REMAINS OF LEUCTRA. HI 
everywhere in the vicinity of Thebes, and indeed ^^^^• 
over all Bceotia, constructed from the ruins of 
Pagan sanctuaries, prove the vast number of 
antient Bieia and /e;?7/)/e>swlxich formerly abounded 
in this country. We observed them in all the 
Boeotian plain, at Pa Iceo- Castro, and throughout 
the whole route towards Thespia and Helicon. 
Having crossed the hills which separate the 
plain of Plat^a from that of Leuctra, we 
arrived at the ruins of the latter place ; which 
though but a village of Boeotia, became so con- 
spicuous, owing to the victory obtained here by 
the Thehans under Epaminondas, over a very 
superior force of the Spartans, that the traces yet 
remaininsf of its ancient monuments are like those 
of a considerable city. This famous battle was 
fought on the eighth of July, in the year 37 1 before 
Christ. On the side of the Thehans only three 
hundred were slain; but the Spartans lost four 
thousand*, who were all put to death, together 
with their king Cleombrotus; and they forfeited, 
for eV'-r, the empire of Greece, which they had 
retained during three centuries'. JVheler seems 
(2) PoiUsnnias states the numbers very differently ; making the loss 
of the Thehans only equal to forty-seven, and that of the Spartans, 
one thousand. 
(3) Oiixiri yap s| ixi'iyov rn* Tur 'EkXv»i»» iiyii.:i»i'at itaXaZiTr le-^vrat, »!» 
i7;Ka» Tfirtfof. Btrabon. Geog. lib. ix. p. GOl. edit. Oxun. 
