Athens General at Chaeronea

[Nicator]

...was this guy killed in the battle?

[aen]

The Athenians were commanded by Lysicles. He was not killed. But later . . .A vignette that demonstrates Athenian lunacy follows:After the defeat there was much acrimony and blame amongst the Allies. Demosthenes fingered other cities' contingents, claiming their commanders had made poor decisions, thereby squandering what should have been a victory.The Allies, rightly indignant, pointed out that it was the headlong rush of the Athenians, amongst them Demosthenes himself, that did most to destroy any chance of success. The Athenians, having considered this, then decided to change their minds and condemn their own general, Lysicles, to death.As if that weren't bad enough . . . There followed one of the usual incidents of Athenian madness when, shortly afterwards, Ctesiphon, one of the eminent men of the polis, proposed a crown for Demosthenes as recognition of service rendered to the state - the same Demosthenes who led by shining example when he upped and legged it from Chaeronaea as things got bad.Of course, in poor Lysicles case it's worth remembering that Athenians specifically forbade their generals from gaining the experience so vital to success in war - they were (admittedly inconsistently) limited to tenures of one year as strategos, often with command split between ten.Even after the catastrophe of Syracuse (sometime before when Athens, horrifically, lost almost a third of its manpower) they had failed to learn the lesson. Democracies tend to do this. For that little adventure they split command between Alcibiades, Nicias and Lamachus. Alcibiades was transparently the best suited to the job, but shortly after the galleys departed for war he was indicted for crimes against the Gods. The usual small-minded busybodies, jealous and chippy, clamoured to have him brought back. And the Assembly in its democratic wisdom backed the proposal. Being the playboy rascal he was, Alcibiades had small difficulty in escaping.Not only had the Athenians brilliantly managed to deprive their army of its best leader, they had also forced his defection to the old enemy of Sparta. The subsequent siege of Syracuse, although lengthy, ended in an unprecedented Athenian massacre.Oscar Wilde may have had a point when he said: 'Democracy is bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people'.Incidentally, the most experienced Allied man at Chaeronaea was Theagenes, strategos for the Theban Sacred Band, a bunch of sensible fellows who

[aen]

Incidentally, the most experienced Allied man at Chaeronaea was Theagenes, strategos for the Theban Sacred Band, a bunch of sensible fellows who were neither so stupid or so jealous as to replace their commanders every year. We don't know who felled him or how, but he never left the field.Laters.

[John.]

You fired up my imagination when you mentioned Demosthenes. You know who Demosthenes was? Have you ever seen the old TV series "Lost in Space"?Demosthenes is DR. Smith (even the letters are similar), a real good talker (con man), but when it's time for action, good for nothing.Demosthenes was the first to leave his post at Chaeronea, and flee from the battle. During his flight, they say, he caught his cloak on a bramble bush, and turned around and cried, "Take me alive!"Don't I remember correctly that Dr. Smith did the same exact thing in at least one episode of "Lost in Space"?...I know, first "Star Wars," now "Lost in Space." Maybe I should come a little more down to earth?John