The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-01-12


on hls dead dody, while Epaminondas for
| tilted his ranks, and prepared for a renewal
of the engagement. But the fate of the
day was already decided. The Spartans
were Irretriveably broken, and the allies
who had not joined in the battle on ac-
count OF the distance between them and
the Ihepan right wing, refused to advance
against the close ranks of the victorious
column. Archldamus was consequently
compelled to retreat to his camp. and to
acknowledge the Theban victory, by send
ing herald to ask permission to bury the
dead.
The Laced@monians had never received
so terrible blow. The most bloody de-
feat, till then, had scarcely ever cost them
more than four or five hundred of their
citizens. Here they lost four thousand
men, OF whom one thousand were Laceda-
monlans, and four hundred Spartans. out
OF seven hundred who were in battle
Ihe Ihebans had only three hundred men
killed, among whom were four of their cit
liens.
1t is remarkable, that when the news of
this defeat was brought to Sparta. the Eph.
orr would not suffer the public games.
which were then celebrating, to be inter
rupted. Whether this proceeded from an
anectatlon OF oflndlHerence, as if they wished
to represent their loss as trihing, and were
deslrous Of concealing the real greatness of
1t from the people, or that luxury and dis
slpation had then made a considerable
progress even IN Sparta itself, it is difficult
at this distance of time, to determine
Next day, however the loss of each par
tlcular family being known, the fathers
and relations of those who had fallen in bat
tie went to the temples to thank the gods
and congratulated each other upon their
glory and good fortune, whilst the relations
of those who had escaped were overwhel1ns
ed with grief and af1iction.
BUT there was another point to be de-
termlned with regard to the survivors.
They were, by law, to be degraded from all
honour, and rendered infamous; insomuch
that It would be a disgrace to intermarry
with them: they were to appear publicly
IN mean and dirty habits, with patched
and party-coloured garments, and to go
half shaved and whoever met them in the
streets might insult and beat them, with
out their daring to make any resistance.
This was so severe a law, and such num-
bers had on this occasion incurred the pen
alhes Of it, many of whom were of great
families and interest, that they apprehended
the execution of it might excite some pub
lie commotion; besides, that these citizens,
such as they were, could very i'll be spared
at this time, when they wanted to recruit
the army, Under this difficult they gave
Agesllaus power even over the laws, to
dispense with them, to abrogate them, or
to enact such new ones as the present
emergency required He would not, how
ever, abolish or alter the law but made a
public declaration that it should lie dor
mant for that single day, and by this ex-
pedient he saved the citizens from infamy.
1t was not long before the Spartans felt
the consequences of this dreadful overthrow.
Numbers of Greek cities, that had hitherto
remained neuter, now declared in favour
of the Thebans, and increased their army
to the amount of seventy thousand men
With this mighty force, Epaminondas en-
tered Laconia, and overran the open coun-
try. He did not,s@however, attempt any
thing against Sparta itself; but he rein
stated the Arcadians in.all their ancient
rights and privileges, of which they had
been deprived by the Spartans, and enabled
them to build a new city which, from the
name of the old one, was called Messenia
On their return from this expedition, the
two generals were brought to trial for hav-
ing retained their command four months
beyond the time limited by law. On this
than was to be expected from one of his
daring and impetuous character. He pur-
chased safety by degrading submission to
his accusers, and even thus escaped with
difficulty. Epaminondas, on the contrary,
boldly narrated the services he had per
formed, and dared his judges to pronounce
sentence of condemnation The wrath of
the assembly, was changed into admiration,
and Epamlnondas returned from the tri-
bunal with as much glory as from the field
of Leuctra.
The violent death of Thessalian prince
a little before this event prevented the ex-
ploits of Alexander in the East from being
anticipated. Jason of fPhere, small state
in Thessaly, had raised himself from the
government of a petty town to the rank of
captain general of Thessaly, under which
title he enjoyed the full extent of royal
power. By long course of judicious dis
clPhne, he formed an army such as no ma
ton ofantiquity could match, and whose at
tachment to himself bordered on devotion.
He enlarged the boundaries of Thessaly.
by the subJugation of the Epirotes and
other barbarous tribes on the southern and
western frontiers. He compelled the Ma
cedonlans to become his tributary auxiia-
RES, and invaded Phocis, in order to OBJ
tam the guardianship of the Delphic oracle
He endeavoured, but in vain, to mediate
peace between the Thebans and Spartans,
a necessary preliminary to his great object,
which was an invasion of Persia by the
united forces of all the Greeian states, an
der his command. Butjust at the moment
when his project seemed most to promise
a favourable issue, he was stabbed at the
head of his troops by seven young men,
who had come into his Oresence under Dra-
assassins were killed by the guards, the re-
mainder escaped to the Grecian republics.
where they were honourably received as
the destroyer of a tyrant.