Rise of a Valkyrie

Part 47

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Christie, cheeks still burning, cleared her throat. "Well," she said, "we left Plato at his Academy, and our next subject of interest is named Epaminondas. He was an aristocrat by birth, claiming connection to the Spartoi—the mythical ancestors of Thebes. He was tutored by the Pythagorean Lysis of Tarentum, one of the original cult members who fled from Italy. However, whereas Plato taught philosophy and built his Academy, Epaminondas studied war, and became exceptionally good at it."

"Perhaps supernaturally good?" Kayla suggested "Taking advice from high places?"

Christie nodded. "Perhaps. Well, he enjoyed a stellar military career in Thebes, taking part in several campaigns, chiefly against the Spartans. His victories paved the way for Thebes' expansion, culminating in the catastrophic destruction of the Spartan army at Leuctra in 371 BC."

"Wait, what?" Kayla asked in surprise. "The Spartans? The invincible badasses who trained for war from birth and never lost?"

"Exactly. Using his new tactics—the likes of which have never been seen before—Epaminondas inflicted a shocking defeat on some of Sparta's most experienced soldiers. Greece was stunned by the news, and while Sparta limped on through the next few decades, the city-state never recovered as a major power. Now, some might argue that Spartan culture had bred a stubbornly inflexible military leadership that refused to adapt, although—"

"Nah." Kayla waved her hand dismissively, "This is clearly the work of aliens."

Christie smiled and bowed. "But of course. Well anyway, Epaminondas continued leading Theban armies until he was killed at the Battle of Mantinea in 362 BC."

Kayla frowned. "Oh, well, that thread didn't go anywhere then."

"Oh yes it did, because of who his greatest student was."

"Philip II of Macedon," said Thandi. "Best known for being the father of Alexander the Great, and less well known for building the revolutionary army that enabled his son to conquer the known world."

"Quite so," Christie said. "In 368 BC, Philip II studied in Thebes directly under Epaminondas, and when he returned to Macedonia, he began putting his knowledge to work. You see, from the Pythagorean point of view, secret societies have failed. Plato's philosophy isn't going anywhere yet, though later it will have a huge impact on Rome. The cult's only hope to enslave humanity is by conquest. Philip created the Macedonian Phalanx, developed combined arms and maneuver tactics, and introduced a professional soldier class regulated by a code of conduct. He forged the weapon that Alexander would wield to conquer the world."

Kayla nodded. "Literally a revolutionary weapon in the Sarissa, the twenty-foot spear, right? New technology for the aristocrats to play with."

"Exactly," Christie finished, and sat back.

"Yeah, Philip changed everything," Thandi said. "With his powerful new army, he was facing disorganized, squabbling city-states. He was able to conquer most of Greece, until his death in 336 BC, at which point the young Alexander takes over, finishing the job the following year."

She grimaced. "His mother, Olympias, was another psycho cultist too. She joined the cult of Dionysus —just like Pythagoras before he went solo. This was another aristocratic secret society, whose members liked to go out naked to nighttime orgies, drink wine, take drugs and sacrifice animals. They are said to fall into a state of ecstatic madness before the god literally takes over their bodies. There are stories about them trying to infiltrate city states so they can conquer Greece.