Famous Greek Military Leaders

Leonidas I was the king of the Greek city-state of Sparta from 489–480 BCE. He was the son of King Anaxandridas II. He is remembered for his participation in the Second Persian War, especially for his leadership at the Battle of Thermopylae. He died at the battle, gaining legendary status as the leader of the 300 Spartans.

The 5th-century BC warrior politician Themistocles has gone down in history as one of the first to consolidate the Athenian navy. He is remembered for his victories in wars such as the Battle of Salamis. His exploits have been immortalized in movies such as 300: Rise of an Empire.

Seleucus I Nicator was Alexander the Great’s right hand in his fight against Porus in India. He became the Babylonian governor after Alexander’s death and eventually formed the Seleucid empire. His conflict with Chandragupta Maurya ended with a marital alliance, and he secured his ties by sending Megasthenes to Pataliputra.

Greek king Pyrrhus, son of prince Aeacides, belonged to the Hellenistic period and ruled Epirus. His destructive losses in the wars that he fought gave rise to the term “Pyrrhic victory.” He fought against Rome in the Pyrrhic War and later died while fighting a street war in Argos.

Hephaestion was an ancient Macedonian army general and nobleman who served under Alexander the Great. A close ally of Alexander the Great, Hephaestion shared all his secrets with the former and their relationship has been compared to that of Patroclus and Achilles. Hephaestion has been portrayed in many films such as the 2004 epic historical drama film Alexander.

Miltiades the Younger was a Greek Athenian military leader who served as an eponymous archon of Athens from 524 to 523 BC. He is best remembered for playing a major role in the Battle of Marathon against the invading Persian force. The battle resulted in the crushing defeat of the Persians and gave rise to the famous Greco-Persian Wars.

Lysander was a Spartan political and military leader. He is best remembered for destroying the Athenian fleet in 405 BC at the Battle of Aegospotami, forcing Athens to surrender. His actions helped bring the Peloponnesian War to an end. Lysander went on to play an important role in Sparta's domination of Greece until his death in 395 BC.

Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt was an Egyptian army general who served as the regent of his father's Muhammad Ali dynasty in 1848 due to his father's ill health. Ibrahim Pasha is best remembered for his military victories, including his impressive success against the Ottoman Empire, for which he is counted among the greatest members of the Muhammad Ali dynasty.

Cleon was an Athenian general who played an important role during the Peloponnesian War. Although he is often portrayed in a negative way, Cleon is best remembered for his compassion towards the poorer citizens which helped increase his popularity; he increased the pay for jury work, providing a livelihood for many poor Athenians.

The king of Thrace and the successor of Alexander the Great, Lysimachus was initially a Macedonian general and one of the bodyguards of Alexander during his invasion in Asia. On the insistence of his third wife, Arsinoe II, he executed his eldest son, Agathocles, but was eventually killed by Seleucus.

Demetrius I of Macedon was a Macedonian military leader and nobleman. He is best remembered for serving as the king of Macedonia from 294 to 288 BC. The son of Stratonice and Antigonus I Monophthalmus, Demetrius was the first member from the Antigonid dynasty to rule Macedonia.  

Theodoros Kolokotronis was a Greek general and the greatest leader of the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottoman Empire. He is credited with defeating Mahmud Dramali Pasha's Ottoman army at the Battle of Dervenakia, which is widely regarded as Kolokotronis' greatest success. Today, Theodoros Kolokotronis is ranked among the most important figures in the Greek War of Independence.

Parmenion was a Macedonian military general who served under Alexander the Great and Philip II of Macedon. Parmenion played an important role in the expansion of Macedonia under Philip II. He also fought alongside Alexander the Great in several battles such as the Battle of the Granicus, Battle of Issus, and Battle of Gaugamela. 

Brasidas was a Spartan military officer who achieved popularity during the first decade of the famous Peloponnesian War. He fought in the battle of Pylos and Amphipolis and died in the Second Battle of Amphipolis before leading his troop to a spectacular victory in the battle.

Perdiccas was a general who served under Alexander the Great. He was part of Alexander's campaign against Achaemenid Persia, where he played an important role. After Alexander the Great's death, Perdiccas served as regent of the Macedonian empire and became the supreme commander of the imperial army.

Cimon was an Athenian statesman in mid-5th century BC Greece. Also a general, Cimon played an important role in building the dominant Athenian maritime empire. His military prowess exhibited in various battles, including the Battle of Salamis and the Battle of the Eurymedon river, established him as a celebrated military hero.

Agesilaus II reigned as the king of Sparta from 399 to 358 BC. Widely regarded as the most prominent king in the Spartan history, Agesilaus II played a vital role during the Spartan hegemony period that followed the Peloponnesian War. Although he was small in stature, Agesilaus' guerrilla warfare tactics and his bravery was seldom questioned during his time.

Byzantine emperor John VI Cantacuzenus had started off as the chief advisor to Andronicus III Palaeologus. He was the regent for John V Palaeologus but later disputed with him, to join hands with the Turks, leading them to invade the Byzantine empire. He became a monk and a historian in his final years.

Alexandros Papagos was a Greek army officer who played a key role during World War II where he led the Hellenic Army. He was also influential in the final outcome of the subsequent Greek Civil War. Also a successful politician, Alexandros Papagos served as the Prime Minister of Greece from 1952 to 1955.

Pelopidas was a Theban statesman and warrior who served as a general in Greece. Pelopidas played a major role in establishing the famous Theban hegemony after the triumph over the Spartans in 371 BC at Leuctra. Many of his life events, including death, inspired artworks like paintings by artistes like Andrey Ivanov, who painted Death of Pelopidas in the early-1800s.

Philopoemen was a skilled and popular Greek general and statesman who served as an Achaean strategos on eight occasions. Starting from 209 BC, the time he was appointed as strategos, Philopoemen helped the Achaean League become a prominent military power in Greece.

Aristagoras was a political leader who led the Ionian city of Miletus during the initial stages of the Ionian Revolt against the Achaemenid Empire. The son-in-law of Histiaeus, who had ruled Miletus in the 6th century BC, Aristagoras inherited the tyranny from his father-in-law and led Miletus in the late 6th century and early 5th century BC.

Phaedon Gizikis was a Greek army general and politician who served as the President of Greece from 1973 to 1974. An important Hellenic Army officer, Gizikis took part in many battles, including the Greek Civil War and the Greco-Italian War. He also helped Georgios Papadopoulos find success in the coup d'état and earned several military posts during his dictatorial reign.

Theramenes was an Athenian statesman who played an important role during the last 10 years of the infamous Peloponnesian War. Along with Critias, Theramenes was one of the two leading members of Thirty Tyrants, a pro-Spartan oligarchy in ancient Athens.

Constantine Kanaris was a Greek admiral and politician. Regarded as a national hero, Kanaris played a significant role in the Greek War of Independence and helped Greece achieve its independence from the Ottoman Empire. An influential politician, Constantine Kanaris also served five terms in the office of the Prime Minister between 1844 and 1877.

Timoleon was a Greek general and statesman. A brilliant general, Timoleon is remembered for his fight against despotism and his association with the history of Sicily. Timoleon became the ruler of Syracuse and created a new Syracusan constitution, which was described as democratic at that time, although Timoleon did enjoy wide powers equivalent to a dictator for a short period.

Aratus of Sicyon was a military commander of the Hellenistic Army who was chosen as the strategos of the Achaean League on 17 occasions. He led the Achaean League in several military campaigns, such as the Social War and the Cleomenean War. He was also a politician and tactician under whose leadership the League became a prominent player in Greece.

Apart from being a Greek military general, who fought in the 1919-1922 Greco-Turkish War, Nikolaos Trikoupis was also a talented shooter, who had won a bronze for his country at the 1896 Athens Olympics. He was captured by the Turks and released later as part of a prisoner-of-war exchange.

Geórgios Kondílis was a Greek politician and general who played a major role in supressing the royalist revolt of 1923. An influential politician, Geórgios Kondílis also served as the Prime Minister of Greece in 1926. He was honored with the prestigious Serbian Order of the White Eagle for his wonderful political career.

Andreas Miaoulis was a Greek revolutionary, politician, and admiral. He is best remembered for playing a major role in the Greek War of Independence where he commanded Greek naval forces. His achievements during the Greek Revolution in 1821 are celebrated every year in Hydra in the form of a festival named Miaoulia.