Thebes, Greece

Thebes is a city in <a href="/facts/Boeotia/V8Prmucy">Boeotia</a>, <a href="/facts/Central_Greece_(administrative_region)/DHvYkwlz">Central Greece</a>, and is one of the <a href="/facts/Oldest_continuously_inhabited_cities/74JX06Jp">oldest continuously inhabited cities</a> in the world. It is the largest city in <a href="/facts/Boeotia/V8Prmucy">Boeotia</a> and a major center for the area along with <a href="/facts/Livadeia/1p9pV2Pw">Livadeia</a> and <a href="/facts/Tanagra/8fK0pe0j">Tanagra</a>.
It played an important role in <a href="/facts/Greek_myths/M7k4FvW8">Greek myths</a>, as the site of the stories of <a href="/facts/Cadmus/g75RkVLp">Cadmus</a>, <a href="/facts/Oedipus/7eGCgyJ6">Oedipus</a>, <a href="/facts/Dionysus/4kBSl2Kp">Dionysus</a>, <a href="/facts/Heracles/CIQWycTu">Heracles</a> and others. One myth had the city founded by <a href="/facts/Agenor/gJrrIXk6">Agenor</a>, which gave rise to the (now somewhat obscure) name "Agenorids" to denote Thebans. Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed a <a href="/facts/Mycenaean_Greece/gMAaS0jY">Mycenaean</a> settlement and <a href="/facts/Clay_tablet/9mbScsAn">clay tablets</a> written in the <a href="/facts/Linear_B/caBvXdPb">Linear B</a> script, indicating the importance of the site in the <a href="/facts/Bronze_Age/c09qWcTt">Bronze Age</a>.
Thebes was the largest city of the ancient region of Boeotia and was the leader of the Boeotian confederacy. It was a major rival of <a href="/facts/Classical_Athens/a3b6Hpbw">ancient Athens</a>, and sided with the <a href="/facts/Achaemenid_Empire/avlzWxF0">Persians</a> during the <a href="/facts/Second_Persian_invasion_of_Greece/rKXGTbXq">480 BC invasion</a> under <a href="/facts/Xerxes_I_of_Persia/477I20nQ">Xerxes I</a>. Theban forces under the command of <a href="/facts/Epaminondas/y5YgFUlA">Epaminondas</a> ended <a href="/facts/Spartan_hegemony/YrAdHuJY">Spartan hegemony</a> at the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Leuctra/fLN2rQg6">Battle of Leuctra</a> in 371 BC, with the <a href="/facts/Sacred_Band_of_Thebes/n0Cmry3B">Sacred Band of Thebes</a>, an elite military unit of male lovers, celebrated as instrumental there. Macedonia would rise in power at the <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Chaeronea_(338_BC)/CVy2jfS4">Battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC</a>, bringing decisive victory to <a href="/facts/Philip_II_of_Macedon/8xV3hI8V">Philip II</a> over an alliance of Thebes and Athens. Thebes was a major force in Greek history prior to its <a href="/facts/Battle_of_Thebes/2k24S8FJ">destruction</a> by <a href="/facts/Alexander_the_Great/8N3gLElj">Alexander the Great</a> in 335 BC, and was the dominant <a href="/facts/City-state/aj1EjbYy">city-state</a> at the time of the Macedonian conquest of Greece. During the <a href="/facts/Byzantine_Empire/njEELXWF">Byzantine</a> period, the city was famous for its silks.
The modern city contains an archaeological museum, the remains of the <a href="/facts/Cadmea/az9wBwb5">Cadmea</a> (Bronze Age and forward citadel), and scattered ancient remains. The Holy Church of <a href="/facts/Luke_the_Evangelist/6wFIkqtC">Luke the Evangelist</a> is also in Thebes and contains Luke's tomb and relics. Modern Thebes is the largest town of the <a href="/facts/Regional_units_of_Greece/8Fu4UDUN">regional unit</a> of Boeotia.

Thebes, Greece open-in-new

Thebes, Greece