Phalaikos ( grc, Φάλαικος) was the ruler of

Phocis Phocis ( el, Φωκίδα ; grc, Φωκίς) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. It stretches from the western mountainsides of Parnassus on the east to the mountain range of Var ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wi ...

during the

Third Sacred War The Third Sacred War (356–346 BC) was fought between the forces of the Delphic Amphictyonic League, principally represented by Thebes, and latterly by Philip II of Macedon, and the Phocians. The war was caused by a large fine imposed in ...

before he was ousted. After he was ousted he became the leader of a group of

mercenaries A mercenary, sometimes Pseudonym, also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a memb ...

, whose services were sought by

Knossos Knossos (also Cnossos, both pronounced ; grc, Κνωσός, Knōsós, ; Linear B: ''Ko-no-so'') is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and has been called Europe's oldest city. Settled as early as the Neolithic period, the na ...

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

. Once in Crete. The leaders of Knossos ordered him to attack their enemy, the city of

Lyttus Lyctus or Lyttos (Greek: or ), was one of the most considerable cities in ancient Crete, which appears in the Homeric catalogue. Lyttos is now a village in the municipality of Minoa Pediada. Lyctus in mythology According to Hesiod, ''Theogony' ...

. The Lyttians appealed to the Spartans who came to Crete with an army under their king

Archidamus III Archidamus III ( grc-gre, Ἀρχίδαμος ) was the son of Agesilaus II and king of Sparta from 360 to 338 BC. Biography While still a prince, he was the eispnelas (εἰσπνήλας, inspirer, or pederastic lover) of Cleonymus, son of ...

. As Phalaikos was besieging Lyttus, the Spartans arrived and relieved the siege. Later in 343 BC Phalaikos attacked and laid siege to

Kydonia Kydonia or Cydonia (; grc, Κυδωνία; lat, Cydonia) was an ancient city-state on the northwest coast of the island of Crete. It is at the site of the modern-day Greek city of Chania. In legend Cydonia was founded by King Cydon (), a son ...

, (C.M. Hogan, 2008) where he was routed and he lost his life.

Sources

* Theocharis Detorakis, (1994). A History of Crete. Heraklion: Heraklion. . * C. Michael Hogan, ''Cydonia'', The Modern Antiquarian, Jan. 23, 200

4th-century BC Greek people 343 BC deaths Ancient Phocian generals Dorian Crete Ancient Greek mercenaries Year of birth unknown {{AncientGreece-bio-stub