Jason of Pherae

Who is Jason of Pherae?

Jason of Pherae was the ruler of Thessaly during the period just before Philip II of Macedon came to power. He had succeeded his father Lycophron I of Pherae as tyrant of Pherae and was appointed tagus, or king, of Thessaly in the 370s BC and soon extended his control to much of the surrounding region. Controlling a highly trained mercenary force as well as the famous Thessalian cavalry, Jason briefly transformed Thessaly into a powerful Greek state and even spoke of invading the Persian Empire. Before writing to Philip II, Isocrates sent letters to Jason requesting that he unify Greece, as Philip later would.

The figure of Jason makes a sudden appearance in the history of classical Greece with Xenophon swiftly mentioning his name during his commentary on Theban hegemony during the 370s. From seemingly out of nowhere arose a very ambitious proto-Philip general with a hugely competent army. Xenophon quotes Jason as claiming:

‘I have men of other states as mercenaries to the number of six thousand, with whom, as I think, no city could easily contend.