to be done.[8]
The inventor of hemithorakion (half-armour equipment) is believed to be Jason of Pherae[9]
Historical significance
Jason of Pherae was a potentially major figure in Greek history whose potential remained unrealized because of his early death. It is clear that he intended to create a regional empire in northern and eastern Hellas similar to the empire Dionysius I created in Sicily, and his career before it was cut short by assassins indicated that he had the talent and resources to do so. If he had lived longer, his empire might have assumed the dominant influence in Greece which shortly afterwards was achieved by Macedonia.[10]
See also
References
- ^ [1], Pausanias' Guide to Greece at Perseus Digital Library
- ^ [2] Isocrates' To The Children of Jason at Perseus Digital Library
- ^ Xenophon Hellenika 6.1.5
- ^ Xenophon Hellenika 6.1.5
- ^ Yalichev, Serge. (1997) Mercenaries of the Ancient World, London: Constable, pp 165.
- ^ [3] Xenophon's Hellenika at Perseus Digital Library.
- ^ [4], Diodorus Siculus Library of History at Perseus Digital Library.
- ^ Xenophon Hellenika 6.1.14-16
- ISBN 0-521-85073-8
- ^ Bury, J. B.; Meiggs, Russell (1956). A history of Greece to the death of Alexander the Great (3 ed.). London: Macmillan. p. 597.