The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-01-12
Htsqslrnneous.
THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA,

by the ValOr and conduct of Pelopidas
and Epaminondas, Thebes was now able
not only to maintain its own independence,
but even to threaten the rest of Greece with
subsection. 1t was probably the appre-
hension of this last event that had made
the Athenians break of their alliance with
the Thebans, and join a confederacy with
the Spartans against their former allies
The Spartans had long considered them
selves as the arbitrators of Greece, and
could i'll bear rival in this boasted pre-
eminence: they, therefore, resolved to hum
bic the pride of Thebes; and, with this
view, their general, Cleombrotus, marched
towards the frontiers of Boeotia with a
numerous army. But, in order to give an
air of justice to their hostilities, they first
sent to demand of the Thebans, that should
restore their liberties to the cities they had
seized, that they should rebuild those they
had demolished, and make reparations for
all the wrongs they had done. To this it
was replied, That the Thebans were ac-
countable to none but Heaven for their
conduct" Nothing now remained on eth
er side but to prepare for action. Epami-
nondas immed a e'y raised all the troops
he could, and began his marches but his
army did not amount to six thousand men,
while that of the enemy was above four
times that number AS several bad omens
were urged to prevent his setting out, he
replied by repeating a verse from Homer,
importing that no omen is bad when we
are to fight for our country. However, to
reassure the supersutOus soldiers, whom
he perceived to be discouraged he in
structed several persons to come from diff
terent places, and report auguries and
omens IN his favour, which revived the
spirit and hopes of his troops.
Epaminondas had wisely taken care to
secure a pass, which would have shortened
Cleombrotus's march considerably. The
latter, after having taken a large compass,
arrived at Leuctra, small town of Boeo-
tia, between Platea and Thespi@ Both
parties consulted whether they should give
battle; at length Cleombrotus resolved so
to do by the advice ofhis officers, who said,
that if he declined fighting with such su-
periority of troops, it would confirm the
current report, that he secretly favoured
the Thebans. These, on their side, had an
essential reason for fastening a battle be-
fore the arrival of troops, which the enemy
daily expected. However, the six gener-
ais, who formed the council of war, being
equally divided in their sentiments. the
seventh, who was Pleopidas, came very
opportunely to give the casting vote for an
engagement and his opinion decided the
question, it was at last determined to en-
gage.#
The two armies as we have said, were
very unequal in number. The Lacedamo-
mans amounted to twenty-four thousand
foot, and sixteen hundredhorse The The
bans had only six thousand foot, but their
cavalry nearly equalled those of the Spar
tans in number, and far surpassed them in
discipline and valour The ability of the
generals alone supplied the place of great
armies, especially that of the Theban com
mander, who was the most accomplished
soldier of his time and he was nobly sup
ported by Pelopidas, who was then at the
head of the sacred band.
The plain of Leuctra is on every side sur
rounded by the lofty ridges of Helicon,
Citheron, and Cynoscephala; and the
Thebans who were in possession of the
mountain, saw distinctly the line of battle
which their enemies had formed. AS the
Spartans were so vastly superior In num-
Der, Epaminondas was aware that an ad-
herence to the old system Of Grecian tao
tics must invariably end in his defeat, and
he at once adopted new plan, which was
one of the greatest improvements ever in
troduced into the art of war.
The Spartan army was drawn up IN the
form of crescent; the natiTotroePs form
ed the right wing under the command Of
Cleombrotus, on the left were allies, head
ed by Archidamus; these auxiliaries were.
far from being earnest in support of the
Spartan cause, and many IN their secret
soul hoped that the Thebans might be VIC
torious, Epaminondas saw at once that if
the battalons commanded by Cleombrotus
were defeated, the victory would be secured,
and on that side he prepared to make his
grand attack. He collected all the best
soldiers on his own left wing, and drew
them up in files of fifty deep: the sacred
band under Pelopidas guarded the left flank,
to prevent the extended lines of the Spar
tan crescent from getting round on that
side to his rear; the rest of the army were
drawn out six file deep, in line dropping
off obliquely from that of the enemy.
Thus he had so arranged his forces that the
fate of the day would probably be decided
by his left wing, before the enemy could
bringthe right to an engagement. The battle
commenced with the charge of the Theban
cavalry, which drove back the Spartans on
the infantry, and threw their ranks into
confusion Epaminondas availed himself
of this, and Immediately forming his column
like a wedge, he led down the close and
| serried ranks on the extended and disorder
ed lines. The very weight of the column
made it irresistible, the hostile ranks were
broken, and the post where Cleombrotus
stood was soon assailed by the intrepid
Thebans The danger of the king com
pleted the disorder of the Spartans, they
ran from every side of the field to his as
sistance, but before they could form new
ranks, Cleombrotus and all his immediate