Pelopidas

Pelopidas, a celebrated Theban general, of noble descent, noted among his fellow-citizens for his disinterested patriotism. The inviolable friendship between himself—one of the richest men in Thebes—and Epaminondas—one of the poorest—is among the most beautiful things recorded in Greek history. In 382 B.C. he was driven from Thebes by the oligarchic party, who were supported by the Spartans, and was forced to seek refuge at Athens, whence he returned secretly with a few associates, 379 B.C., and recovered possession of the Cadmeia, or citadel, slaying the Spartan leader, Leontiades, with his own hand. Plutarch gives us a vivid picture of the adventurous exiles gliding quietly in disguise into the city on a winter afternoon, amid bitter wind and sleet. Having been elected Bcotarch, in conjunction with Melon and Charon, he set about training and disciplining his troops, so that they soon became as formidable as the Lacedæmonians, and were successful in several small encounters with the latter. His 'sacred band' of Theban youth largely contributed to the victory of Epaminondas at Leuctra (371 B.C.), but failed in a subsequent attack on Sparta itself. In the expedition of the Thebans against the cruel tyrant, Alexander of Phæræ (368 B.C.), Pelopidas was, after several important successes, treacherously taken prisoner, when in the character of an ambassador, but was rescued by Epaminondas in the expedition of the following year. He was then sent to Susa, as ambassador from Thebes, to counteract the Spartan and Athenian intrigues going on at the court of Persia, and bore himself very nobly whilst there. His diplomacy was successful. In 364 B.C. a third expedition was planned against Alexander of Pheræ, who, as usual, was threatening the Thessalian towns. The command was given to Pelopidas, and in the summer he marched into Thessaly, where he won the battle of Cynoscephalæ, but was himself killed while too eagerly pursuing the foe.