Iphicrates | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Ιφικράτης |
| Born | c. 418 BC |
| Died | c. 353 BC (agedc. 65) |
| Allegiance | Athens |
| Years of service | 391 - 378 BC |
| Battles / wars | Corinthian War |
| Children | Menestheus and 1 other son |
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Iphicrates (Ancient Greek:Ιφικράτης;c. 418 – c. 353 BC[citation needed]) was anAthenian 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-armedpeltasts.[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]
The son of a shoemaker of thedeme ofRhamnous,[5] he was later married to the daughter of theThracian KingCotys I and had a son with her.[3] His son was named Menestheus (Μενεσθεύς), after thelegendary 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 byAlexander the Great along with the Persian court and other Greek ambassadors in the aftermath of theBattle 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]
WhenEurydice I of Macedon asked Iphicrates (the elder) to protect her sons after the death ofAmyntas 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]
He owes his fame as much to the improvements he made in the equipment of the peltasts or light-armed mercenaries (named for their smallpelte shield) as to his military successes.[11] Historians have debated about just what kind of "peltasts" were affected by his reforms; one of the most popular positions is that he improved the performance of the Greekskirmishers so that they would be able to engage in prolonged hand-to-hand fighting as part of the main battle line, while another strong opinion posits that he worked his changes upon the mercenaryhoplites that were an important factor in late 5th and early 4th century BC Greek land warfare. A third possibility is that his reforms were limited to hoplites serving as marines on board ships of theAthenian 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 bronzecuirasses he promoted use of the linenlinothorax, 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 onPhilip II of Macedon, when he created thesarissa-armedMacedonian phalanx. His son,Alexander the Great, used this new infantry formation in his many conquests.[17]
When Iphicrates invaded the territory ofPhlius, 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 ofArcadia, 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 theSpartans a heavy blow in 392/390 BC by almost annihilating amora (a battalion of about 600 men) of their famous hoplites at theBattle of Lechaeum near Corinth. Following up success, he took city after city for the Athenians during theCorinthian War; but in consequence of a quarrel with theArgives he was transferred fromCorinth to theHellespont, where he was equally successful.[11]
After thePeace of Antalcidas (387 BC) he assisted Seuthes, king of ThracianOdrysae, who was an ally of the Athenians,[16] to recover his kingdom, and fought againstCotys, with whom, however, he subsequently concluded an alliance.[20]
Around 378 BC, he was sent with a force of mercenaries to assist thePersians to reconquerEgypt, but a dispute withPharnabazus II led to the failure of the expedition. On his return to Athens he commanded an expedition in 373 BC for the relief ofCorcyra, which was besieged by theLacedaemonians.[21]
After the peace of 371 BC, Iphicrates returned toThrace and somewhat tarnished his fame by siding with his father-in-lawCotys I in a war against Athens for the possession of the entireThracian Chersonese.[21] Iphicrates, however, refused to besiege the Athenian strongholds and fled toAntissa.[22]
The Athenians soon pardoned him and gave him a joint command in theSocial War against some of their allies from thesecond Athenian Empire. He and two of his colleagues were impeached byChares, 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]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Iphicrates".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 14 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 737–738.| International | |
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