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29-710: There were two important battles at Delium. In the first battle, called the Battle of Delium , the Athenians suffered a signal defeat at the hands of the Boeotians in the eighth year of the Peloponnesian War , in 424 BCE. This battle took place over several days. Hippocrates , the Athenian commander, had seized the temple at Delium, which he converted into a fortress by erecting some temporary works. Leaving

58-455: A Phocian named Nicomachus. As Hippocrates had not yet arrived, Demosthenes could not attack and was forced to withdraw. Eventually, Hippocrates arrived in Boeotia with 7,000 Athenian hoplites and 1,000 cavalry, they were accompanied by 10,000 Metics and other non-citizens, and began to fortify the temple at Delium. After five days, the fortifications were complete, and Hippocrates set up

87-550: A base for further invasions. Pagondas moved his army into position near the Athenians although both armies were hidden from each other by a hill. The Boeotians had 7,000 hoplites , 1,000 cavalry , 500 peltasts and 10,000 light troops. The right wing was formed by troops from Thebes, and the Thebans drew themselves up to a depth of 25 men, rather than the usual 8; the centre by men from Haliartus , Coronea , and Copiae ; and

116-519: A garrison and sent the rest of his army back to Athens. At the same time, the Boeotians gathered their army to challenge Hippocrates, but when they saw that the Athenians were leaving, many of them thought that it was pointless to attack. Pagondas of Thebes , the commander of the Boeotian forces, urged them to attack anyway because he knew that the Athenians would eventually return and use Delium as

145-432: A garrison there, he was on his march homewards and had already reached the territory of Oropus, 10 stadia distant from Delium, when he encountered the Boeotian army advancing to cut off his retreat. The Athenians numbered 15,000, while the Boeotians mustered 18,500. The Athenians were defeated in the ensuing battle, losing 1,200, including Hippocrates, while the Boeotians lost only 500. Socrates fought at this battle among

174-679: A location in ancient Boeotia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Battle of Delium The Battle of Delium (or Delion, a city in Boeotia ) took place in 424 BC, during the Peloponnesian War . It was fought between the Athenians and the Boeotians , who were allies of the Spartans , and ended with the siege of Delium in the following weeks. In 424 BC, the Athenian generals Demosthenes and Hippocrates planned to invade Boeotia. Demosthenes mistakenly sailed too early and landed at Siphae , where his plans were betrayed by

203-482: A strange device, which, according to the description in Thucydides (4.100), seems to have been a kind of flamethrower and used the weapon to set fire to Delium and chase away the Athenians. Only about 200 Athenians were killed; the rest were allowed to escape. After Delium had been recaptured, Demosthenes and his forces finally arrived, but the lack of communication between him and Hippocrates meant that his arrival

232-514: Is apparently the same as the Lophis of Pausanias. The stream on the eastern side, called Kefalári, is formed by the union of two rivulets, which appear to be the Permessus and Olmeius, which are described by Strabo as flowing from Helicon, and after their union entering Lake Copais near Haliartus. The tumulus, of which Leake speaks, perhaps covers those who were killed along with Lysander, since it

261-510: The hoplites , and, according to one account, saved the life of Xenophon , while, according to another, his own retreat was protected by Alcibiades , who was serving in the cavalry. On the seventeenth day after the battle, the Boeotians retook the temple. The war was won in 404 BCE, with financial help from the Persians . In the second battle, the Romans were defeated by Antiochus III

290-510: The Athenians until nightfall. Most of the Athenians returned to the fort at Delium, where a Boeotian herald announced that they were offending land that was sacred to the Boeotians and must leave. The Athenians replied that the land was now theirs and was now sacred to them and that they held it in self-defense from the Boeotians. For two weeks, there was no action, but the Boeotians were joined by 2,000 hoplites from Corinth, as well as other troops from their various allies. The Boeotians constructed

319-472: The Boeotian right wing was also victorious, and the Athenians fighting there fled. When the Athenian centre saw that its two wings had been defeated, it also fled. About 500 Boeotians and 1,000 Athenians had been killed, including Hippocrates. One of the Athenian hoplites in the battle was the philosopher Socrates . Plato has Alcibiades give the following account of the retreat of the Athenians at Delium, and Socrates' own actions then: Furthermore, men, it

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348-499: The Great in 192 BCE. Its site is located near modern Dilesi . [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Smith, William , ed. (1854–1857). "Delium". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography . London: John Murray. 38°20′46″N 23°39′41″E  /  38.3462075°N 23.661354°E  / 38.3462075; 23.661354 This article about

377-533: The Haliartians had a sanctuary of the goddesses called Praxidicae situated near this mountain. The towns Peteon , Medeon , Ocalea , and Onchestos were situated in the territory of Haliartus. Its site is located at the Kastri Maziou near modern Aliartos (formerly named Moulki, but renamed after the ancient town). The remains of Haliartus are situated upon a hill about a mile (1.6 km) from

406-542: The Persians (480 BC), but afterwards the citizens rebuilt it. In the Peloponnesian War appears as one of the chief cities of Boeotia. It is chiefly memorable in history on account of the Battle of Haliartus fought under its walls between Lysander and the Thebans , in which the former was slain, 395 BCE. In 171 BCE Haliartus was destroyed a second time. Having espoused the cause of Perseus of Macedon , it

435-498: The Persians and had been purposely left in that state. The Haliartia (Ἁλιαρτία), or territory of Haliartus, was a very fertile plain, watered by numerous streams flowing into Lake Copais, which in this part was hence called the Haliartian marsh. These streams bore the names of Ocalea , Lophis , Hoplites , Permessus , and Olmeius . The territory of Haliartus extended westward to Mount Tilphossium , since Pausanias says that

464-481: The asymmetry in deployment, the Theban right wing would almost certainly be victorious but also because of their deployment the Athenian hoplite line was longer and would outflank the Boeotian left line. That unique deployment by the Theban general Pagondas explains the subsequent unfolding and progress of the battle. The Boeotians charged unexpectedly while Hippocrates was giving a speech to his men. The centre lines saw

493-463: The heaviest fighting. As Thucydides reports, the Boeotian left wing was surrounded and close to defeat, and only the Thespian contingent stood its ground. The victorious Athenian line got into confusion as it circled round the Thespian contingent and surrounded it. Some of the Athenian hoplites fought and killed one another when they met at the other end, mistaking their countrymen for the enemy. That

522-466: The left wing by troops from Thespiae , Tanagra , and Orchomenus . They were later joined by the Locrians . When Hippocrates learned of the Boeotian army, he joined the main Athenian force, leaving 300 cavalry behind at Delium. The Athenians had about the same numbers of hoplites and cavalry, but had fewer lightly armed troops, mostly from their allied cities. They lined up at the usual depth. Because of

551-471: The ruins of Haliartus. From this spot there is a distance of about three-quarters of a mile (1.2 km) to a tumulus westward of the Acropolis, where are several sarcophagi and ancient foundations near some sources of waters, marking probably the site. of the western entrance of the city." The stream which flowed on the western side of the city is the one called Hoplites by Plutarch, where Lysander fell, and

580-534: The unity and force of the massed ranks of the infantry, straining against the opponent. At Delium, Pagondas made use of deeper ranks, reserves, cavalry interventions, light-armed skirmishers (peltasts) and gradual changes in tactics during the battle. 38°20′53″N 23°38′57″E  /  38.34806°N 23.64917°E  / 38.34806; 23.64917 Haliartus Haliartus or Haliartos ( Ancient Greek : Ἁλίαρτος ), also known as Ariartus , Ariartos , Hariartus , or Hariartos (Ἀρίαρτος or Ἁρίαρτος),

609-464: The village of Mazi, on the road from Thebes to Lebadeia , and at the distance of about 15 miles (24 km) from either place. The hill of Haliartus is not more than 50 feet (15 m) above the lake. It was visited in the 19th century by William Martin Leake who says, "that towards the lake the hill of Haliartus terminates in rocky cliffs, but on the other sides has a gradual acclivity. Some remains of

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638-450: The walls of the Acropolis, chiefly of polygonal masonry, are found on the summit of the hill; and there are several sepulchral crypts in the cliffs, below which, to the north, issues a copious source of water, flowing to the marsh, like all the other streams near the site of Haliartus. Although the walls of the exterior town are scarcely anywhere traceable, its extent is naturally marked to the east and west by two small rivers, of which that to

667-601: The west issues from the foot of the hill of Mazi; the eastern, called the Kefalári, has its origin in Mount Helicon. Near the left bank of this stream, at a distance of 500 yards (480 m) from the Acropolis, are a ruined mosque and two ruined churches, on the site of a village which, though long since abandoned, is shown by these remains to have been once inhabited by both Greeks and Turks. Here are many fragments of architecture and of inscribed stones, collected formerly from

696-644: Was a town of ancient Boeotia , and one of the cities of the Boeotian League . It was situated on the southern side of Lake Copais in a pass between the mountain and the lake. It is mentioned in the Catalogue of Ships in the Iliad by Homer , who gives it the epithet ποιήεις (grassy) in consequence of its well-watered meadows. During the Second Persian invasion of Greece , it was destroyed by

725-424: Was essentially useless. He landed near Sicyon but was quickly defeated. In addition to showing an innovative use of a new technology, Pagondas made use of planned tactical warfare for one of the first times in recorded history. In the previous centuries, battles between Greek city-states had been relatively simple encounters between massed formations of hoplites. Cavalry played no important role, and all depended on

754-508: Was history's first documented incident of " friendly fire " It is thought the incident occurred in part because no "state" shield devices were in use, which did not seem to have become general until the Second Battle of Mantinea , fought in 362 BC between the Thebans and the Spartans (and each side's allies) [1] . In any case, Pagondas sent his cavalry to support the Boeotian left wing and the Athenians were defeated in turn. Meanwhile,

783-734: Was less in fear because I was on horseback. First of all, how much more sensible he was than Laches ; and secondly, it was my opinion, Aristophanes (and this point is yours); that walking there just as he does here in Athens, 'stalking like a pelican, his eyes darting from side to side,' quietly on the lookout for friends and foes, he made it plain to everyone even at a great distance that if one touches this real man, he will defend himself vigorously. Consequently, he went away safely, both he and his comrade; for when you behave in war as he did, then they just about do not even touch you; instead they pursue those who turn in headlong flight. The Boeotians chased

812-517: Was taken by the Roman praetor Lucretius , who sold the inhabitants as slaves, carried off its statues, paintings, and other works of art, and razed it to the ground. Its territory was afterwards given to the Athenians , and it never recovered its former prosperity. Strabo speaks of it as no longer in existence in his time, and Pausanias , in his account of the place, mentions only a heroum of Lysander, and some ruined temples which had been burnt by

841-462: Was worthwhile to behold Socrates when the army retreated in flight from Delium; for I happened to be there on horseback and he was a hoplite. The soldiers were then in rout, and while he and Laches were retreating together, I came upon them by chance. And as soon as I saw them, I at once urged the two of them to take heart, and I said I would not leave them behind. I had an even finer opportunity to observe Socrates there than I had had at Potidaea , for I

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