Thyrea

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Thyrea (also Thyraea, Thyreae) was an ancient Greek region, and city in the Peloponnese. It was in modern day Arcadia prefecture, North Kynouria municipality, northwest of Astros. It is the place of a legendary battle between Argos and Sparta. As the legend goes, the Spartans and the Argives had fought many battles over Thyrea, to settle the dispute once and for all, 300 champions from each city would fight and the rest of their armies would head home. They fought until only three men were left. Two Argives, Alcenor and Chromius and one Spartan, Othryades. The Argives raced back to Argos to announce their victory, but Othryades remained, and claiming victory, he stripped the bodies of the dead and brought their armor to the Spartans.


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  • J.E. Lendon, "Soldiers & Ghosts: A history of Battle in classical antiquity" (Yale University press, 2006).