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Alexander and Thebes 335 - Coggle Diagram
Alexander and Thebes 335
Inciting a rebellion
Arrian tells us that some Theban exiles were able to return to the city, and came to the assembly
they incited the Thebans to revolt from Alexander, and the 'heavy hand of Macedonian rule'
Alexander heard of this situation and took it very seriously, as he had long been suspicious of Athens, and also worried that the Theband might be joined by the Spartans
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events
Alexander brought his 'entire army' to Onchestus, a town northwest of Thebes
even at this time, the instigators of the rebellion insisted this was a force headed by Antipater, because Alexander was obvs dead
Alexander made camp outside Thebes and gave them a period of grace so that they might reconsider the rebellion and make peace
however, the Thebans actually sent out some men to shoot at the Macedonians, and managed to kill a few
Alexander still waited, and hoped for reconciliation
Arrian tells us that another historian, Ptolemy the son of Lagus, reported that Perdiccas did not wait for Alexander to give the signal for battle, but started operations on his own, and he was followed by Amyntas, and then the rest of the army
the Thebans were driven back inside the gates of the city, but failed to close them fast enough, such that some Macedonians got in
there followed a 'furious slaughter', but according to Arrian this was the work not so much of the Macedonians, but the other forces here like the Phocians, Plataeans etc.
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Aftermath
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Arrian compares it to the Sicilian Expedition of the PP war, and the battle of Aegospotami
this destruction of Thebes was attributed to divine anger: for betraying the Greeks in the Persian war, for adding their vote in favour of destruction of Athens etc.
the children and women, and surviving Theban men were to be sold into slavery, with the exception of priests and priestesses, any guest-friends of Philip or Alexander, or any descendants of Pindar
other Greeks:
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the Athenians were celebrating the Great Mysteries when some of the Thebans arrived straight from the action, and they subsequently abandoned the Mysteries in panic
the Athenians chose ten ambassadors known to be acceptable to Alexander, and sent them in an envoy to offer congratulations to Alexander for his safe return from the Triballians and the Illyrians
Alexander wrote a letter in response, demanding the surrender of Demosthenes and Lycurgus, and their associates
the Athenians did not do this, but instead sent another embassy asking Alexander to forgo his anger, which he did, either out of respect for the city of Athens, or because he wanted to get started on the Asian expedition