§ 1. Invasion of Boeotia by Cleombrotus. § 2. Battle of Leuctra. § 3. Its effect throughout Greece. § 4. Jason of Phers joins the Thebans. § 5. Progress of Thebes. § 6. Assassination of Jason. § 7. Establishment of the Arcadian league. §8. First invasion of Peloponnesus by Epaminondas. Alarm at Sparta. Vigorous measures of Agesilaus. 89. Epaminondas founds Megalopolis, and restores the Messenians. 10. Alliance between Athens and Sparta. Second invasion of Peloponnesus by Epaminondas. § 11. Invasion of Laconia by the Arcadians. § 12. Expedition of Pelopidas into Thessaly. The "Tearless Battle" between the Arcadians and Lacedæmonians. §13. Third invasion of Peloponnesus by Epaminondas. § 14. Mission of Pelopidas to the court of Susa. §15. Seizure of Pelopidas by Alexander. His release. § 16. The Athenians acquire Oropus. Alliance between Athens and Arcadia. § 17. Attempt of the Athenians to seize Corinth followed by an alliance between the Corinthians and Thebans. 18. Success of the Athenians at sea. A Theban fleet commanded by Epaminondas. § 19. Death of Pelopidas. § 20. Wars between Elis and Arcadia. Battle at Olympia during the festival. 21. Dissensions among the Arcadians. 22. Fourth invasion of Peloponnesus by Epaminondas. Attempts upon Sparta and Mantinea. § 23. Battle of Mantinea, and death of Epaminondas. 24. Death of Agesilaus. §1. In pursuance of the treaty, the Lacedæmonians withdrew their harmosts and garrisons, whilst the Athenians recalled 7 Iphicrates with the fleet from the Ionian sea. Only one feeling prevailed at Sparta a desire to crush Thebes; and this was carried to an almost insane extent; so that even Xenophon, a warm partizan of the Lacedæmonians, compares it to a misleading and fatal inspiration sent by the gods. But this was an after-thought. Before the actual collision, the general opinion not only at Sparta, but throughout Greece, was very different. Thebes was regarded as doomed to destruction; and it was not for a moment imagined that, single-handed, she would be able to resist the might of Sparta. At the time when the peace was concluded, Cleombrotus happened to be in Phocis at the head of a Lacedæmonian army; and he now received orders to invade Boeotia without delay. The Thebans, on their side, were equally determined on resistance. In order to prevent Cleombrotus from penetrating into Boeotia, Epaminondas occupied with a strong force the narrow pass near Coronea, situated between the lake Copais and a spur of Mount Helicon, through which Agesilaus had forced a passage on his homeward march from Asia. But Cleombrotus took a circuitous road, deemed hardly practicable, and therefore but slightly guarded, over the mountains to the south. Arriving thus unexpectedly before Creusis in the Crissæan gulf, he took that place by surprise, and seized twelve Theban triremes which lay in the harbour. Then, having left a garrison in the town, he directed his march through the territory of Thespiæ, and encamped on the memorable plain of Leuctra. § 2. This march of Cleombrotus displays considerable military skill. He had not only succeeded in penetrating into Baotia almost without opposition; but, by seizing the port of Creusis, he had secured a safe retreat in case of disaster. The Thebans were discouraged at his progress, and it required all the energy and address of Epaminondas and Pelopidas to revive their drooping spirits. Omens of evil import had attended their march from Thebes; and when they encamped within sight of the Lacedæmonians, three out of the seven Bootarchs were for returning to the city and shutting themselves up in it, after sending away their wives and children to Athens. But Epaminondas had too much confidence in his own genius to listen to such timorous counsels. His own mind was proof against the fears of superstition, and luckily some favourable portents now gave encouragement to his troops. A Spartan exile serving with the Thebans bade them remark, that on that very spot stood the tomb of two Baotian virgins who slew themselves in consequence of having been outraged by Lacedæmonians. The shades of these injured maidens, he said, would now demand vengeance; and the Theban commanders, seizing the omen, crowned the tombs with wreaths. The forces on each side are not accurately known, but it seems probable that the Thebans were outnumbered by the Lacedæmonians. The military genius of Epaminondas, however, compensated any inferiority of numbers by novelty of tactics. Up to this time Grecian battles had been uniformly conducted by a general attack in line. Epaminondas now first adopted the manœuvre, used with such success by Napoleon in modern times, of concentrating heavy masses on a given point of the enemy's array. Having formed his left wing into a dense column of 50 deep, so that its depth was greater than its front, he directed it against the Lacedæmonian right, containing the best troops in their army, drawn up 12 deep, and led by Cleombrotus in person. Meanwhile the Theban centre and right were ordered to be kept out of action, and in readiness to support the advance of the left wing. The battle began with skirmishes of cavalry in front, in which the Lacedæmonian horse were soon driven in. The Theban left, the Sacred Band with Pelopidas at their head, leading the van, now fell with such irresistible weight on the Lacedæmonian right, as to bear down all opposition. The shock was terrible. Cleombrotus himself was mortally wounded in the onset, and with difficulty carried off by his comrades. Numbers of his officers, as well as of his men, were slain, and the whole wing was broken and driven back to the camp. On no other part of the line was there any serious fighting; partly owing to the disposition made by Epaminondas, and partly to the lukewarmness of the Spartan allies, who occupied the centre and part of the right wing. The loss of the Thebans was small compared with that of the Lacedæmonians. Out of 700 Spartans in the army of the latter, 400 had fallen; and their king also had been slain, an event which had not occurred since the fatal day of Thermopylæ. Many of their allies hardly concealed the satisfaction which they felt at their defeat; whilst so great was the depression among the Lacedæmonians themselves, that very few were found bold enough to propose a renewal of the combat, in order to recover the bodies of the slain. The majority decided that a truce should be solicited for that purpose. But, though the bodies of the fallen were given up, their arms were retained; and five centuries afterwards the shields of the principal Spartan officers were seen at Thebes by the traveller Pausanias. §3. The victory of Leuctra was gained within three weeks after the exclusion of the Thebans from the peace of Callias. The effect of it throughout Greece was electrical. It was everywhere felt that a new military power had arisen-that the prestige of the old Spartan discipline and tactics had departed. Yet at Sparta itself, though the reverse was the greatest that her arms had ever sustained, the news of it was received with an assumption of indifference characteristic of the people. The Ephors forbade the chorus of men, who were celebrating in the theatre the festival of the Gymnopædia, to be interrupted. They contented themselves with directing the names of the slain to be communicated to their relatives, and with issuing an order forbidding the women to wail and mourn. Those whose friends had fallen appeared abroad on the morrow with joyful countenances, whilst the relatives of the survivors seemed overwhelmed with grief and shame. The Ephors then directed their attention to the rescue of the defeated army. The whole remaining military force of Sparta, including even the more aged citizens, together with what forces could be collected from the allies, was placed under the command of Archidamus, son of Agesilaus, and transported by sea from Corinth to Creusis, which port now proved an invaluable acquisition. * § 4. Immediately after the battle the Thebans had sent to Jason of Pheræ in Thessaly to solicit his aid against the Lacedæmonians. We have already had occasion to mention this despot, who was one of the most remarkable men of the period. He was Tagus, or Generalissimo, of all Thessaly; and Macedonia was partially dependent on him. He was a man of boundless ambition, and meditated nothing less than extending his dominion over the whole of Greece, for which his central situation seemed to offer many facilities. Upon receiving the invitation of the Thebans, Jason immediately resolved to join them, and marched with such rapidity that he forestalled all opposition, though he had to proceed through the hostile territories of the Heracleots and Phocians. When he arrived, the Thebans were anxious that he should unite with them in an attack upon the Lacedæmonian camp; but Jason dissuaded them from the enterprise, advising them not to drive the Lacedæmonians to despair, and offering his mediation. He accordingly succeeded in effecting a truce, by which the Lacedæmonians were allowed to depart from Boeotia unmolested. Their commander, however, did not trust to this; but, having given out that he meant to march over Mount Citharon, he decamped in the night to Creusis, and from thence proceeded by a difficult road along the side of the rocks upon the coast to Ægosthena in the Megarid; where he was met by Archidamus and his army. As the defeated troops were now in safety, the object of the latter had been attained, and the whole armament was disbanded. * Ταγός. § 5. According to Spartan custom, the survivors of a defeat were looked upon as degraded men, and subjected to the penalties of civil infamy. No allowance was made for circumstances. But those who had fled at Leuctra were three hundred in number; an attempt to enforce against them the usual penalties might prove not only inconvenient, but even dangerous; and on the proposal of Agesilaus, they were, for this occasion only, suspended. The loss of material power which Sparta sustained by the defeat was great. The ascendency she had hitherto enjoyed in parts north of the Corinthian gulf fell from her at once, and was divided between Jason of Pheræ, and the Thebans. The latter, flushed by success, now panted for nothing but military glory, and under the superintendence of Epaminondas devoted themselves to an active course of warlike training. Their alliance was sought on every side. The Phocians were the first to claim it, and their example was soon followed by the Euboeans, the Locrians, the Malians, and the Heracleots. In this flood-tide of power the Thebans longed to take vengeance on their ancient enemy Orchomenus, to destroy the town, and to sell the inhabitants for slaves; and from this design they were only diverted by the mildness and wisdom of Epaminondas. But the Orchomenians were forced to make their submission, and were then re-admitted as members of the Baotian confederation. The same lenity was not extended to the Thespians, who were expelled from Bœotia, and their territory annexed to Thebes. They took refuge, like the Plateans, at Athens. § 6. At the same time Jason of Phere was also extending his influence and power. It was known that he was revolving some important enterprise, but it was doubtful whether he would turn his arms against the Persians, against the cities of Chalcidicé, or against the states of southern Greece. After the battle of Leuctra the last seemed the most probable. He had announced his intention of being present at the Pythian festival, which was to take place in August 370 B.C., at the head of a numerous army; on which occasion his sacrifice to the Delphian god was to consist of the enormous quantity of 1000 bulls, and 10,000 sheep, goats, and swine. But it was unpleasant tidings for Grecian ears to learn that he intended to usurp the presidency and management of the festival, which were the prerogatives of the Amphictyonic Council. In this conjuncture the alarmed Delphians consulted the god as to what they should do in case Jason approached their treasury, and received for answer that he would himself take care of it. Shortly afterwards the despot was assassinated by seven youths as he sat in public to give audience to all comers. The death of Jason was felt as a relief by Greece, and especially |