For the ancient capital of upper Egypt, see Thebes, Egypt, for the writing system see Theban alphabet. Upper Egypt (صعيد مصر Sa'id Misr) is a narrow strip of land that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan to the area between Thebes ( Thēbai) was a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean on the east bank of the river Nile ( The Theban alphabet is a Writing system with unknown origins It was first published in Johannes Trithemius ' Polygraphia ( 1518) in which For other uses see Thebes (disambiguation). Thebes may refer to one of the following places Thebes Greece, Boeotia Prefecture Ancient Thebes (Boeotia (gmy 𐀳𐀣

Thebes Θήβα
Remains of the Cadmea, the central fortress of ancient Thebes
Location
Coordinates	38°19′N 23°19′E / 38.317, 23.317Coordinates: 38°19′N 23°19′E / 38.317, 23.317
Time zone:	EET/EEST (UTC+2/3)
Elevation (center):	215 m (705 ft)
Government
Country:	Greece
Periphery:	Central Greece
Prefecture:	Boeotia
Population statistics (as of 2001[1])
City Proper
- Population:	23,820
Codes
Postal:	32200
Area:	22620

Thebes [ˈθiːbz] (Classic Greek Θῆβαι [tʰɛ̃ːbai], Mod. Θήβα [ˈθiva]) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+2 corresponds to the following Time zones Eastern European Time Egypt Standard Time Central Africa Time UTC+3 is used in the following locations Moscow Time Eastern European Summer Time West Asian Summer Time The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The peripheries ( Περιφέρειες) are the official regional Administrative divisions of Greece. Continental Greece ( Στερεά Ελλάδα - Stereá Elláda, earlier Χέρσος Ελλάς) or Central Greece ( Κεντρική Ελλάδα Greece consists of 13 administrative regions known as Peripheries of Greece, which are further subdivided into 3 super-prefectures and 54 prefectures or nomes Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology The Greek Postal code system is is administered by ELTA (Ελληνικά Ταχυδρομεία Hellenic Post) This is a list of dialing codes in Greece. The first digit represents type of service The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Modern Greek (el Νέα Ελληνικά or el Νεοελληνική lit Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Cithaeron is also a spider genus ( Cithaeronidae) Kithairon (Κιθαιρών -ῶνος is a mountain range ("No corner of Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the It played an important role in Greek myth, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus and others. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Cadmus, or Kadmos (Κάδμος in Greek mythology, was a Phoenician prince son of Agenor and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdəpəs/ in American English or /ˈiːdəpəs/ in British English; Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen-footed" In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed a Mycenaean settlement and clay tablets written in the Linear B script, indicating the importance of the site in the Bronze Age. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese Small tablets made out of clay were used from 5500 BC Tărtăria tablets and later from 4th millennium BC onwards as a writing medium in Sumerian Linear B is a script that was used for writing Mycenaean, an early form of Greek. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for In ancient times, Thebes was the largest city of the region of Boeotia and was the leader of the Boeotian confederacy. Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the It was a major rival of ancient Athens, and sided with the Persians during the 480 BC invasion of Xerxes. Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. Theban forces ended the power of Sparta at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC under the command of Epaminondas. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The Battle of Leuctra (or Leuktra was a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their respective allies amidst the post- Corinthian War conflict Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek The Sacred Band of Thebes (an elite military unit) famously fell at the battle of Chaeronea in 338 BC against Philip II and Alexander the Great. The Sacred Band of Thebes ( Ancient Greek: Hierós Lókhos tón Thebón was a troop of picked soldiers numbering 150 age-structured pairs which formed The Battle of Chaeronea 338 BC, fought near Chaeronea, in Boeotia, was the greatest victory of Philip II of Macedon. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Prior to its destruction by Alexander in 335 BC, Thebes was a major force in Greek history, and was the most dominant city-state at the time of the Macedonian conquest of Greece. A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. During the Byzantine period, the city was famous for its silks. Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons The modern city contains an Archaeological Museum, the remains of the Cadmea (Bronze Age and forward citadel), and scattered ancient remains. The Cadmea, or Cadmeia was the citadel of ancient Thebes Greece, named after the legendary Phoenician founder of Thebes Cadmus. Modern Thebes is the largest town of the Boeotia Prefecture. Boeotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία; - Voiotía, also Viotía) is one of the Prefectures of Greece. It is situated at highway E962, some 4 km south of the junction with E75. Greek National Road 1 is the longest highway in Greece. The highway begins at Kifissou Avenue or north of the Bay of Phaliro up to Efzoni at the border

History

Mythic record

The stories of Thebes are mainly tragic tales of death, confusion, war, murder, complete frenzy, and other tragic endings. The record of the earliest days of Thebes was preserved among the Greeks in an abundant mass of legends which rival the myths of Troy in their wide ramification and the influence which they exerted upon the literature of the classical age. Troy ( Greek: grc Τροία Troia, also, Ilion; Latin: Trōia, Īlium, Hittite: Wilusa or Five main cycles of story may be distinguished:

1. The foundation of the citadel Cadmeia by Cadmus, and the growth of the Spartoi or "Sown Men" (probably an aetiological myth designed to explain the origin of the Theban nobility which bore that name in historical times);
2. The building of a "seven-gated" wall by Amphion, and the cognate stories of Zethus, Antiope and Dirce;
3. The tale of Laius, whose misdeeds culminated in the tragedy of Oedipus and the wars of the "Seven Against Thebes," the Epigoni, and the downfall of his house; Laius' pederastic rape of Chrysippus was held by some ancients to have been the first instance of homosexuality among mortals, and may have provided an etiology for the practice of pedagogic pederasty for which Thebes was famous. Cadmus, or Kadmos (Κάδμος in Greek mythology, was a Phoenician prince son of Agenor and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix Etiology (alternatively aetiology, aitiology) is the study of causation. This article is about Amphion in Greek and mythology For naval vessels named Amphion see HMS Amphion, Swedish Amphion and USS Amphion, and for speakers Amphion and Zethus (also Zethos) in ancient Greek mythology, were the twin sons of Zeus by Antiope. In Greek mythology, Antiope ( ˈtaɪ o pe was the name of the daughter of the Boeotian River god Asopus, according to Homer; For the Geometer moth Genus, see Dirce (moth Dirce (Δίρκη In Greek mythology, King Laius, or Laios of Thebes was a divine hero and key personage in the Theban founding myth Oedipus (pronounced /ˈɛdəpəs/ in American English or /ˈiːdəpəs/ in British English; Greek: Oidípous meaning "swollen-footed" The Seven against Thebes (Επτά επί Θήβας Epta epi Thēbas) is a mythic narrative whose classic statement is found in the play by Aeschylus (467 BCE This is an article about the Greek myth For the epic on the subject see Epigoni (epic. Greek Pederasty, as idealised by the Greeks from archaic times onward was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside This article is about Chrysippus of Greek mythology See also Chrysippus the philosopher In Greek Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. See Pederasty in ancient Greece#Thebes for a detailed discussion. Greek Pederasty, as idealised by the Greeks from archaic times onward was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside
4. The advent of Dionysus; and
5. The exploits of Heracles. In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or

Early history

Partial map of Boeotia, Attica and the Peloponessus in Classical times, showing the position of Thebes. A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, Regions, and Themes Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula

Map of Greece during the height of Theban power in 362 BCE, showing Theban, Spartan, Athenian and Corinthian power blocs

Archaeological excavations in and around Thebes have revealed cist graves dated to Mycenaean times containing weapons, ivory, and tablets written in Linear B. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese Linear B is a script that was used for writing Mycenaean, an early form of Greek. Its name in the local tablets, and in tablets found in Mycenae, was transliterated TE-QA-I (TH Ft 140. 1) understood to be read as *Tʰēgʷai (Ancient Greek Θῆβαι Thēbai), and TE-QA-DE (MY X 508; TH Wu 65. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c a) for *Tʰēgʷasde (Ancient Greek Θήβασδε Thēbasde). The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c

Theban workshop (Oinochoe type), 7th century BC.

It seems safe to infer that *Tʰēgʷai was one of the first Greek communities to be drawn together within a fortified city, and that it owed its importance in prehistoric days — as later — to its military strength. Deger-Jalkotzy claimed that the statue base from Kom el-Hetan in Amenhotep III's kingdom (LHIIIA:1) mentions a name similar to Thebes and considered to be one of four tj-n3-jj (Danaan?) kingdoms worthy of note (alongside Knossos and Mycenae). Amenhotep III (sometimes read as Amenophis III meaning Amun is Satisfied was the ninth Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty. *Tʰēgʷai in LHIIIB lost contact with Egypt but gained it with "Milatos" (Hit. Milawata) and "Cyprus" (Hit. Alasiya). In the late LHIIIB, according to Palaima ("Sacrificial Feasting", Hesperia 73, 2004), *Tʰēgʷai was able to pull resources from Lamos near Mount Helicon, and from Karystos and Amarynthos on the Greek side of the isle of Euboia.

As a fortified community, it attracted attention from the invading Dorians, and the fact of their eventual conquest of Thebes lie behind the stories of the successive legendary attacks on that city. The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were

The central position and military security of the city naturally tended to raise it to a commanding position among the Boeotians, and from early days its inhabitants endeavoured to establish a complete supremacy over their kinsmen in the outlying towns. This centralizing policy is as much the cardinal fact of Theban history as the counteracting effort of the smaller towns to resist absorption forms the main chapter of the story of Boeotia. No details of the earlier history of Thebes have been preserved, except that it was governed by a land-holding aristocracy who safeguarded their integrity by rigid statutes about the ownership of property and its transmission. Aristocracy is a form of Government, where rule is established through an internal struggle over who has the most status and influence over society and internal relations

Archaic and classical periods

Main article: Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)

In the late 6th century BC, the Thebans were brought for the first time into hostile contact with the Athenians, who helped the small village of Plataea to maintain its independence against them, and in 506 BC repelled an inroad into Attica. Thebes (grc Θῆβαι was a Boeotian City-state ( Polis) situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Boeotia The 6th century BC started the first day of 600 BC and ended the last day of 501 BC. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's For the Geometer moth Genus, see Plataea (moth. Plataea or Plataeae was an ancient city located in Greece The aversion to Athens best serves to explain the apparently unpatriotic attitude which Thebes displayed during the Persian invasion of Greece (480–479 BC). Events By place Greece May — King Xerxes I of Persia marches from Sardis and onto Thrace Events By place Greece The Persian commander Mardonius, now based in Thessaly, wins support Though a contingent of 700 was sent to Thermopylae and remained there with Leonidas until just before the last stand when they surrendered to the Persians^[2], the governing aristocracy soon after joined King Xerxes I of Persia with great readiness and fought zealously on his behalf at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. In the Battle of Thermopylae, which occurred in August 480 BC (and was detailed almost entirely by Herodotus) an alliance of Greek City-states fought Leonidas ( Greek:; "Lion's son" "Lion-like" was a king of Sparta, the 17th of the Agiad line one of the sons Xerxes I of Persia was a King of Persia (reigned 485–465 BC of the Achaemenid dynasty. The Battle of Plataea was the final major Battle of the Greco-Persian Wars in southern Greece. Events By place Greece The Persian commander Mardonius, now based in Thessaly, wins support The victorious Greeks subsequently punished Thebes by depriving it of the presidency of the Boeotian League and an attempt by the Spartans to expel it from the Delphic amphictyony was only frustrated by the intercession of Athens. Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the The Amphictyonic League ( Amphictyony) was a form of Greek religious organization that was enjoined to support specific temples or sacred places and

In 457 BC Sparta, needing a counterpoise against Athens in central Greece, reversed her policy and reinstated Thebes as the dominant power in Boeotia. Events By place Persian empire Artaxerxes I decrees that the city government of Jerusalem shall be re-established (see Ezra 7 The great citadel of Cadmea served this purpose well by holding out as a base of resistance when the Athenians overran and occupied the rest of the country (457–447 BC). Events By place Persian empire Artaxerxes I decrees that the city government of Jerusalem shall be re-established (see Ezra 7 Events By place Greece Pericles leads Athenian forces in the expulsion of barbarians from the Thracian peninsula of In the Peloponnesian War the Thebans, embittered by the support which Athens gave to the smaller Boeotian towns, and especially to Plataea, which they vainly attempted to reduce in 431 BC, were firm allies of Sparta, which in turn helped them to besiege Plataea and allowed them to destroy the town after its capture in 427 BC. Events By place Greece Athens enters into an alliance with King Sitalkes of Thrace, after Nymphodorus an influential Athenian Events By place Greece Sparta 's King Archidamus II is succeeded by his son Agis II. In 424 BC at the head of the Boeotian levy they inflicted a severe defeat upon an invading force of Athenians at the Battle of Delium, and for the first time displayed the effects of that firm military organization which eventually raised them to predominant power in Greece. Events By place Persian empire Xerxes II rules as King of Persia for only about 45 days until he is killed The Battle of Delium or of Delion took place in 424 BC between the Athenians and the Boeotians and ended with the siege of Delium

After the downfall of Athens at the end of the Peloponnesian War, the Thebans, having learned that Sparta intended to protect the states which they desired to annex, broke off the alliance. In 404 BC they had urged the complete destruction of Athens, yet in 403 BC they secretly supported the restoration of its democracy in order to find in it a counterpoise against Sparta. Events By place Greece The Athenian leader Cleophon continues to urge resistance against the Peloponnesians but the situation Events By place Greece Thrasybulus leads the democratic resistance to the new oligarchic government known as the Thirty A few years later, influenced perhaps in part by Persian gold, they formed the nucleus of the league against Sparta. At the Battle of Haliartus (395 BC) and the Battle of Coronea (394 BC) they again proved their rising military capacity by standing their ground against the Spartans. The Battle of Haliartus was fought in 395 BC between Sparta and Thebes. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian Satrap Tissaphernes ' enemy Parysatis, mother of Cyrus The Battle of Coronea in 394 BC was a battle in the Corinthian War, in which the Spartans and their allies under King Agesilaus II defeated a force Events By place Greece The allies Athens, Thebes, Corinth and Argos, gather a large army at Corinth The result of the war was especially disastrous to Thebes, as the general settlement of 387 BC stipulated the complete autonomy of all Greek towns and so withdrew the other Boeotians from its political control. Events By place Greece Antalcidas, commander of the Spartan navy actively assists Persia against Athens Its power was further curtailed in 382 BC, when a Spartan force occupied the citadel by a treacherous coup-de-main. Events By place Greece The Theban general and statesman Pelopidas flees to Athens and takes the lead in attempts to liberate Three years later, the Spartan garrison was expelled and a democratic constitution was set up in place of the traditional oligarchy. In the consequent wars with Sparta, the Theban army, trained and led by Epaminondas and Pelopidas, proved itself the best in Greece (see also: Sacred Band of Thebes). Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Pelopidas (skipper. The Sacred Band of Thebes ( Ancient Greek: Hierós Lókhos tón Thebón was a troop of picked soldiers numbering 150 age-structured pairs which formed Years of desultory fighting, in which Thebes established its control over all Boeotia, culminated in 371 BC in a remarkable victory over the pick of the Spartans at Leuctra. Events By place Greece A fresh peace congress is summoned at Sparta. The Battle of Leuctra (or Leuktra was a battle fought between the Thebans and the Spartans and their respective allies amidst the post- Corinthian War conflict The winners were hailed throughout Greece as champions of the oppressed. They carried their arms into Peloponnesus and at the head of a large coalition, permanently crippled the power of Sparta, in part by freeing many helot slaves, the basis of the Spartan economy. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula Similar expeditions were sent to Thessaly and Macedon to regulate the affairs of those regions. Thessalia redirects here For the Butterfly Genus, see Thessalia (butterfly. Macedon or Macedonia ( Greek grc Μακεδονία grc-Latn Makedonía) was the name of a kingdom centered in the northern-most

However, the predominance of Thebes was short-lived as the states which she protected refused to subject themselves permanently to her control. Due to their renewed rivalry with Athens, who had joined with Thebes in 395 BC in fear of Sparta, but since 387 BC had endeavored to maintain the balance of power against her ally, prevented the formation of a Theban empire. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian Satrap Tissaphernes ' enemy Parysatis, mother of Cyrus Events By place Greece Antalcidas, commander of the Spartan navy actively assists Persia against Athens With the death of Epaminondas at the Battle of Mantinea (362 BC) the city sank again to the position of a secondary power. Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek The Battle of Mantinea was fought in 362 BC between the Thebans, led by Epaminondas and supported by the Arcadians and the Boeotian In a war with the neighboring state of Phocis (356–346 BC) it could not even maintain its predominance in central Greece, and by inviting Philip II of Macedon to crush the Phocians it extended that monarch's power within dangerous proximity to its frontiers. Phocis ( Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα foˈkiða Ancient / Katharevousa: Φωκίς foˈkis is an ancient district and a modern prefecture Events By place Persian Empire Having blamed the defeats by Philip II in Thessaly and Chalcidice on his colleagues Chares is Events By place Greece The Peace of Philocrates is signed between Macedonia and Athens. Philip II of Macedon, ( Greek: Φίλιππος Β' ο Μακεδών &mdash φίλος = friend + ίππος = Horse A revulsion of feeling was completed in 338 BC by the orator Demosthenes, who persuaded Thebes to join Athens in a final attempt to bar Philip's advance upon Attica. Events By place Persian Empire The Persian general and Vizier, the Eunuch Bagoas, falls out of favour with For the Athenian general see Demosthenes (general. For the ancient physician see Demosthenes Philalethes. The Theban contingent lost the decisive battle of Chaeronea and along with it every hope of reassuming control over Greece. The Battle of Chaeronea 338 BC, fought near Chaeronea, in Boeotia, was the greatest victory of Philip II of Macedon. Philip was content to deprive Thebes of her dominion over Boeotia; but an unsuccessful revolt in 335 BC against his son Alexander was punished by Macedon and other Greek states by the destruction of the city, except, according to tradition, the house of the poet Pindar and the temples. Events By place Greece Returning to Macedonia by way of Delphi (where the Pythian priestess acclaims him "invincible" Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' Pindar (ˈpɪndɚ (or Pindarus, Greek:) (probably born 522 BC in Cynoscephalae a village in Boeotia; died 443 BC in Argos) was an Ancient

Byzantine period

During the early Byzantine period it served as a place of refuge against foreign invaders. From the 10th century, Thebes became a centre of the new silk trade, its silk workshops boosted by imports of soaps and dyes from Athens. Silk is a natural Protein Fiber, some forms of which can be woven into Textiles The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons The growth of this trade in Thebes continued to such an extent that by the middle of the 12th century, the city had become the biggest producer of silks in the entire Byzantine empire, surpassing even the Byzantine capital, Constantinople. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS The women of Thebes were famed for their skills at weaving. Theban silk was prized above all others during this period, both for its quality and its excellent reputation.

Though severely plundered by the Normans in 1146, Thebes quickly recovered its prosperity and continued to grow rapidly until the dissolution of the Byzantine empire by the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. The Fourth Crusade (1202&ndash1204 was originally designed to conquer Muslim Jerusalem by means of an invasion through Egypt.

Latin period

Thanks to its wealth the city was selected by the Frankish dynasty de la Roche as its capital. The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, In 1311 it was used as a capital by the short-lived state of the Catalan Company. The Catalan Company of the East ( Catalan Companyia Catalana d'Orient) officially the Company of the Army of the Franks in Romania

In 1379, the Navarrese Company took the city with the aid of the archbishop Simon Atumano. The Navarrese Company was a company of mercenaries mostly from Navarre and Gascony, which fought in Greece during the late 14th century and Simon Atumano was the Bishop of Gerace in Calabria from 23 June 1348 until 1366 and the Latin Archbishop of Thebes thereafter

Portions of the historical section were taken from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica

Present day

Today Thebes is a market town.

Notable people

• Epaminondas (c. Epaminondas ( Greek:) (ca 418 BC&ndash362 BC was a Theban General and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek 418-362BC) general and statesman
• Aristides (4th century BC) painter
• Nicomachus (4th century BC) painter
• Kleitomachos (3rd century BC) athlete

See also

• Sacred Band of Thebes
• List of traditional Greek place names
• Theban pederasty

Bibliography

• Herodotus "The Histories of Herodotus"
• Angold, Michael - "The Byzantine Empire, 1025-1204"

References

External links

• Timeless Myths - House of Thebes