Epaminondas

Epaminondas, the most eminent of Theban generals and statesmen, and one of the noblest figures in Greek history, was born towards the end of the 5th century B.C. He was descended from an ancient but impoverished family, and led a retired life till his fortieth year, profiting by the instructions of Lysis the Pythagorean, an exile from Tarentum, who inspired him with enthusiasm for the elevated ideas which it was the object of his life to realise. Plutarch tells us that Epaminondas saved the life of Pelopidas in battle in 385, which was the beginning of one of the most famous friendships of antiquity. After the desperate but successful stratagem by which his fellow-citizens recovered the Cadmeia and expelled the Spartans (379), Epaminondas stepped forward immediately into the ranks of the patriots; and, when sent to Sparta in 371 to negotiate a peace between the two countries, displayed as much firmness and dignity as eloquence in the debate which ensued upon the question whether Thebes should ratify the treaty in the name of all Bœotia, the result of which ratification would have been equivalent to a recognition of her claim to supremacy over the Bœotian towns. To this the Lacedæmonians demurred, and the war was again resumed; Epaminondas was appointed to the chief command, and along with Pelopidas, with an army of but 6000 men, defeated twice that number of the enemy at Leuctra (371). Two years later, with Pelopidas, he marched into the Peloponnesus, and incited several of the allied tribes to fall away from Sparta. On his return to Thebes, Epaminondas was accused of having violated the laws of his country by retaining the supreme power in his hands beyond the time appointed by law, but was acquitted in consequence of his open and animated defence. In the spring of 368 the war between Thebes and Sparta was renewed with increased fury, and Epaminondas made a second and somewhat unsuccessful invasion into the Peloponnus, receiving on his return a check from Chabrias at Corinth. To atone for this unsuccessful undertaking he advanced with 33,000 men into Arcadia, and joined battle with the main body of the enemy near Mantinea, in the year 362 B.C. Epaminondas charged at the head of his men, and broke the Spartan phalanx, but was mortally wounded in the breast by a javelin. Being told by the physicians that he would die as soon as the weapon was extracted, he waited till he heard that the Boeotians had gained the victory, then drew out the javelin with his own hand, exclaiming: 'I have lived long enough.' See his Life by Cornelius Nepos, and, in German, Bauch (1834) and Pomtow (1870).