Victor Hanson - The End of Sparta

* Ease of recognition and pronunciation, rather than absolute consistency, has guided the spellings of Greek names. Some less well known Greek names and places are transliterated rather than Latinized-for example, Korinthos for Corinth, Leuktra for Leuctra, and Thespiai for Thespiae-while more common names like Epaminondas and Thebes seemed preferable to Epameinondas and Thebai. I use Hellas for Greece, which derives from Roman nomenclature for Hellas.

Ainias: (“praiseworthy”) the Arkadian mercenary and tactician who came north to join Epaminondas

Alkidamas: (“strength of the people”) the aged rhetorician and champion of the Messenians

Chion: (“snowy” or the “Chian”) the huge slave from the island of Chios bought in infancy by Malgis from the Spartans, and raised on the farm on Mt. Helikon

Damo: wife of Lophis and custodian of the farm

Dirke: aged neighbor of Melon on Mt. Helikon

Epaminondas: Boiotarch and general of the Boiotian army and leader of the allied army

Ephoros: historian and resident of Athens, at work on a general history of the Greeks

Gaster: (“belly”) captain of the Theoris and veteran sailor of the Korinthian Gulf

Gorgos: (“dragon”) captured helot slave of Melon, veteran of the Spartan wars against Athens

Lichas: ephor and warrior of Sparta

Lophis: only son of Melon

Malgidai: the descendants of Malgis who continued to work his farm on Mt. Helikon

Malgis: the one-eyed Thespian veteran, father of Melon, who first carved out the farm on Mt. Helikon

Melissos: (“bee”) the young boy hostage from Makedon, who spent a year with the Thebans as a guarantor of the northern peace

Melon: (“apple”) the son of Malgis, the lame farmer on Mt. Helikon and the “apple” of various prophecies promising the end of Sparta

Myron: (“perfume”) farm slave on Mt. Helikon, recruited by Neto on the eve of Leuktra

Neto: the Messenian slave of Melon, bought as a small girl from the Spartans

Nikon: (“victor”) leader of the helot insurgents

Pelopidas: head of the Sacred Band, and co-general of the allied army

Phryne: (“toad”) courtesan and owner of a rest-stop at Thespiai

Porpax: (“shield-strap”) the older of the two great hounds of the Malgidai

Proxenos: (“consul”) the wall builder from Plataia and chief architect to Epaminondas

Sturax: (“butt-spike”) the younger and friskier of the two dogs of the Malgidai