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IPHICRATES

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Originally appearing in Volume V14, Page 738 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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IPHICRATES , Athenian See also:

general, son of a shoemaker, flourished in the earlier See also:half of the 4th See also:century B.C. He owes his fame as much to the improvements which he made in the accoutrements of the peltasts or See also:light-armed mercenaries (so called from their small See also:round See also:shield, 7rrXT)1) as to his military successes. Increasing the length of their javelins and swords, substituting See also:linen corselets for their heavy coats-of-See also:mail, and introducing the use of a See also:kind of light leggings, called after him " iphicratides," he increased greatly the rapidity of their movements (Diod. Sic. XV. 44). He also paid See also:special See also:attention to discipline, See also:drill and maliceuvres. With his peltasts Iphicrates seriously injured the See also:allies of the Lacedaemonians in the Corinthian See also:War, and in 392 (or 390) dealt the Spartans a heavy See also:blow by almost annihilating a See also:mora (See also:battalion of about 600 men) of their famous hoplites (Diod. Sic. xiv. 91; See also:Plutarch, Agesilaus, 22). Following up his success, he took See also:city after city for the Athenians; but in consequence of a See also:quarrel with the Argives he was transferred from See also:Corinth to the See also:Hellespont, where he was equally successful. After the See also:peace of See also:Antalcidas (387) he assisted Seuthes, See also:king of the Thracian Odrysae, to recover his See also:kingdom, and fought 9 against See also:Cotys, with whom, however, he subsequently concluded an See also:alliance.

About 378 he was sent with a force of mercenaries to assist the Persians to -reconquer See also:

Egypt; but a dispute with See also:Pharnabazus led to the failure of the expedition (Diod. Sic. xv. 29-43). On his return to See also:Athens he commanded an expedition in 373 for the See also:relief of Corcyra, which was besieged by the Lacedaemonians (See also:Xenophon, Hellenica, vi. 2). On the peace of 371, Iphicrates returned to See also:Thrace, and somewhat tarnished his fame by siding with his See also:father-in-See also:law Cotys in a war against Athens for the See also:possession of the entire See also:Chersonese. The Athenians, however, soon pardoned him and gave him a See also:joint command in the Social War. He and two of his colleagues were impeached by See also:Chares, the See also:fourth See also:commander, because they had refused to give See also:battle during a violent See also:storm. Iphicrates was acquitted but sentenced to pay a heavy See also:fine. He afterwards remained at Athens (according to some he retired to Thrace) till his See also:death (about 353). There is a See also:short See also:sketch of his See also:life by See also:Cornelius See also:Nepos; see also C. Rehdantz, Vitae Iphicratis, Chabriae et Timothei (1854); See also:Bauer, Griech.

Kriegsaltert. in Mailer's Handbuch, 4, § 49; and histories of See also:

Greece, e.g. Holm, Eng. trans., vol. iii.

End of Article: IPHICRATES

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