Battle of the 300 Champions
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the 300 Champions was a battle fought in roughly 545 BC between Argos
and Sparta
. Rather than commit full armies both sides agreed to pitting 300 of their best men against each other. Both sides would not allow for any injured men to be taken . The day called for complete destruction of the enemy force for victory. The two armies were evenly matched and neither could gain the upper hand. After a bloody battle only three men remained, two Argives and one Spartan. The Argives left the battlefield believing that they had killed all of the Spartans, but they made one mistake. Orthryades , an injured Spartan had still survived and was technically the last man standing on the battlefield for either army claimed victory. He survived long enough to tell his baggage handlers of his victory, and then he committed suicide. The reason for the suicide is up for debate, but the act is of great importance. Orthryades did not die by an Argive sword, and the Spartans could always claim that he survived the battle and killed himself in shame, thus gaining an upper hand due to this act of honor.
Argos did not take too kindly to the Spartans claiming victory and sent their entire hoplite
army which was met by a Spartan force of equal magnitude. The Spartans won a decisive victory and as a result gained control of Thyreatis.
Years later, in 420 BC during a lull in the Peloponnesian War
, Argos challenged Sparta to a rematch of the Battle of The 300 Champions. Sparta declined.
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
and Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
. Rather than commit full armies both sides agreed to pitting 300 of their best men against each other. Both sides would not allow for any injured men to be taken . The day called for complete destruction of the enemy force for victory. The two armies were evenly matched and neither could gain the upper hand. After a bloody battle only three men remained, two Argives and one Spartan. The Argives left the battlefield believing that they had killed all of the Spartans, but they made one mistake. Orthryades , an injured Spartan had still survived and was technically the last man standing on the battlefield for either army claimed victory. He survived long enough to tell his baggage handlers of his victory, and then he committed suicide. The reason for the suicide is up for debate, but the act is of great importance. Orthryades did not die by an Argive sword, and the Spartans could always claim that he survived the battle and killed himself in shame, thus gaining an upper hand due to this act of honor.
Argos did not take too kindly to the Spartans claiming victory and sent their entire hoplite
Hoplite
A hoplite was a citizen-soldier of the Ancient Greek city-states. Hoplites were primarily armed as spearmen and fought in a phalanx formation. The word "hoplite" derives from "hoplon" , the type of the shield used by the soldiers, although, as a word, "hopla" could also denote weapons held or even...
army which was met by a Spartan force of equal magnitude. The Spartans won a decisive victory and as a result gained control of Thyreatis.
Years later, in 420 BC during a lull in the Peloponnesian War
Peloponnesian War
The Peloponnesian War, 431 to 404 BC, was an ancient Greek war fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. Historians have traditionally divided the war into three phases...
, Argos challenged Sparta to a rematch of the Battle of The 300 Champions. Sparta declined.