Sacred Band of Makedon

Sacred Band of Makedon
Μακεδονία Λόχος
Memorial dedicated to the Sacred Band at Nemaro, near modern day Sopron.
Country	Makedonian Empire
Allegiance	Makedon
Branch	Army
Type	Infantry
Size	Varied, 300-1,000
Engagements	Sabrian Wars

The Sacred Band of Makedon was an elite group of soldiers of the Makedonian Royal Army composed entirely of pairs of homosexual male lovers, first raised in the 4th Century BCE and continued to serve in various forms until the Empire's dissolution in 1305 CE.

Raised under the auspice that male lovers would not abandon each other on the battlefield, and therefore never retreat, the first instance of the Sacred Band was raised in 383 BCE in the Makedonian capital of Parilla. The Sacred Band accompanied Orestes II on his conquests of Mansuriyyah, Ruvelka, and Arkoenn, and continued to serve as one of the Royal Army's prestigious formations throughout the Empire. Incomplete records of the unit's service record mention battles against the Bosrei, and at some point prior to the Sabrian Wars it was enlarged to the size of a regiment, or about 1,000 soldiers. The Sacred Band took part in the conquest of Quenmin and fought extensively to drive the Sabrian Empire out of Knichus. The Sacred Band was stationed in Knichus throughout the 9th Century and therefore likely escaped the worst of the Burning Plague, but were decimated in conflicts with the Rideva Empire, afterwards what remained of the force were withdrawn back to Syara. They were present at the Battle of Nemaro in 1305 against the Arkoennite Empire, where they fought to the death and were annihilated.

The Makedonians built a statue to the Sacred Band after the battle, where it is still located outside of modern day Sopron. The Sacred Band is an often invoked ideal in Syaran culture during discussions of LGBT Rights in Syara.