DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5625#0243
214
Survey of the Ancient World
402. Thebes
and a new
Athenian
league
against
Sparta
(378 B.C.)
403. Peace
congress of
the Greek
states at
Sparta
404. New
tactics of
Epaminon-
das, the
Theban
Section 42. The Fall of Sparta and the,
Leadership of Thebes
The Spartans were finally more hated than Athens had eVe
sue-
at
:d
been. At Thebes a group of fearless and patriotic citizens
ceeded in slaying the oligarchs. The Spartan garrison
Thebes surrendered and a democracy was set up, which ga'ne'
the leadership of all Bceotia. Athens and Thebes then
another combination against Sparta. The Spartans met d>s
aster on land, and when this was followed by the defeat
their fleet by Athens, they were ready for peace.
To arrange this peace all the Greek states met at Sparta'
and such meetings gave them experience in the united manage
ment of their common affairs for the welfare of all HellaS
By giving them all a voice in the control of Hellas, Sparta
might still have finally united the Greeks into a great nati°n
But this was not to be. When the conditions of peace ^'eI^
all agreed upon, the Spartans refused to allow Thebes to spe
for the whole of Bceotia. The Thebans refused to enter
compact on any other terms, and the peace was conclu
without them. This left Sparta and Thebes still in a stat
of war.
the
All Greece now expected to see the Thebans crushed by
heavy Spartan phalanx,1 which had so long proved irresistib'e
But the Theban commander, a gifted and patriotic 0
named Epaminondas, devised an altogether novel arrange"1'
of the Theban troops. He drew up his line so that it was
itizen
ent
not
parallel with that of the Spartans, his right wing being n1^
further from the Spartan line than his left. At the same tin1
he massed his troops on his left wing, which he made
shields deep.
The battle took place at Leuctra, in southern Bceotia
map, p. 188). As the lines moved into action the battle did n
1 The action and effect of an advancing Greek phalanx are described in
Times, § 637. For Plan of the Battle of Leuctra see ibid:, page 403.
An**
Survey of the Ancient World
402. Thebes
and a new
Athenian
league
against
Sparta
(378 B.C.)
403. Peace
congress of
the Greek
states at
Sparta
404. New
tactics of
Epaminon-
das, the
Theban
Section 42. The Fall of Sparta and the,
Leadership of Thebes
The Spartans were finally more hated than Athens had eVe
sue-
at
:d
been. At Thebes a group of fearless and patriotic citizens
ceeded in slaying the oligarchs. The Spartan garrison
Thebes surrendered and a democracy was set up, which ga'ne'
the leadership of all Bceotia. Athens and Thebes then
another combination against Sparta. The Spartans met d>s
aster on land, and when this was followed by the defeat
their fleet by Athens, they were ready for peace.
To arrange this peace all the Greek states met at Sparta'
and such meetings gave them experience in the united manage
ment of their common affairs for the welfare of all HellaS
By giving them all a voice in the control of Hellas, Sparta
might still have finally united the Greeks into a great nati°n
But this was not to be. When the conditions of peace ^'eI^
all agreed upon, the Spartans refused to allow Thebes to spe
for the whole of Bceotia. The Thebans refused to enter
compact on any other terms, and the peace was conclu
without them. This left Sparta and Thebes still in a stat
of war.
the
All Greece now expected to see the Thebans crushed by
heavy Spartan phalanx,1 which had so long proved irresistib'e
But the Theban commander, a gifted and patriotic 0
named Epaminondas, devised an altogether novel arrange"1'
of the Theban troops. He drew up his line so that it was
itizen
ent
not
parallel with that of the Spartans, his right wing being n1^
further from the Spartan line than his left. At the same tin1
he massed his troops on his left wing, which he made
shields deep.
The battle took place at Leuctra, in southern Bceotia
map, p. 188). As the lines moved into action the battle did n
1 The action and effect of an advancing Greek phalanx are described in
Times, § 637. For Plan of the Battle of Leuctra see ibid:, page 403.
An**