Pausanias of Sparta vs Sun Bin

Pausanias, as regent for the young king Pleistarchus, commanded the combined Greek forces against the Persian army under Mardonius. He won a decisive victory, destroying the Persian invasion force and ending the Greco-Persian Wars on the mainland.

Pausanias led a Greek fleet to capture Byzantium from the Persians. During the siege, his arrogant behavior and alleged negotiations with the Persian king led to accusations of medism (collaboration with Persia), causing his recall to Sparta.

Pausanias was recalled to Sparta and tried for medism. He was acquitted but his reputation was damaged. The allies, disgusted by his behavior, transferred leadership of the Hellenic League to Athens, leading to the formation of the Delian League.

Pausanias was suspected of plotting with the helots and the Persians. He took refuge in the temple of Athena of the Brazen House. The ephors walled him in, and he was starved to death, just before his mother was to bring him out.

Sun Bin was framed for treason by his former classmate Pang Juan and sentenced to mutilation (removal of kneecaps) and facial tattooing. This disability forced him to hide and later flee to Qi, where he became a strategist.

Sun Bin, as strategist for the state of Qi, advised attacking Wei's capital while Wei's army was besieging Handan. The Qi army defeated Wei at Guiling, forcing Wei to withdraw. This victory established Sun Bin's reputation.

Sun Bin used a ruse of decreasing campfires to lure Wei general Pang Juan into an ambush at Maling. The Qi army annihilated the Wei forces. Pang Juan committed suicide. This battle crippled Wei's power.

Sun Bin wrote a military treatise titled 'Sun Bin's Art of War' (Sun Bin Bing Fa). The text was lost for over 2,000 years until its rediscovery in a Han dynasty tomb in 1972. It contains strategic and tactical principles.