Boeotian Wars

B.C. 379 to 362
Thebes — versus — Sparta

Theban Rebellion — 379 B.C.     Fall of Sparta — 373-362 B.C.     
Death of Pelopidas and Epaminondas — 364-362 B.C.     

The Boeotian Wars were a series of battles, primarily between Thebes and Sparta which grew out of their long hostility to each other, dating from the time of the Corinthian War. They were notable because they all occurred during the era when Thebes was under the leadership of Epaminondas and Pelopidas, unquestionably the two most capable men who ever assumed the leadership of that city. These wars were fought during a period when, for the first and only time in Greek History, Thebes, the dominant city in the region of Boeotia, became the master of all Greece. The Theban Hegemony began with the career of these to men, and ended with their death in battle, but it was very significant, because during the Boeotian Wars Sparta lost, and never regained, its pre-eminence among Greek cities.

Theban Rebellion : B.C. 379

"AVENGE YOURSELVES BY KILLING MY ONLY CHILD."

The Corinthian War of 395-394 BC had sown the seeds of hostility between Sparta and Thebes. In 382 BC the Spartans, with the help of Theban traitors, was able to take over the garrison within the walled town of Thebes, and appointed a puppet government which was finally overthrown in 379 BC by a conspiracy of seven patriots. Pelopidas was one of the seven conspirators who, dressing as women, attacked the leaders of the Spartan dominated government and drove the garrison out of town.

Commander	Short Biography
Pelopidas	Helped to liberate Thebes. Leader of the "Sacred Band" of Theban Warriors.
Leontiades †	Head of the Spartan appointed Theban government. Primary target of conspirators.
Charon	Theban patriot who hosted the conspirators.

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Story Links	Book Links
Valiant Helper  in	Tales of the Greeks: The Children's Plutarch  by  F. J. Gould
Pelopidas  in	Our Young Folks' Plutarch  by  Rosalie Kaufman
Seven Conspirators  in	The Story of Greece  by  Mary Macgregor
Rescue of Thebes  in	Historical Tales: Greek  by  Charles Morris

The Fall of Sparta : B.C. 373-362

EPAMINONDAS SAVES THE LIFE OF PELOPIDAS

Having destroyed Sparta's influence within Thebes, Pelopidas along with his friend Epaminondas, set about reforming the army. The two heroes worked to bring most cities within Boeotia into an alliance with Thebes, but this was strongly opposed by Sparta, whose policy was to break up alliances between cities of which it was not a part. Sparta went so far as to rebuild and repopulate the Boeotian city of Plataea and put it under the command of leaders sympathetic with Sparta but it was quickly retaken by Thebes.

Finally only one city in Boeotia was still in an alliance with Sparta. Thebes attacked it but was repelled, and unexpectedly met a Spartan garrison on its way back to Tegyra. Although the Thebans were outnumbered, they routed the Spartans. This victory gave them great confidence, and in their dealings with Sparta over the next year they refused to back down from their insistence on maintaining the Boeotian League.

Sparta finally marched on the Thebans and met them on the field of Leuctra. Again, the Spartan forces outnumbered the Thebans, but due to the brilliant generalship of Epaminondas, the Thebans dealt the Spartans a crushing defeat, killing over 1000 Spartans including their king. Over the next few years Epaminondas followed up this victory by marching into Spartan territory, freeing Spartan slaves, releasing her neighbors from their alliances to her, and building up two walled cities at Messenia and Megalopolis. Although her enemies encroached on Spartan territory, and turned her former allies against her, even the brave Epaminondas did not attack the city of Sparta itself, knowing that any victory there would be won only at a tremendous cost. The only bright spot for Sparta in this period, was an incursion into Arcadia, known as the Tearless battle, in which she repulsed a force of Arcadians without a single loss.

Date	Battle Summary
373 BC	Battle of Tegyra   Thebes victory Fought B.C. 373, when Pelopidas, with the Sacred Band of 300 Thebans, routed a large force of Spartans in a narrow pass near Orchomenus, slaying 600, including their two generals.
371 BC	Battle of Leuctra   Thebes victory Fought July, 371 B.C., between 11,000 Spartans, under Cleombrotus, and 6,000 Thebans, under Epaminondas. The principal fighting took place on the Theban left, where Epaminondas had massed his best troops, and after a fierce encounter the Spartans were driven back, leaving 1,000 dead, including Cleombrotus, on the field. As a result of this defeat, the Spartans evacuated Boeotia.
368 BC	Battle of The Tearless Battle   Spartans victory Fought B.C. 368, when a force of Arcadians endeavoured to cut off a Spartan army, under Archidamus, in a narrow defile in Laconia. They were repulsed with heavy loss, and not a single Spartan was killed, whence the engagement came to be called the Tearless Battle.

Commander	Short Biography
Epaminondas	Greatest General of his age. Defeated the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra, and made Thebes predominant.
Pelopidas	Helped to liberate Thebes. Leader of the "Sacred Band" of Theban Warriors.
Archidamus III	Son of Agesilaus, Spartan Prince who fought against Thebes during the Boeotian Wars.
Cleombrotus †	Spartan king who was killed at the battle of Leuctra.

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Story Links	Book Links
One Hero of Thebes  in	Pictures from Greek Life and Story  by  Alfred J. Church
Battle of Leuctra  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Epaminondas and Pelopidas  in	Famous Men of Greece  by  John H. Haaren and A. B. Poland
How Epaminondas Made Thebes Free  in	Greek Gods, Heroes, and Men  by  Caroline H. and Samuel B. Harding
Pelopidas and Epaminondas in	Stories from Greek History  by  Ethelwyn Lemon
Battle of Leuctra  in	The Story of Greece  by  Mary Macgregor
Humiliation of Sparta  in	Historical Tales: Greek  by  Charles Morris
When Thebes Was in Power  in	The Story of the Greek People  by  Eva March Tappan

Death of Pelopidas and Epaminondas : B.C. 364-362

BATTLEFIELD OF MANTINEA

The Theban hegemony came to an end with the death of Pelopidas and Epaminondas at the battles of Cynoscephalae and Mantinea respectively. Pelopidas was killed in the battle of Cynoscephalae when he helped to lead the Thessalians against Alexander of Pherae, a despotic tyrant. Two years later, Sparta allied itself with several states who had broken away from the Theban controlled Arcadian league and tried to reassert her domination of the Peloponnese. Epaminondas met the Spartans at Mantinea, and defeated them there but was killed in battle. Unfortunately, with Sparta weakened by another defeat, and Thebes weakened by the death of its hero, there was no longer a coalition in Greece strong enough to resist the forthcoming Macedonian encroachment.

Date	Battle Summary
362 BC	Battle of Mantinea   Thebes victory Fought B.C. 362, between the Boeotians, under Epaminondas, and the combined forces of Athens, Sparta, and Mantineia. Epaminondas attacked strongly with his left, holding back his right in reserve, and after the driving back of the Mantineians, routed the Spartans in the centre. The Athenians were hardly engaged, but the Boeotian victory was complete. In the pursuit Epaminondas, fell and the loss of the great leader so disheartened the Boeotians that they did not further press their victory.
364 BC	Battle of Cynoscephalae   Thebes victory Fought July 364 B.C., between the Thebans and Thessalians under Pelopidas, and the forces of Alexander, Despot of Phera. Both armies made a forced march to seize the heights of Cynoscephalae, and reached the spot almost simultaneously. The Theban cavalry drove back Alexander's horse, but lost time in the pursuit, and his infantry made good their position on the heights. However, after very hard fighting, they were dislodged, and Alexander completely routed, though Pelopidas fell in the battle.

Commander	Short Biography
Epaminondas †	Greatest General of his age. Defeated the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra, and made Thebes predominant.
Pelopidas †	Helped to liberate Thebes. Leader of the "Sacred Band" of Theban Warriors.
Alexander of Pherae	Vicious despot of the town of Pherae in Thessaly.
Agesilaus	Leader of Sparta after the Peloponnesian War. Campaigned in Asia Minor and warred with Thebes.

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Story Links	Book Links
Death of Pelopidas  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Battle of Mantinea  in	The Story of the Greeks  by  H. A. Guerber
Death of Epaminondas  in	The Story of Greece  by  Mary Macgregor

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Image Links
Avenge yourselves by killing my only child.'  in The Story of the Greeks	Epaminondas rescues Pelopidas, Vogel  in Famous Men of Greece	Epaminondas Saves the Life of Pelopidas  in Famous Men of Greece
Pelopidas and Epimanondas  in Stories from Greek History	Plan of the Battle of Leuctra (The Spartan King was on the right of the Spartan line.)  in The Story of the Greek People	Pelopidas setting out for Thebes  in Plutarch's Lives W. H. Weston
Epaminonas defending Pelopidas  in Plutarch's Lives W. H. Weston