Epaminondas

Family: Thebans · Role: Theban commander · First appears: Book 7, section 1, part 4/4

In Book 7, section 1, Epaminondas persuaded Peisias, who led military affairs in Argos, to seize Oneion in advance. Later, he abandoned Nemea and moved his base to Tegea before advancing on Sparta; Agesilaus returned in time to defend the city. At Sparta, Archidamus led a counterattack that drove Epaminondas’s troops into flight, then marked the victory with a trophy and returned the enemy dead under truce. Epaminondas withdrew to Tegea rather than risk fighting the arriving Arcadians alongside the Lacedaemonians.

At Mantinea, Epaminondas led his army into battle and routed the opposing troops at his point of attack. He fell in the battle.

Relationship record

Life events

• Epaminondas abandoned Nemea and moved his base to Tegea.(Book 7, section 5, part 1/2 · 📍 Tegea)
  • “This being so, he abandoned his base of Nemea and pushed on to Tegea.”
• Epaminondas advanced on Sparta, but Agesilaus returned in time to defend the city.(Book 7, section 5, part 1/2 · 📍 Sparta)
  • “As it was, Agesilaus, being forewarned, had time to return to the city before the Thebans came, and here the Spartans made distribution of their scanty force and maintained watch and ward”
• Archidamus led a counterattack that drove Epaminondas's troops into flight.(Book 7, section 5, part 1/2 · 📍 Sparta)
  • With: Archidamus
  • “Archidamus, advancing at the head of but a hundred men, and crossing the one thing which might have been expected to form an obstacle to the enemy, began marching uphill against his antagonists. At this crisis these fire-breathing warriors, these victorious heroes of Leuctra, with their superiority at every point, aided, moreover, by the advantage of their position, did not withstand the attack of Archidamus and those with him, but swerved in flight.”
• Archidamus marked his victory with a trophy and returned the enemy dead under truce.(Book 7, section 5, part 1/2 · 📍 Sparta)
  • With: Archidamus
  • “So then Archidamus set up a trophy to note the limit of his success, and gave back those who had there fallen of the enemy under a truce.”
• Epaminondas withdrew to Tegea rather than risk fighting the arriving Arcadians alongside the Lacedaemonians.(Book 7, section 5, part 1/2 · 📍 Tegea)
  • “turned and marched back the way he came with all speed possible into Tegea.”
• Epaminondas led his army into battle and routed the opposing troops at his point of attack.(Book 7, section 5, part 2/2 · 📍 Mantinea)
  • With: Thebans
  • “He had so much the mastery at his point of attack that he caused the whole of the enemy's troops to take flight.”
• Epaminondas fell in the battle.(Book 7, section 5, part 2/2 · 📍 Mantinea)
  • “But after he himself had fallen”

Book 7, section 1, part 4/4

• with Peisias (Epaminondas persuaded Peisias to occupy Oneion.) “Accordingly, he persuaded the Argive Peisias, who was at the head of military affairs in Argos, to seize and occupy Oneion in advance.”

Book 7, section 5, part 1/2

• enemies with Archidamus “Archidamus, advancing at the head of but a hundred men, and crossing the one thing which might have been expected to form an obstacle to the enemy, began marching uphill against his antagonists.”

Also listed in Theban — Minor Figures

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Extracted from the original text of Hellenica. Made with Rho MD.