a smaller history of greece-第41部分

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　the　conflict　on　this　account；　and　when　one　of　his　men；　running　up　to　him；　exclaimed；　〃We　are　fallen　into　the　midst　of　the　enemy；〃　he　replied；　〃Why　so；　more　than　they　into　the　midst　of　us？〃　　In　the　battle　which　ensued　the　two　Spartan　commanders　fell　at　the　first　charge；　and　their　men　were　put　to　the　rout。　　So　signal　a　victory　inspired　the　Thebans　with　new　confidence　and　vigour；　as　it　showed　that　Sparta　was　not　invincible　even　in　a　pitched　battle；　and　with　the　advantage　of　numbers　on　her　side。　　By　the　year　374　B。C。　the　Thebans　had　succeeded　in　expelling　the　Lacedaemonians　from　Boeotia；　and　revived　the　Boeotian　confederacy。　　They　also　destroyed　the　restored　city　of　Plataea；　and　obliged　its　inhabitants　once　more　to　seek　refuge　at　Athens。

The　successes　of　the　Thebans　revived　the　jealousy　and　distrust　of　Athens。　　Prompted　by　these　feelings；　the　Athenians　opened　negotiations　for　a　peace　with　Sparta；　a　resolution　which　was　also　adopted　by　the　majority　of　the　allies。

A　congress　was　accordingly　opened　in　Sparta　in　the　spring　of　371　B。C。　　The　Athenians　were　represented　by　Callias　and　two　other　envoys；　the　Thebans　by　Epaminondas；　then　one　of　the　polemarchs。　The　terms　of　a　peace　were　agreed　upon；　by　which　the　independence　of　the　various　Grecian　cities　was　to　be　recognised；　and　the　Spartan　harmosts　and　garrisons　everywhere　dismissed。　　Sparta　ratified　the　treaty　for　herself　and　her　allies；　but　Athens　took　the　oaths　only　for　herself；　and　was　followed　separately　by　her　allies。　　As　Epaminondas　refused　to　sign　except　in　the　name　of　the　Boeotian　confederation；　Agesilaus　directed　the　name　of　the　Thebans　to　be　struck　out　of　the　treaty；　and　proclaimed　them　excluded　from　it。

The　peace　concluded　between　Sparta；　Athens；　and　their　respective　allies；　was　called　the　PEACE　OF　CALLIAS。　　The　result　with　regard　to　Thebes　and　Sparta　will　appear　in　the　following　chapter。



CHAPTER　XVII。

THE　SUPREMACY　OF　THEBES；　B。C。　371…361。

In　pursuance　of　the　treaty；　the　Lacedaemonians　withdrew　their　harmosts　and　garrisons；　whilst　the　Athenians　recalled　their　fleet　from　the　Ionian　sea。　　Only　one　feeling　prevailed　at　Spartaa　desire　to　crush　Thebes。　　This　city　was　regarded　as　doomed　to　destruction；　and　it　was　not　for　a　moment　imagined　that；　single…　handed；　she　would　he　able　to　resist　the　might　of　Sparta。　　At　the　time　when　the　peace　was　concluded　Cleombrotus　happened　to　be　in　Phocis　at　the　head　of　a　Lacedaemonian　army；　and　he　now　received　orders　to　invade　Boeotia　without　delay。　　The　Thebans　on　their　side；　were　equally　determined　on　resistance。　　The　two　armies　met　on　the　memorable　plain　of　Leuctra；　near　Thespiae。　　The　forces　on　each　side　are　not　accurately　known；　but　it　seems　probable　that　the　Thebans　were　outnumbered　by　the　Lacedaemonians。　　The　military　genius　of　Epaminondas；　however；　compensated　any　inferiority　of　numbers　by　novelty　of　tactics。　　Up　to　this　time　Grecian　battles　had　been　uniformly　conducted　by　a　general　attack　in　line。　Epaminondas　now　first　adopted　the　manoeuvre；　used　with　such　success　by　Napoleon　in　modern　times；　of　concentrating　heavy　masses　on　a　given　point　of　the　enemy's　array。　　Having　formed　his　left　wing　into　a　dense　column　of　50　deep；　so　that　its　depth　was　greater　than　its　front；　he　directed　it　against　the　Lacedaemonian　right；　containing　the　best　troops　in　their　army；　drawn　up　12　deep；　and　led　by　Cleombrotus　in　person。　　The　shock　was　terrible。　Cleombrotus　himself　was　mortally　wounded　in　the　onset；　and　with　difficulty　carried　off　by　his　comrades。　　Numbers　of　his　officers；　as　well　as　of　his　men；　were　slain；　and　the　whole　wing　was　broken　and　driven　back　to　their　camp。　　The　loss　of　the　Thebans　was　small　compared　with　that　of　the　Lacedaemonians。　　Out　of　700　Spartans　in　the　army　of　the　latter；　400　had　fallen；　and　their　king　also　had　been　slain；　an　event　which　had　not　occurred　since　the　fatal　day　of　Thermopylae。

The　victory　of　Leuctra　was　gained　within　three　weeks　after　the　exclusion　of　the　Thebans　from　the　peace　of　Callias。　　The　effect　of　it　throughout　Greece　was　electrical。　　It　was　everywhere　felt　that　a　new　military　power　had　arisenthat　the　prestige　of　the　old　Spartan　discipline　and　tactics　had　departed。　　Yet　at　Sparta　itself　though　the　reverse　was　the　greatest　that　her　arms　had　ever　sustained；　the　news　of　it　was　received　with　an　assumption　of　indifference　characteristic　of　the　people。　　The　Ephors　forbade　the　chorus　of　men；　who　were　celebrating　in　the　theatre　the　festival　of　the　Gymnopaedia；　to　be　interrupted。　　They　contented　themselves　with　directing　the　names　of　the　slain　to　be　communicated　to　their　relatives；　and　with　issuing　an　order　forbidding　the　women　to　wail　and　mourn。　　Those　whose　friends　had　fallen　appeared　abroad　on　the　morrow　with　joyful　countenances；　whilst　the　relatives　of　the　survivors　seemed　overwhelmed　with　grief　and　shame。

Immediately　after　the　battle　the　Thebans　had　sent　to　Jason　of　Pherae　in　Thessaly　to　solicit　his　aid　against　the　Lacedaemonians。　This　despot　was　one　of　the　most　remarkable　men　of　the　period。　　He　was　Tagus；　or　Generalissimo；　of　all　Thessaly；　and　Macedonia　was　partially　dependent　on　him。　　He　was　a　man　of　boundless　ambition；　and　meditated　nothing　less　than　extending　his　dominion　over　the　whole　of　Greece；　for　which　his　central　situation　seemed　to　offer　many　facilities。　　Upon　receiving　the　invitation　of　the　Thebans；　Jason　immediately　resolved　to　join　them。　　When　he　arrived　the　Thebans　were　anxious　that　he　should　unite　with　them　in　an　attack　upon　the　Lacedaemonian　camp；　but　Jason　dissuaded　them　from　the　enterprise；　advising　them　not　to　drive　the　Lacedaemonians　to　despair；　and　offering　his　mediation。　　He　accordingly　succeeded　in　effecting　a　truce；　by　which　the　Lacedaemonians　were　allowed　to　depart　from　Boeotia　unmolested。

According　to　Spartan　custom；　the　survivors　of　a　defeat　were　looked　upon　as　degraded　men；　and　subjected　to　the　penalties　of　civil　infamy。　　No　allowance　was　made　for　circumstances。　　But　those　who　had　fled　at　Leuctra　were　three　hundred　in　number；　all　attempt　to　enforce　against　them　the　usual　penalties　might　prove　not　only　inconvenient；　but　even　dangerous；　and　on　the　proposal　of　Agesilaus；　they　were；　for　this　occasion　only；　suspended。　　The　loss　of　material　power　which　Sparta　sustained　by　the　defeat　was　great。　　The　ascendency　she　had　hitherto　enjoyed　in　parts　north　of　the　Corinthian　gulf　fell　from　her　at　once；　and　was　divided　between　Jason　of　Pherae　and　the　Thebans。　　Jason　was　shortly　afterwards　assassinated。　　His　death　was　felt　as　a　relief　by　Greece；　and　especially　by　Thebes。　　He　was　succeeded　by　his　two　brothers；　Polyphron　and　Polydorus；　but　they　possessed　neither　his　ability　nor　his　power。

The　Athenians　stood　aloof　from　the　contending　parties。　　They　had　not　received　the　news　of　the　battle　of　Leuctra　with　any　pleasure；　for　they　now　dreaded　Thebes　more　than　Sparta。　　But　instead　of　helping　the　latter；　they　endeavoured　to　prevent　either　from　obtaining　the　supremacy　in　Greece；　and　for　this　purpose　called　upon　the　other　states　to　form　a　new　alliance　upon　the　terms　of　the　peace　of　Antalcidas。　　Most　of　the　Peloponnesian　states　joined　this　new　league。　　Thus　even　the　Peloponnesian　cities　became　independent　of　Sparta。　　But　this　was　not　all。　　Never　did　any　state　fall　with　greater　rapidity。　　She　not　only　lost　the　dominion　over　states　which　she　had　exercised　for　centuries；　but　two　new　political　powers　sprang　up　in　the　peninsula；　which　threatened　her　own　independence。

In　the　following　year　（B。C。　370）　Epaminondas　marched　into　Laconia；　and　threatened　Sparta　itself。　　The　city；　which　was　wholly　unfortified；　was　filled　with　confusion　and　alarm。　　The　women；　who　had　never　yet　seen　the　face　of　an　enemy；　gave　vent　to　their　fears　in　wailing　and　lamentation。　　Agesilaus；　however；　was　undismayed；　and　saved　the　state　by　his　vigilance　and　energy。　　He　repulsed　the　cavalry　of　Epaminondas　as　they　advanced　towards　Sparta；　and　so　vigorous　were　his　measures　of　defence；　that　the　Theban　general　abandoned　all　further　attempt　upon　the　city；　and　proceeded　southwards　as　far　as　Helos　and　Gythium　on　the　coast；　the　latter　the　port　and　arsenal　of　Sparta　after　laying　waste　with　fire　and　sword　the　valley　of　the　Eurotas；　he　retraced　his　steps　to　the　frontiers　of　Arcadia。

Epaminondas　now　proceeded　to　carry　out　the　two　objects　for　which　his　march　had　been　undertaken；　namely；　the　consolidation　of　the　Arcadian　confederation；　and　the　establishment　of　the　Messenians　as　an　independent　community。　　In　the　prosecution　of　the　former　of　these　designs　the　mutual　jealousy　of　the　various　Arcadian　cities　rendered　it　necessary　that　a　new　one　should　be　founded；　which　should　be　regarded　as　the　capital　of　the　confederation。　Consequently；　a　new　city　was　built　on　the　banks　of　the　Helisson；　called　Megalopolis；　and　peopled　by　the　inhabitants　of　forty　distinct　Arcadian　townships。　　Here　a　synod　of　deputies　from　the　towns　composing　the　confederation；　called　〃The　Ten　Thousand〃　was　to　meet　periodically　for　the　despatch　of　business。　　Epaminondas　next　proceeded　to　re…establish　the　Messenian　state。　　The　Messenians　had　formerly　lived　under　a　dynasty　of　their　own　kings；　but　for　the　last　three　centuries　their　land　had　been　in　the　possession　of　the　Lacedaemonians；　and　they　had　been　fugitives　upon　the　face　of　the　earth。　　The　restoration　of　these　exiles；　dispersed　in　various