Jason from Pherai

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Jason of Pherai (Greek: Ἰάσων ὁ Φεραῖος; † 370 BC ) was a tyrant of Pherai and a Thessalian ruler.

Life

Greece at the time of the hegemony of Thebes, 371–362 BC Chr.

Jason was one of the representatives of the "Younger Tyranny " in ancient Greece . He followed in the rule in 390 BC. On his father or father-in-law Lycophron , the first tyrant of Pherai. Around 379 BC He supported one of his partisans, the Euboean Neogenes , in gaining tyranny in Oreos ; however, Neogenes was soon ousted again.

If Lycophron tried in vain to unite all of Thessaly under his rule, his successor Jason succeeded in doing so, who could rely on 6,000 selected mercenaries personally trained by him for this purpose. After he was up to 375 BC. BC had brought most of the Thessalian cities under his control, he turned against Pharsalus . The government of that city had been entrusted to one of its wealthy citizens, Polydamas . Jason did not immediately attempt a military conquest of Pharsalus, but first entered into negotiations with Polydamas. Since he received no help from the allied Sparta , he finally joined in 374 BC. Chr. Jason at. Thereupon Jason became the leader ( tagos ) of the Thessalian League. He now set tributes to his subjects and commanded 20,000 heavily armed foot soldiers ( hoplites ) and 8,000 cavalrymen, making him the largest army in Greece at the time.

Jason allied himself with Macedonia , which was then by King Amyntas III. was ruled, also with Thebes and probably also Athens . 373 BC He came to Athens together with the Molossian king Alketas I to stand up for the accused general Timotheus , who was largely acquitted because of their intervention. Jason did not join the Second Attic League , but had a separate alliance with Athens.

After the Theban general and politician Epaminondas in 371 BC. After defeating the Spartans in the Battle of Leuktra in the 3rd century BC , Jason - who was allied with Thebes, but still did not want to see it in too great a position of supremacy - achieved that the Spartan army could withdraw unhindered after the conclusion of an armistice. On the way back through Phocis , Jason devastated the open lower city of Hyampolis and destroyed the fortifications of the Spartan colony of Herakleia Trachinia . With the possession of the latter city, he had undisturbed access to central Greece.

370 BC Jason wanted to lead the Pythian Games and move to Delphi with all his troops , but was murdered by a group of Thessalian nobles while inspecting his cavalry, presumably with Thebes participating. Two of the assassins were killed by the bodyguard. The others escaped and were honored in the Greek cities through which they escaped, because Jason's ambitious plans had aroused general fear. According to Pausanias , Jason had been an admirer of the Greek philosopher and rhetorician Gorgias of Leontinoi .

Ancient sources attribute great plans to Jason: like Philip II of Macedonia a little later , he wanted to exercise supremacy over Greece, and also planned to build a large fleet and - like later the Macedonian rulers - to attack the Persian Empire .

Jason's family:

 
 
 
 
 
 
 Lycophron I
(† around 390 BC)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ?
 
 Jason
(† 370 BC)
 
 
 
 
 
 Polydoros
(† 370 BC)
 
 Polyphron
(† 369 BC)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Tisiphonus
(† 355/4 BC)
 
 Lycophron II
(† after 352 BC)
 
 Peitholaos
(† after 352 BC)
 
 Thebe
(†?)
 
 Alexandros
(† 358 BC)
 
 
 
 
 
  • Nikesipolis of Pherai , one of the wives of Philip II of Macedonia, was probably also a member of the family

literature

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ Xenophon , Hellenika 6, 4, 24.
  2. ↑ Diodorus 15, 30, 3f.
  3. ↑ Xenophon, Hellenika 6, 1, 2ff.
  4. ↑ Xenophon, Hellenika 6, 1, 18.
  5. ↑ Demosthenes 49, 10 and 49, 22ff .; Cornelius Nepos , Timothy 4, 2.
  6. ↑ Xenophon, Hellenika 6, 4, 20.
  7. ↑ Xenophon, Hellenika 6, 4, 27; Diodorus 15, 57, 2.
  8. ↑ Xenophon, Hellenika 6, 4, 28-32; Diodorus 15, 60.
  9. ^ Pausanias 6:17 , 9.
  10. ↑ Isocrates 5, 119f.
personal data
SURNAME Jason from Pherai
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Thessalian ruler
DATE OF BIRTH 5th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 370 BC Chr.