τῷ δʼ Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ τὰ μὲν τῶν προγόνων ὑπῆρχεν ἐς γένους δόξαν, ὁ δέ οἱ πατὴρ χρημάτων ἕνεκα μέσου ἀνδρὸς ἀπέδει Θηβαίου· διδάγματα δὲ αὐτοῖς τά τε ἐπιχώρια ἔμαθεν ἐς τὸ ἀκριβέστατον καὶ ὡς ἤδη μειράκιον ἦν ἐφοίτησεν ὡς Λῦσιν, ἄνδρα γένος μὲν Ταραντῖνον, ἐπιστάμενον δὲ τοὺς Πυθαγόρου τοῦ Σαμίου λόγους. λέγεται δὲ ὁ Ἐπαμινώνδας, ἡνίκα ἐπολέμουν Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μαντινεῦσι, πεμφθῆναι σὺν ἄλλοις ἀνδράσιν ἐκ Θηβῶν Λακεδαιμονίοις ἐπαμύνειν· ἔχοντα δὲ τραύματα ἐν τῇ μάχῃ Πελοπίδαν ἐξέσωσεν ἐς ἅπαν ἀφικόμενος κινδύνου.
χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον κατὰ πρεσβείαν ἐς Σπάρτην ἥκοντα Ἐπαμινώνδαν, ὅτε Λακεδαιμόνιοι συντίθεσθαι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἔφασαν εἰρήνην τὴν ἐπὶ Ἀνταλκίδου καλουμένην, τηνικαῦτα Ἐπαμινώνδαν ἤρετο Ἀγησίλαος, εἰ κατὰ πόλιν ὀμνύναι Βοιωτοὺς ἐάσουσιν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης· “οὐ πρότερόν γε” εἶπεν “ὦ Σπαρτιᾶται, πρὶν ἢ καὶ τοὺς περιοίκους ὀμνύοντας κατὰ πόλιν ἴδωμεν τοὺς ὑμετέρουσ” .
ὡς δὲ ὁ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Θηβαίων ἐξῆρτο ἤδη πόλεμος καὶ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι δυνάμει καὶ αὑτῶν καὶ τῶν συμμάχων ἐπὶ τοὺς Θηβαίους ᾔεσαν, Ἐπαμινώνδας μὲν ἔχων τοῦ στρατοῦ μοῖραν ἀντεκάθητο ὑπὲρ τῆς Κηφισίδος λίμνης ὡς ποιησομένων ταύτῃ Πελοποννησίων τὴν ἐσβολήν, Κλεόμβροτος δὲ ὁ Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Ἀμβρόσσου τρέπεται τῆς Φωκέων· ἀποκτείνας δὲ Χαιρέαν, ὃς φυλάσσειν διετέτακτο τὰς παρόδους, καὶ ἄλλους τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ Θηβαίους, ὑπερέβη καὶ ἐς Λεῦκτρα ἀφικνεῖται τὰ Βοιώτια.
ἐνταῦθα καὶ αὐτῷ Κλεομβρότῳ καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων τῷ κοινῷ σημεῖα ἐγένετο ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ. τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν αὐτῶν ἐς τὰς ἐξόδους πρόβατα εἵπετο θεοῖς τε εἶναι θυσίας καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἀγώνων καλλιερεῖν· ταῖς δὲ ποίμναις ἡγεμόνες τῆς πορείας ἦσαν αἶγες, κατοιάδας οἱ ποιμένες ὀνομάζουσιν αὐτάς. τότε οὖν ὁρμήσαντες ἐς τὴν ποίμνην λύκοι τοῖς μὲν προβάτοις ἐγίνοντο οὐδὲν βλάβος, οἱ δὲ τὰς αἶγας τὰς κατοιάδας ἔκτεινον.
ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ μήνιμα ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων εἶναι τῶν Σκεδάσου. Σκεδάσῳ γὰρ περὶ Λεῦκτρα οἰκοῦντι θυγατέρες Μολπία γίνεται καὶ Ἱππώ· ταύτας ἐς ὥραν ἤδη προηκούσας Λακεδαιμονίων ἄνδρες βιάζονται παρὰ θέμιδα Φρουραρχίδας καὶ Παρθένιος. καὶ αἵ τε παρθένοι παραυτίκα—οὐ γάρ σφισιν ἀνεκτὰ ἐφαίνετο εἶναι τὰ τῆς ὕβρεως—ἀπάγχουσιν αὑτάς· καὶ ὁ Σκέδασος, ὡς ἐς Λακεδαίμονα ἐλθόντι οὐδεμία ἐγένετο αὐτῷ δίκη, οὕτως ἐς τὰ Λεῦκτρα ἐπανήκων αὑτὸν διεργάζεται.
τότε δὲ ὁ Ἐπαμινώνδας Σκεδάσῳ καὶ ταῖς παισὶν ἐνήγιζέ τε καὶ εὔχετο, ὡς οὐ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας Θηβαίων ἢ καὶ τιμωρίας ἐκείνων τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐσόμενον. τῶν δὲ βοιωταρχούντων οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἐγίνοντο αἱ γνῶμαι, διεστηκυῖαι δὲ πολὺ ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων· Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ μὲν γὰρ ἤρεσκε καὶ Μάλγιδι καὶ Ξενοκράτει κατὰ τάχος πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ποιεῖσθαι μάχην, Δαμοκλείδας δὲ καὶ Δαμόφιλος καὶ Σιμάγγελος συμβάλλειν μὲν οὐκ εἴων, ἐκέλευον δὲ ὑπεκθεμένους ἐς τὴν Ἀττικὴν γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας ὡς πολιορκησομένους αὐτοὺς παρασκευάζεσθαι.
τῶν μὲν δὴ ἓξ ἐς τοσοῦτον ἦν κεχωρισμένα τὰ βουλεύματα· προσγενομένης δὲ ψήφου τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν τοῦ ἑβδόμου τῶν Βοιωταρχῶν, ὃς ἐφρούρει μὲν τὴν κατὰ τὸν Κιθαιρῶνα ἐσβολήν, ὄνομα δὲ ἦν οἱ Βραχυλλίδης, τούτου τοῦ ἀνδρός, ὡς ἐπανῆλθεν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον, προσθεμένου τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν, τότε καὶ πᾶσιν ἐδέδοκτο ἀγῶνι διακρίνεσθαι.
τῷ δὲ Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ καὶ ἐς ἄλλους Βοιωτῶν ὕποπτα ἦν, ἐς δὲ τοὺς Θεσπιεῖς καὶ περισσότερον· δείσας οὖν μὴ σφᾶς παρὰ τὸ ἔργον προδῶσιν, ἀποχώρησιν παρεῖχεν ἀπὸ στρατοπέδου τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν οἴκαδε· καὶ οἱ Θεσπιεῖς τε ἀπαλλάσσονται πανδημεὶ καὶ εἴ τισιν ἄλλοις Βοιωτῶν ὑπῆν δύσνοια ἐς τοὺς Θηβαίους.
ὡς δὲ ἐς χεῖρας συνῄεσαν, ἐνταῦθα οἱ σύμμαχοι τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἅτε αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸν πρὸ τοῦ χρόνον οὐκ ἀρεσκόμενοι τὸ ἔχθος μάλιστα ἐπεδείκνυντο, οὔτε κατὰ χώραν μένειν ἐθέλοντες, ἐνδιδόντες δὲ ὅπῃ σφίσιν οἱ πολέμιοι προσφέροιντο. αὐτοὺς δὲ Λακεδαιμονίους καὶ Θηβαίους ἐξ ἴσου καθίστη τοὺς μὲν ἐμπειρία τε ἡ προϋπάρχουσα καὶ ἅμα αἰδουμένους μὴ καταλῦσαι τῆς Σπάρτης τὸ ἀξίωμα, Θηβαῖοι δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος καὶ πρὸ γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων τὸν κίνδυνον ἐφεστηκότα ἑώρων.
ὡς δὲ ἄλλοι τε Λακεδαιμονίων τῶν ἐν τέλει καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐτεθνήκει Κλεόμβροτος, ἐνταῦθα τοὺς Σπαρτιάτας καὶ ταλαιπωρουμένους ἐπελάμβανεν ἀνάγκη μὴ ἐνδιδόναι· παρὰ γὰρ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις αἴσχιστον ἐδέδοκτο εἶναι βασιλέως νεκρὸν ἐπὶ ἀνδράσι πολεμίοις γενόμενον περιοφθῆναι.
Θηβαίοις μὲν ἡ νίκη κατείργαστο ἐπιφανέστατα πασῶν ὁπόσας κατὰ Ἑλλήνων ἀνείλοντο Ἕλληνες· Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν τοὺς τεθνεῶτας διενοοῦντο ὡς θάψοντες καὶ ἀποστέλλουσι κήρυκα ἐς τοὺς Θηβαίους. Ἐπαμινώνδας δέ, ἐπιστάμενος ὡς ἐπικρύπτεσθαι τὰς συμφορὰς ἀεί ποτε οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι πεφύκασιν, ἔφασκεν ἀναίρεσιν τῶν νεκρῶν προτέροις αὐτῶν διδόναι τοῖς συμμάχοις, ἐπὶ δὲ ἐκείνοις ἀνελομένοις οὕτω καὶ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἠξίου θάπτειν τοὺς αὑτῶν.
ὡς δὲ τῶν συμμάχων οἱ μὲν οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν ἀνῃροῦντο ἅτε οὐ τεθνεῶτός σφισιν οὐδενός, τῶν δὲ ὀλίγον ἐφαίνετο εἶναι τὸ διεφθαρμένον, οὕτω Λακεδαιμόνιοί τε ἔθαπτον τοὺς αὑτῶν καὶ ἤδη Σπαρτιάτας ἐξελήλεγκτο εἶναι τοὺς κειμένους. ἀπέθανον δὲ Θηβαίων τε καὶ ὅσοι παρέμειναν Βοιωτῶν ἑπτὰ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἄνδρες, Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ αὐτῶν πλείους ἢ χίλιοι.
Epaminondas was of illustrious descent, but his father’s means were less than those of an ordinary Theban gentleman. He was not only thoroughly trained in the usual education of his countrymen, but also studied as a youth under Lysis, a native of Tarentum, and an adept in the doctrines of Pythagoras the Samian. In the war between Lacedaemon and Mantinea, Epaminondas is said to have been one of a Theban contingent sent to aid the Lacedaemonians. In the battle Pelopidas was wounded, and Epaminondas saved him at extreme personal hazard. Afterwards, when the Lacedaemonians professed to be concluding the peace known as the peace of Antalcidas with the rest of the Greeks, Epaminondas was sent to Sparta on an embassy. On this occasion, being asked by Agesilaus whether the Thebans would allow the Boeotian cities to ratify the peace separately, he answered, ‘Not, Spartans, till we see your subjects also ratifying it separately, city by city.’ 2. When the war between Lacedaemon and Thebes had broken out, and a Lacedaemonian and confederate army was moving against Thebes, Epaminondas with a detachment took up a defensive position above the Cephisian Lake, expecting that the Peloponnesian invasion would be made by this route. But the Lacedaemonian king, Cleombrotus, struck off in the direction of Ambrosus in Phocis, cut to pieces the Theban corps under Chaereas, who had been ordered to guard the passes, and thus having passed the mountains, reached Leuctra in Boeotia. Here omens were vouchsafed by God to the Lacedaemonians in general and to Cleombrotus in particular. When the Spartan kings took the field they used to be followed by sheep, which were to be sacrificed to the gods, and were to give good omens before battles. On the march these flocks were led by certain goats which herdsmen call katoiades. Well, at the time I speak of, wolves rushed upon the flock and killed the goats called katoiades, but did no harm to the sheep.
It was said, too, that the wrath of the daughters of Scedasus rested on the Lacedaemonians. Scedasus dwelt at Leuctra, and he had two daughters, Molpia and Hippo. In their youthful prime these girls were wantonly violated by two Lacedaemonians, Phrurarchidas and Parthenius, and the damsels, unable to brook the outrage, immediately hung themselves. Scedasus went to Lacedaemon, but got no redress, so on his return to Leuctra he despatched himself. Epaminondas now sacrificed and prayed to Scedasus and the girls, on the ground that the battle would be as much to avenge them as to save Thebes. The opinions of the Boeotarchs differed widely from each other. Epaminondas, Malgis, and Xenocrates were for giving battle to the Lacedaemonians at once. Damoclidas, Damophilus, and Simangelus, on the other hand, were against engaging, and advised that they should quietly send the women and children to Attica to be out of the way, and prepare to stand a siege. Thus the counsels of the six were divided. But when Bacchylides, the seventh Boeotarch, who had been guarding the pass over Cithaeron, rejoined the army, he voted on the side of Epaminondas ; and then it was unanimously resolved to abide the issue of a battle. Now Epaminondas had his suspicions of some of the Boeotians, but more especially of the Thespians. Fearing, then, that they might desert in the course of the action, he allowed all who pleased to leave the camp and go home. So the Thespians went off to a man, together with such other Boeotians as nursed a secret grudge at Thebes.
The engagement began, and if there had been no love lost between the Lacedaemonians and their allies before, the latter now plainly evinced their detestation of their confederates by refusing to stand their ground, and by giving way wherever the enemy attacked them. The Lacedaemonians themselves and the Thebans were well matched; for if the Lacedaemonians were veterans who thought shame to lower the prestige of Sparta, the Thebans were animated by the knowledge that the fate of their country and of their wives and children was at stake. But when King Cleombrotus with some of his officers had fallen, necessity was laid upon the weary Spartans not to give in; for amongst the Lacedaemonians it was deemed the height of infamy to suffer the dead body of a king to fall into the hands of the enemy. The victory achieved by the Thebans was the most famous that ever Greeks gained over Greeks. On the morrow the Lacedaemonians purposed to bury their dead, and sent a herald to the Thebans. But Epaminondas, aware that the Lacedaemonians were always inclined to conceal their losses, said he would allow their allies to take up their dead first, and only after they had done so did he consent that the Lacedaemonians should bury their dead. So when it had appeared that some of the allies had no bodies to take up, because none of them had fallen, while of others the loss was found to be trifling, the Lacedaemonians proceeded to bury their dead, and then the fact was revealed that the fallen were Spartans. The Thebans and the Boeotians who stood by them lost forty-seven men; but of the Lacedaemonians themselves there fell more than a thousand.
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