--- title: "How drunken soldiers could lead a battle and not fail" description: "Booze can do a lot of things to a man. But when the drunks in question are confident, there’s no stopping what the drunken soldiers can do." date: "2022-11-30" modified: "2023-11-08" authors: - name: "Bethaney Phillips" job_title: "Contributor, Veteran Spouse" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/bethaneyphillips/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-history/drunken-soldiers/" categories: - "History" --- # How drunken soldiers could lead a battle and not fail ![drunken soldiers painting]() *The Macedonian phalanx at the "Battle of the Carts" against the Thracians in 335 BC.* Booze can do a lot of things to a person, but when it comes to confidence, it’s an all-boosting substance. Even a meek person can become invincible. But when the drunks in question are confident, well, there’s no stopping what the drunken soldiers can do. This proved true back in 334 BC when two of Alexander the Great’s soldiers went rogue, inebriated, and made history with their efforts. It took place when the former was at the beginning of his conquest on the Persian Empire. He had won at least one major battle at this point and traveled on to destroy the next big army that stood in their way: Myndus. ![alcohol jugs]() *Ancient jugs for fermenting and storing alcohol.* A stalemate took place and for months, soldiers tended to their own lives. Every so often they would launch a weapon or try to ram a gate, but essentially the enemies lived in a siege, with Alexander the Great’s men surrounding Myndus. However, the attack had been abandoned. With too much free time on their hands, two of Alexander the Great’s men began bragging, not only at what they had done, but what they *could* do. The pair [got drunker and more confident](), until they had strapped on their armor and ran into the city. ![drunken soldiers mosaic]() *Mosaic artwork of Alexander the Great. Image via Wikimedia Commons.* Despite being heavy on the bottle, the men remained agile and in good fighting condition. They were underestimated by guardsmen, who are said to have laughed at the image of two men making their way toward the city walls alone. Thinking they could easily take the two drunkards, two defenders went over the city walls to take them on. However, this proved to be a fatal mistake; the drunken infantrymen proved to be more sound and agile than expected, creating a quick and evenly-matched battle. Soon backups came from both sides, with the drunken soldiers’ comrades quickly climbing the wall to help save their fellow men. With neither side prepared, the armies fought quickly and fiercely, with little planning in place. While the drunken men did not win the fight, they didn’t lose either – both sides retreated back into themselves, essentially going back to their same previous locations. However, with winter approaching and the art of surprise blown, the armies retreated, leaving the abandoned area to Alexander. ![drunken soldiers artwork]() *Artwork of a soldier going to battle around 300 BC. Image via Wikimedia Commons.* We’re sure it didn’t go down as the best thing these soldiers have done, but it likely wasn’t the worst, either. After all, they put up a good fight and made progress against the enemy … even if they had a miserable hangover to show for it. In fact, it might be the most progress [drunken]() soldiers have made yet, but since there’s no record of that, we’ll have to keep guessing for ourselves. ## Author Bethaney Phillips has contributed to We Are the Mighty and MilSpouseFest since 2015, covering history and military family topics. She also served as the Interim Content and Digital Manager at MilSpouseFest in 2021. Now a veteran spouse, she spent six years in an active duty family and served as an SFRG leader. With a bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing, she has more than 15 years of experience in digital and print writing, focusing on researched pieces and human interest stories. She is also a regular contributor to Business Insider, covering family and parenting topics. Her work has been included on Business Insider, Yahoo, Military.com, and Manhattan Magazine. While continuing to freelance, she works as the founding editor of the Clay County Regional, a print and digital newspaper delivered to more than 5,500 recipients. She also serves as the Digital Director/News Director for Taylor Communications out of north-central Kansas. Bethaney spends her free time chasing her two elementary-aged boys, raising chickens, and reading fiction. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [WWW]()