User:PimpDaddyPeaches/Pausanias (general)

Early Life
Pausanias like all Spartan citizens (Spartiate), would have gone through the intense training from his early childhood at the age of seven and be a regular soldier until the age of thirty. Pausanias was from the royal house Agiads, and even with royal blood and belonging to the one of the royal families that did not exempt him from going through the same training as every other citizen. As every male Spartan citizen earned their citizenship by dedicating their lives to their Polis and its laws.

Spartan lineage
As a son of the regent Cleombrotus and a nephew of the recently deceased warrior king, Leonidas I, Pausanias was a scion of the Spartan royal house of the Agiads, but not in the direct line of succession as he was not the first born son of one of the Kings of Sparta. After Leonidas' death, while the king's son Pleistarchus was still in his minority, Pausanias served as regent of Sparta. Pausanias was also the father of Pleistoanax who later became king. Pausanias' other sons were Cleomenes and Nasteria.

War Service
Pausanias was leader of the Spartan army alongside Euryanax son of Dorieus, as the King of Sparta Pleistarchos son of Leonidas I was too young to command. Pausanias led 5000 Spartans to the aid of the Hellenic League created to resist the Persian invasion. At the Hellenes encampment at Platea 110,000 men were assembled along the Asopos River, and further down the river Mardonius, commander of the Persian forces stationed 300,000 Persian forces along side potentially 50,000 Greek allies. After eleven days of both sides not making the first move, and Mardonius finding out that Pausanias had ordered the Spartans and Athenians to switch ranks to counter the most favorable opponent Mardonius offered a challenge that was refused with no answer. With no answer to the challenge Mardonius ordered his cavalry to pollute the Asopos from which the Hellenes get their water, so they decide in the night to head to Platea. The forces led by Pausanias headed through the ridges and foothills of the Cithaeron while the Athenian forces headed the opposite direction into the Plains. Mardonius believes the Hellenes are fleeing, so with no formation in mind he sends his military to charge after Pausanias and sends a dispatch of Hellene Greek allies after the Athenians. With the battle commencing Pausanias sends a herald to ask for Athenian aid, but they cannot send any, so Pausanias with 50,000 Lacedaemonians and 3,000 Tegeans prepared for battle at Platea. Pausanias led the Greeks to victory over the Persians and Persian allies led by Mardonius at the Battle of Plataea in 479 BC. While the Battle of Plataea is sometimes seen as a chaotic battle, others see evidence of both strategic and tactical skill on the part of Pausanias in delaying the engagement until the point where Spartan arms and discipline could have maximum impact. Herodotus concluded that "Pausanias the son of Cleombrotus and grandson of Anaxandridas won the most glorious victory of any known to us".

After the victories at Plataea and the Battle of Mycale, the Spartans lost interest in liberating the Greek cities of Asia Minor until it became clear that Athens would dominate the League in Sparta's absence. Sparta then sent Pausanias back to command the Greek military.