"Pausanias, the "wrong" hero of Hellas and Sparta" Topic

"Spartan Pausanias, the hero of our article today, stands out a little among other famous Greeks. He was a good commander, and to his credit is the victory in one of the largest and most significant battles of that era – the Battle of Plataea. However, he also has a "black" reputation as a traitor, who almost betrayed both his native Sparta and all of Greece to the Persians. The paradox is that he was condemned, in general, not for his actions, but for his intentions.

Meanwhile, the opinion has long been expressed that Pausanias (with the approval of certain circles in Sparta) wanted to use the Persians to achieve certain political goals, and he had influential like-minded people. Later, Lysander, who was declared great, also came to an agreement with the Persians, and with their help he managed to achieve the capitulation of Athens and the Maritime Union headed by them. In addition, many famous heroes of Hellas did not disdain friendly relations with the Persians. Among those who "emigrated" to Persia were, for example, the hero of Salamis Themistocles and Pericles' nephew, Socrates' student and protégé Alcibiades. Themistocles, by the way, established good relations with the young Artaxerxes I, told him a lot about Greece and even promised that he would see it (I wonder how – during a new campaign?)…"

link

Armand

There is just so much we can't know about this period from our very limited surviving sources.

Hero? Villain? Traitor? Patriot? Who can tell from so many centuries apart and so few voices from the past?

I was browsing the bookstore a while back, and saw a Romance book entitled "Alcibiades My Love".
I think he was wearing a breastplate and she had properly flared nostrils.
If you can make a hero out of him….

Thanks

Armand

Ancient Sparta may always be "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma" to us (to aptly quote Sir Winston in a different context).

(smile)

Armand