Old, But Still a Warrior
Agesilaus gathered a band of Greek mercenaries, and sailed across the Mediterranean to Egypt. When he got there, however, the locals found it difficult to reconcile the frail old man before them with the fierce Spartan monarch who had reportedly fought in countless campaigns and battles. Pharaoh Tachos in particular was unimpressed, and insulted Agesilaus when he failed to give him a significant command in his army. He instead consigned the aged monarch to command the mercenaries he had brought with him. The old Spartan did not flinch at the insults, but he neither forgot nor forgave. Soon thereafter, Pharaoh Tachos’ cousin Nectanebis launched a coup to seize Egypt’s throne. After the slights and poor treatment he had received, Agesilaus had little sympathy for Tachos, so he backed the pharaoh’s cousin.
Tachos fled Egypt, but before Nectanebis could secure power, a new rival popped up from nowhere, and besieged him and Agesilaus in a fortified city. Hope seemed lost for Nectanebis, who was severely outnumbered by his rival’s forces. However, the wily old Spartan warrior had a few tricks up his sleeve. Agesilaus ordered a night attack concentrated against a gap in the besieger’s trenches, that routed and put them to flight. He followed that up with a series of brilliant maneuvers to corner the survivors between two canals, where they were slaughtered by heavily armed Greek hoplite mercenaries. Soon thereafter, Agesilaus decided to return to Sparta, and the new pharaoh rewarded him handsomely for his efforts on his behalf. However, the eighty four year old king did not survive the journey home, and died en route while his ships were anchored off the Libyan coast.
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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
Bond, Jennie – Elizabeth: 80 Glorious Years (2006)
Brazilian Poetry – Cora Coralina: Biography and Poems
Cassius Dio – Roman History, Book LXV, Vespasian
Classical Wisdom – The Cult of Pythagoras
Cracked – 5 Impressive Achievements by People Who Were Old as Dirt
Daily Beast – From Communing With Animals to Obsessive Bean Hatred, Pythagoras Was One Weird Dude
Encyclopedia Britannica – Agesilaus II
Encyclopedia Britannica – Thirty Tyrants
Everdell, William – The End of Kings: A History of Republic and Republicans (2000)
History Collection – Most People Completely Overlook These Fascinating Facts About the Ancient World
History Extra – Jean Thurel: The Oldest Soldier in History?
Lamb, Harold – Hannibal: One Man Against Rome (1958)
Livy – History of Rome, Book 3
Morrison, Donald R. – The Cambridge Companion to Socrates: Socrates and Democratic Athens (2010)
National WWII Museum – A Princess at War: Queen Elizabeth II During World War II
Owlcation – The Oldest Soldier
Plutarch – The Parallel Lives: The Life of Agesilaus
Time Magazine, July 7th, 2015 – How Sliced Bread Became ‘The Greatest Thing’
