Chapter LXXVIII: Battle of Leuktra and Its Consequences

Measures for executing the stipulations made at the congress of
Sparta.—Violent impulse of the Spartans against Thebes.—King
Kleombrotus is ordered to march into Bœotia, and encamps at
Leuktra.—New order of battle adopted by Epaminondas.—Confidence
of the Spartans and of Kleombrotus.—Battle of Leuktra.—Defeat
of the Spartans and death of Kleombrotus.—Faint adherence of
the Spartan allies.—Spartan camp after the defeat—confession of
defeat by sending to solicit the burial-truce.—Great surprise,
and immense alteration of feeling, produced throughout Greece
by the Theban victory.—Effect of the news at Sparta—heroic
self-command.—Reinforcements sent from Sparta.—Proceedings in
Bœotia after the battle of Leuktra. The Theban victory not
well received at Athens.—Jason of Pheræ arrives at Leuktra—the
Spartan army retires from Bœotia under capitulation.—Treatment
of the defeated citizens on reaching Sparta—suspension of
the law.—Lowered estimation of Sparta in Greece—prestige of
military superiority lost.—Extension of the power of Thebes.
Treatment of Orchomenus and Thespiæ.—Power and ambition of
Jason.—Plans of Jason—Pythian festival.—Assassination of Jason
at Pheræ.—Relief to Thebes by the death of Jason—satisfaction in
Greece.—Proceedings in Peloponnesus after the defeat of Leuktra.
Expulsion of the Spartan harmosts and dekarchies.—Skytalism at
Argos—violent intestine feud.—Discouragement and helplessness of
Sparta.—Athens places herself at the head of a new Peloponnesian
land-confederacy.—Accusation preferred in the Amphyctionic
assembly, by Thebes against Sparta.—The Spartans are condemned
to a fine—importance of this fact as an indication.—Proceedings
in Arcadia.—Reëstablishment of the city of Mantinea by its own
citizens.—Humiliating refusal experienced by Agesilaus from the
Mantineans—keenly painful to a Spartan.—Feeling against Agesilaus
at Sparta.—Impulse among the Arcadians towards Pan-Arcadian
union. Opposition from Orchomenus and Tegea.—Revolution at
Tegea—the philo-Spartan party are put down or expelled.—Tegea
becomes anti-Spartan, and favorable to the Pan-Arcadian
union.—Pan-Arcadian union is formed.—March of Agesilaus against
Mantinea. Evidence of lowered sentiment in Sparta.—Application by
the Arcadians to Athens for aid against Sparta; it is refused:
they then apply to the Thebans.—Proceedings and views of
Epaminondas since the battle of Leuktra.—Plans of Epaminondas for
restoring the Messenians in Peloponnesus.—Also, for consolidating
the Arcadians against Sparta.—Epaminondas and the Theban army
arrive in Arcadia. Great allied force assembled there. The
allies entreat him to invade Laconia.—Reluctance of Epaminondas
to invade Laconia—reasonable grounds for it.—He marches into
Laconia—four lines of invasion.—He crosses the Eurotas and
approaches close to Sparta.—Alarm at Sparta—arrival of various
allies to her aid by sea.—Discontent in Laconia among the Periœki
and Helots—danger to Sparta from that cause.—Vigilant defence of
Sparta by Agesilaus.—Violent emotion of the Spartans, especially
the women. Partial attack upon Sparta by Epaminondas.—He retires
without attempting to storm Sparta: ravages Laconia down to
Gythium. He returns into Arcadia.—Great effect of this invasion
upon Grecian opinion—Epaminondas is exalted, and Sparta farther
lowered.—Foundation of the Arcadian Megalopolis.—Foundation of
Messênê.—Abstraction of Western Laconia from Sparta.—Periœki
and Helots established as freemen along with the Messenians
on the Lacedæmonian border.—The details of this reorganizing
process unhappily unknown.—Megalopolis—the Pan-Arcadian Ten
Thousand.—Epaminondas and his army evacuate Peloponnesus.—The
Spartans solicit aid from Athens—language of their envoys, as
well as those from Corinth and Phlius, at Athens.—Reception of
the envoys—the Athenians grant the prayer.—Vote passed to aid
Sparta—Iphikrates is named general.—March of Iphikrates and his
army to the Isthmus.—Trial of Epaminondas at Thebes for retaining
his command beyond the legal time—his honorable and easy
acquittal. 174-241