Cleomachus ( el, Κλεόμαχος) was an

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

warrior from

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

, notable for his defeat of the Eretrians in the

Lelantine War The Lelantine War was a military conflict between the two ancient Greek city states Chalcis and Eretria in Euboea which took place in the early Archaic period, between c. 710 and 650 BC. The reason for war was, according to tradition, the struggl ...

. Cleomachus was a widely known and celebrated soldier, and was called upon to fight by the

Chalcidians Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...

in their war against the Eretrians. He agreed to fight and brought his male lover and companion to fight alongside him. Cleomachus charged the Eretrian lines and brought the Chalcidians to victory. Unfortunately, he was slain during the battle, but his courage inspired the Chalcidians and changed their opinions on homosexuality, and they erected a tomb dedicated to him in the marketplace of

Chalcis Chalcis ( ; Ancient Greek & Katharevousa: , ) or Chalkida, also spelled Halkida (Modern Greek: , ), is the chief town of the island of Euboea or Evia in Greece, situated on the Euripus Strait at its narrowest point. The name is preserved from ...

, the pillar of which still stood in

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''P ...

's days.

Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...

attributed a popular local song to the legacy of Cleomachus:Artistotle, ''Eroticus'' fr. 98 Rose (= Plutarch, ''Amatorius'' 760f), quoted at Cantarella p. 71 and Crompton p. 10 from the translation of F.C. Babbit, ''Plutarch: Moralia'', vol. 9.

Loeb Classical Library The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a series of books originally published by Heinemann in London, but is currently published by Harvard University Press. The library contains important works of ancient Greek and L ...

no. 425 (London, repr. 1961) p. 377. Though largely forgotten, Cleomachus is a notable example of Ancient Greek attitudes toward homosexuality.

References

{{Authority control 7th-century BC Greek people Ancient Greeks killed in battle Greek LGBT people Ancient LGBT people

See also

References