G’ R E 
of tlieii* republic, and fummoned the tardy aid of their 
confederates, Sicknefs prevented the Spartan king from 
taking the field in perfon; but his advice prevailed 
rvitl) the ephori and fenate, to command his colleague 
Cleombrotus to marcli witliout delay againft the The¬ 
bans, with alfurances of being fpeedily joined by a povv- 
errt.ll reinforcement. The rendezvous was appointed in 
the plain of Leuifra, fituate on the Bceotian frontier, 
almofl: at the equal diftance of ten miles from the fea 
and from Plataea, The Spartans and their confederates 
joined forces in this neighbourhood ; and their army 
amounted to twenty-four thoufand foot, and fixteen hun¬ 
dred horfe. The Theban infantry did not amount to 
more than half tliat number. Their cavalry, however, 
nearly equalled thofe oi the Spartans, and tar excelled 
them in difeipline and in valour. Epaminondas exhort¬ 
ed them to march, and repel the invaders, it they would 
prevent the defection of Bceotia, and avoid the dangers 
and difgrace of a tiege. They readi'iy obeyed, and pro- 
ceeded'to the neighbouring mountains, on which having- 
encamped, they obtained a commanding view of their 
enemy’s forces in the plain. Before condirt'ting them to 
battle, Epaminondas difplayed his invincible courage 
and confidence of viedory, by permitting all thole to re¬ 
tire, who either difapproved his caufe, or were averfe 
to fhare his danger; a permiflion which the Thefpians 
firlt thought proper to embrace. The unwarlike crowd 
of attendants, whofe fervices w-ere ufelefs in time ot 
adtion, gradually feized the tame opportunity to leave 
tl'.e camp. The fwclling multitude appeared as a fe- 
cond army to the Spartans, who feht a powerful detach¬ 
ment to oppofe them. The fear of being cut old by the 
enemy threw them back on the Thebans, whofe hopes 
were enlivened by the unexpedled return of fuch a con- 
fulerable reinforcement. Thus encouraged, they deter¬ 
mined unanimOLitly to ftand by their heroic chief, and 
either to defend their country, or to perilh in the at¬ 
tempt; and the ardour of the troops equalling the tkill 
of the general, the union of Inch advantages rendered 
tjiem invincible. 
Cleombrotus had difpofed his forces in the form of a 
crefeent, according to a favourite practice of the Spar¬ 
tans. Eis cavalry were polled in tquadrons along the 
front of the right wing, where he commanded in perfon. 
The allies compofed the left wing, condudted by Ar- 
chidamus. TheTlieban general, perceiving this difpo- 
fition, and fenlible that the iirtie of the battle would 
eventually depend on the dometlic troops of Sparta, 
determined to ch.arge vigoroully with iiis lett, in order 
to feize or dellroy the perfon of Cleombrotus; thinking- 
that fliould this plan lucceed, the Spartans mull: be dif- 
courao-ed and repelled ; and that even the attempt mull 
occalion diforder in their ranks, as the bravell would 
haften, from every quarter, to defend the perfon of their 
kino-. Having refolved, therefore, to commit the for¬ 
tune'of the diy to the bravery of the left divifion of his 
forces he llrengthened it with the choicell of his heavy, 
armed’men, whom he drew up fifty deep. Tlie cavalry 
wer6 placed in the van, to oppol'e the Spartan horfe. 
Pclopidas, with the Sacred Band, flanked iJie whole on 
the left; and deeming no particular ilation too danger¬ 
ous for their prowefs, they were prepared to appear in 
every tumult of the field, whither they might be called 
by an opportunity of fuccefs, or by tlie profpecl of dif- 
tinguilhed danger. The principal inconvenience to 
which the Thebans were expofed, was that of being 
furrounded by the wide-extended arms of the Spartan 
crefeent. This danger the general forefaw ; and in or¬ 
der to prevent it, he Ipread out his right wing, of which 
the files had only fix men in depth, and the ranks pro¬ 
ceeding in an oblique line, diverged the farther from the 
enemy, in proportion as they extended in length. 
The adion began with the cavalry, which, on the 
Spartan fide, confifted chiefly of fuch horfes as were 
kept for pleafure by the richer citizens in time of peace; 
E C E. on 
and which, proving an unequal match for the difeipline 
of the Thebans, were fpeedily-broken, and thrown b:ick 
on the infantry. Their repulle occalioned conliderable 
diforder in tlie Lacedaemonian ranks, which was greaily 
heightened by the impetuous charge of the Sacred Band. 
Epaminondas availed himlell'of this momentary confu- 
fion, to perform one of thofe rapid evolutions which 
commonly decide the fate of battles. He formed his 
ftrongeft but lead: numerous divifion into a compact 
wedge, with a fiiarp point, and with fpreading flanks ; 
expecting that the Laceda:monians, as foon as they had 
recovered their ranks, would attack the weaker and 
more extended part of his right wing. The event an- 
Iwered his expectation. While the Lacedaemonians ad¬ 
vanced upon his right w'ing, where they found little re- 
fifiance, he rulliedsforward with his left; and darting 
like the beak of a galley on the flank of the enemy, 
bore down every thing before liim, until he arrived at 
the port occupied by Cleombrotus. The urgency of the 
moment recalled to their ancient taffies the degenerate 
fon.s of Lycurgus. The braved warriors flew from every 
quarter to the alli dance of their prince, covered him witJi 
their fliields, and defended him with their fvvords ancT 
lances. Their impetuous valour refilled the intrepid 
progrefs of the Thebans, till the Spartan horlemen, who 
attended the perl'on of Cleombrotus, were totally cut 
od’, and the king himfelf, pierced w ith many wounds, 
fell on the breathlefs bolbins of liis generous defender,s.. 
The fall of the chief gave new rage to the battle. Anger, 
relentinent, and defpair, by turns agitated the Spartans. 
But they could not obtain any further advantage. Epa¬ 
minondas was careful to fortify his ranks, and to main¬ 
tain his order of battle; and the firmnefs and rapidity 
of his regular alfault gained a complete and decifive vic¬ 
tory over the defperate refidance of the Spartan troops,. 
The allies had hitherto remained inactive, unwilling 
raflily to engage in a battle, the motives of whicli they 
had never heartily approved. The defeat of the L:ice- 
dicmonians, and the death of Cleonahrotus, decided their 
wavering mind. They determined with one accord to 
decline the engagement; tlieir retreat was edected witli 
the lofs of about two tlioul'and men; and tlie '1 hebans 
remained complete inaders of the field. 
When the intelligence was dilfufed over Greece, that 
the 'I'liebans, with the lol's of only tliree hundred men, 
had raifed an immortal trophy over the flrength and re¬ 
nown of Spamta, the importance of tills event became 
everywhere coafpiciious. The delire, and hope, ofa 
revolution in public udairs, filled the Peloponnefus w ith 
agitation and tumult. Eleans, Arcadians, and Argives, 
every people who had been influenced or intimidated 
by Spartan penver, openly alpired at independence. But- 
amidd this general defection, the Athenians exhibited 
an illudrious example of political moderation. Imme¬ 
diately after the battle of LeiiCtra, a Theban herald, 
adorned with the emblems of peace and victory, had 
been difpatclied to Athens, in order to relate the parti¬ 
culars of the engagement, and to invite the Athenians 
to an offendve alliance againll a republic, which had 
ever proved the mod dangerous as well as the molt in¬ 
veterate enemy of their country. But the alfembly of 
Atiiens, governed by the generofiiy of Timotheus and 
Iphicrates, determined only to humble their rivals, not 
to dellroy them. In this view tlicy prepareil to derive 
every poliible advantage from the didrcls of Sparta, as 
well as to curtail its power. Convinced that tlie inha¬ 
bitants of Peloponnelus-would no longer be inclined to 
follow her llandard, and Ihare her adverlity, they I'eized 
the opportunity of delivering them for ever iVom her 
yoke; and, led any other people might attain the rank 
which the Spartans once held, and raife their own im¬ 
portance on tne ruins of public freedom, amballadors 
were lent luccediyely to the feveral cities, requiring 
their relpeCtive compliance with the treaty of Antalci- 
das, Againll fuch as rejedted this overture, war was 
denounced 
