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| - Gorgidas (Ancient Greek: Γοργίδας) was the first known Theban military leader of the Sacred Band of Thebes. Plutarch chronicled their exploits. Gorgidas, around 378 BC, first established the Sacred Band by choosing couples from his army. Plutarch in his Life of Pelopidas said this was Gorgidas' inspiration: "Since the lovers, ashamed to be base in sight of their beloved, and the beloved before their lovers, willingly rush into danger for the relief of one another." The Sacred Band was at first dispersed throughout the front ranks of the regular infantry, with the idea that they would inspire valour, but they were later arrayed as a unit in order to make their gallantry more conspicuous. After Thebes contributed to a Peloponnesian League victory in the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC, they allied themselves with Corinth, Argos, and Athens in the Corinthian War, fighting with Spartan troops, and becoming fierce warriors. Pelopidas recaptured the Theban Cadmea in 379 BC after a Spartan takeover in 381, and he assumed the command of the Sacred Band in which he fought alongside his good friend, General Epaminondas. The Sacred Band under Pelopidas fought the Spartans in Tegyra, vanquishing an army that was at least three times their number. The Sacred Band was also responsible for the victory of Leuctra in 371 BC, called by Pausanias the most decisive battle ever fought by Greeks against Greeks. Leuctra established Theban independence from Spartan rule, and laid the groundwork for the expansion of Theban power, though possibly also for Philip II's eventual victory. The Sacred Band was eventually destroyed by Philip II of Macedon, who had been held as a hostage in Thebes, and had learned his military tactics there. The remainder of the Theban army fled when faced with the overwhelming forces of Philip and his son Alexander, but the Sacred Band, surrounded, held their ground and many died where they stood. Philip buried their bodies with honor, setting up the Lion of Chaeronea over them. The grave was excavated in 1890, confirming Plutarch's account, though only 254 skeletons were unearthed.
- Gorgidas was a physician attached to one of Julius Caesar's legions during his campaign in Gaul. He accompanied a column of three cohorts in a scouting mission and was transported with them to the Empire of Videssos sometime in year Zero+1200. Almost as soon as he arrived he began compiling a history of the Romans in Videssos, which he wrote in Greek. He was shocked that in this universe, people could be healed by real magic. He desperately tried to learn the healing magic, but was unable to make progress with it at first due to his skeptical outlook and through going about it the wrong way. A homosexual, he felt that he had to conceal his orientation from his comrades in the legion as the punishment for bedding another man was death. He was a skilled physician, well able to tend to minor hurts and ailments. Skeptical and cynical about war in general, he frequently argued with Viridovix about the necessity and desirability of war. He also frequently advised Marcus Scaurus when the latter needed help, offering many astute insights into the new world. He continued to serve as the Romans' physician through the Battle of Maragha and subsequent Videssian civil wars. After his lover, Quintus Glabrio, was killed during the Sphrantzes Coup d'état, he vowed never again to work as a physician, and spiraled into a deep depression. He decided to join an expedition to make an ally of (and procure mercenaries from) Arghun, khagan of the Gray Horse clan of the Arshaum, in order to learn more about the peoples and history of the world of Videssos. As he left, Gaius Philippus gave him his gladius as a gift. Early in the journey, Viridovix was kidnapped by outlaws working for Avshar, and Gorgidas intended to rescue Viridovix but was convinced by the others that he was incapable of doing so. He asked Lankinos Skylitzes to teach him swordplay, and made quick progress. As the embassy arrived in the Arshaum camp Gorgidas was physically attracted to Dizabul, the younger son of Arghun and younger brother of Arigh. He tolerated Dizabul's arrogance and spoilt nature in order to question the young man about his peoples' history and legends, recording down the myth of the Arshaum that the Khamorth had arisen when a man had mated with a goat. He was able to learn the speech of the Arshaum fairly quickly. When Arigh described Onogon's death to the Videssian party, Gorgidas recognized the symptoms of hemlock poisoning and knew that Bogoraz, the Yezda envoy, had killed the shaman. Therefore, when Arghun complained of numbness in his legs, Gorgidas was on his guard and ready. He acted quickly, giving the Khagan an emetic to make him vomit the hemlock, and staying at his side until the Khagan's survival was assured. Arghun, in gratitude for his life, treated Gorgidas as a son for the remainder of his life. Gorgidas was with the Arshaum as they began the journey south and east toward Yezd, and quickly rode to Viridovix and Batbaian when they were found nearly frozen to death in the snow by pure chance. Viridovix was on the verge of death by hypothermia, and Gorgidas was suddenly able to accomplish the healing magic he had been trying to learn for years. After saving Viridovix's life, the two shared a joyful reunion, and stayed up through the night telling each other of their doings while they had been apart. To Gorgidas' chagrin, he found himself now on the opposite side of the old argument. Gorgidas had concluded from his time on the steppe that war was useful in some circumstances, while Viridovix had become uncharacteristically pacifistic thanks to the death of Seirem, his first love. Gorgidas was now much more self-confident and had turned back to being a physician with the twin successes of saving Arghun from poison and healing Viridovix. The two were with the Arshaum army when it battled Varatesh's bandit forces, and Gorgidas came up with the idea of conjuring frogs to route the Arshaum. He fought in the battle. As the Arshaum passed into Erzerum, Gorgidas came up with his theory of the origins of the variations of the faith of Phos, ascribing the differences to political and ethnic tensions. He struck up an affair with Rakio, one of the Yrmido, a small group in Erzerum for whom homosexuality was the norm. Soon after the army entered Yezd, Rakio was knocked from his horse and captured by the Yezda, and Gorgidas led Viridovix and one other of the Yrmido to rescue him. They succeeded, but were pursued and forced onto one of the city-mounds in the Land of the Thousand Cities. There, the group met an old shaman of the Makuraner religion who had lived in the ruins as an ascetic and forgotten his own name. He saved the group through a spell of concealing, and informed Viridovix that a great destiny was upon him. When the group continued, they regrouped with the Arshaum who had been driven into the hills near Mashiz by a massive force of Yezda. Gorgidas met with Marcus Scaurus and Gaius Philippus, who had just escaped Mashiz, and the whole group proceeded eastward toward Videssos. Gorgidas continued to use his healing abilities throughout the campaign, and fought in the last battle against Avshar until Gaius Philippus took back his gladius and told Gorgidas that he could help more as a healer than as a warrior. Gorgidas was a member of Marcus Scaurus' wedding party, and is last seen comparing notes with Alypia Gavra in order to combine their histories.
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