Plutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and Romans
found his doors shut, he being already gone to bed. They knocked a long
time before any one would answer, but, at last, a servant that heard
them, coming out and unbarring the door, as soon as the gate gave way,
they rushed in, and, overturning the man, made all haste to Leontidas's
chamber. But Leontidas, guessing at the matter by the noise and running,
leaped from his bed and drew his dagger, but forgot to put out the
lights, and by that means make them fall foul on one another in the dark.
As it was, being easily seen by reason of the light, he received them at
his chamber door, and stabbed Cephisodorus, the first man that entered:
on his falling, the next that he engaged was Pelopidas; and the passage
being narrow and Cephisodorus's body lying in the way, there was a fierce
and dangerous conflict. At last Pelopidas prevailed, and having killed
Leontidas, he and his companions went in pursuit of Hypates, and after
the same manner broke into his house. He perceived the design, and fled
to his neighbors; but they closely followed, and caught and killed him.
This done they joined Melon, and sent to hasten the exiles they had left
in Attica: and called upon the citizens to maintain their liberty, and
taking down the spoils from the porches, and breaking open all the
armorers' shops that were near, equipped those that came to their
assistance. Epaminondas and Gorgidas came in already armed, with a
gallant train of young men, and the best of the old. Now the city was in
a great excitement and confusion, a great noise and hurry, lights set up
in every house, men running here and there; however, the people did not
as yet gather into a body, but, amazed at the proceedings, and not
clearly understanding the matter waited for the day. And, therefore, the
Spartan officers were thought to have been in fault for not falling on at
once, since their garrison consisted of about fifteen hundred men, and
many of the citizens ran to them; but, alarmed with the noise, the fires,
and the confused running of the people, they kept quietly within the
Cadmea. As soon as day appeared, the exiles from Attica came in armed,
and there was a general assembly of the people. Epaminondas and Gorgidas
brought forth Pelopidas and his party, encompassed by the priests, who
held out garlands, and exhorted the people to fight for their country and
their gods. The assembly, at their appearance, rose up in a body, and
with shouts and acclamations received the men as their deliverers and
benefactors.
Then Pelopidas, being chosen chief captain of Boeotia, together with
Melon and Charon, proceeded at once to blockade the citadel, and stormed
it on all sides, being extremely desirous to expel the Lacedaemonians,
and free the Cadmea, before an army could come from Sparta to their
relief. And he just so narrowly succeeded, that they, having surrendered
on terms and departed, on their way home met Cleombrotus at Megara
marching towards Thebes with a considerable force. The Spartans
condemned and executed Herippidas and Arcissus, two of their governors@
at Thebes, and Lysanoridas the third being severely fined, fled
Peloponnesus. This action so closely resembling that of Thrasybulus, in
the courage of the actors, the danger, the encounters, and equally
crowned with success, was called the sister of it by the Greeks. For we
can scarcely find any other examples where so small and weak a party of
men by bold courage overcame such numerous and powerful enemies, or
brought greater blessings to their country by so doing. But the
subsequent change of affairs made this action the more famous; for the
war which forever ruined the pretensions of Sparta to command, and put an
end to the supremacy she then exercised alike by sea and by land,
proceeded from that night, in which Pelopidas not surprising any fort, or
castle, or citadel, but coming, the twelfth man, to a private house,
loosed and broke, if we may speak truth in metaphor, the chains of the
Spartan sway, which before seemed of adamant and indissoluble.
But now the Lacedaemonians invading Boeotia with a great army, the
Athenians, affrighted at the danger, declared themselves no allies to
Thebes, and prosecuting those that stood for the Boeotian interest,
executed some, and banished and fined others: and the cause of Thebes,
destitute of allies, seemed in a desperate condition. But Pelopidas and
Gorgidas, holding the office of captains of Boeotia, designing to breed a
quarrel between the Lacedaemonians and Athenians, made this contrivance.
One Sphodrias, a Spartan, a man famous indeed for courage in battle, but
of no sound judgment, full of ungrounded hopes and foolish ambition, was
left with an army at Thespiae, to receive and succor the Theban
renegades. To him Pelopidas and his colleagues privately sent a
merchant, one of their friends, with money, and, what proved more
efficient, advice, -- that it more became a man of his worth to set upon
some great enterprise, and that he should, making a sudden incursion on
the unprotected Athenians, surprise the Piraeus; since nothing could be
so grateful to Sparta, as to take Athens; and the Thebans, of course,
would not stir to the assistance of men whom they now hated and looked
upon as traitors. Sphodrias, being at last wrought upon, marched into
Attica by night with his army, and advanced as far as Eleusis; but there
his soldiers' hearts failing, after exposing his project and involving
the Spartans in a dangerous war, he retreated to Thespiae. After this,
the Athenians zealously sent supplies to Thebes, and putting to sea,
sailed to many places, and offered support and protection to all those of
the Greeks who were willing to revolt.
The Thebans, meantime, singly, having many skirmishes with the Spartans
in Boeotia, and fighting some battles, not great indeed, but important as
training and instructing them, thus had their minds raised, and their
bodies inured to labor, and gained both experience and courage by these
frequent encounters; insomuch that we have it related that Antalcidas,
the Spartan, said to Agesilaus, returning wounded from Boeotia, "Indeed,
the Thebans have paid you handsomely for instructing them in the art of
war, against their wills." In real truth, however, Agesilaus was not
their master in this, but those that prudently and opportunely, as men do
young dogs, set them on their enemies, and brought them safely off after
they had tasted the sweets of victory and resolution. Of all those
leaders, Pelopidas deserves the most honor: as after they had once
chosen him general, he was every year in command as long as he lived;
either captain of the sacred band, or, what was most frequent, chief
captain of Boeotia. About Plataea and Thespiae the Spartans were
routed and put to flight, and Phoebidas, that surprised the Cadmea,
slain; and at Tanagra a considerable force was worsted, and the leader
Panthoides killed. But these encounters, though they raised the victor's
spirits, did not thoroughly dishearten the unsuccessful; for there was no
set battle, or regular fighting, but mere incursions on advantage, in
which, according to occasion, they charged, retired again, or pursued.
But the battle at Tegyrae, which seemed a prelude to Leuctra, won
Pelopidas a great reputation; for none of the other commanders could
claim any hand in the design, nor the enemies any show of victory. The
city of the Orchomenians siding with the Spartans, and having received
two companies for its guard, he kept a constant eye upon it, and
watched his opportunity. Hearing that the garrison had moved into
Locris, and hoping to find Orchomenus defenseless, he marched with his
sacred band, and some few horsemen. But when he approached the city, and
found that a reinforcement of the garrison was on its march from Sparta,
he made a circuit round the foot of the mountains, and retreated with his
little army through Tegyrae, that being the only way he could pass. For
the river Melas, almost as soon as it rises, spreads itself into marshes
and navigable pools, and makes all the plain between impassable. A
little below the marshes stands the temple and oracle of Apollo
Tegyraeus, forsaken not long before that time, having flourished till the
Median wars, Echecrates then being priest. Here they profess that the god
was born; the neighboring mountain is called Delos, and there the river
Melas comes again into a channel; behind the temple rise two springs,
admirable for the sweetness, abundance, and coolness of the streams; one
they call Phoenix, the other Elaea, even to the present time, as if
Lucina had not been delivered between two trees, but fountains. A place
hard by, called Ptoum, is shown, where they say she was affrighted by the
appearance of a boar; and the stories of the Python and Tityus are in
like manner appropriated by these localities. I omit many of the points
that are used as arguments. For our tradition does not rank this god
amongst those that were born, and then made immortal, as Hercules and
Bacchus, whom their virtue raised above a mortal and passable condition;
but Apollo is one of the eternal unbegotten deities, if we may collect
any certainty concerning these things, from the statements of the oldest
and wisest in such subjects.
As Thebans were retreating from Orchomenus towards Tegyrae, the
Spartans, at the same time marching from Locris, met them. As soon as
they came in view, advancing through the straits, one told Pelopidas, "We
are fallen into our enemy's hands;" he replied, "And why not they into
ours?" and immediately commanded his horse to come up from the rear and
charge, while he himself drew his infantry, being three hundred in
number, into a close body, hoping by that means, at whatsoever point he
made the attack, to break his way through his more numerous enemies. The
Spartans had two companies, (the company consisting, as Ephorus states,
of five hundred; Callisthenes says seven hundred; others, as Polybius,
nine hundred) and their leaders, Gorgoleon and Theopompus, confident of
success, advanced upon the Thebans. The charge being made with much
fury, chiefly where the commanders were posted, the Spartan captains that
engaged Pelopidas were first killed; and those immediately around them
suffering severely, the whole army was thus disheartened, and opened a
lane for the Thebans, as if they desired to pass through and escape. But
when Pelopidas entered, and turning against those that stood their
ground, still went on with a bloody slaughter, an open fight ensued
amongst the Spartans. The pursuit was carried but a little way, because
they feared the neighboring Orchomenians, and the reinforcement from
Lacedaemon; they had succeeded, however, in fighting a way through their
enemies, and overpowering their whole force; and, therefore, erecting a
trophy, and spoiling the slain, they returned home extremely encouraged
with their achievements. For in all the great wars there had ever been
against Greeks or barbarians, the Spartans were never before beaten by a
smaller company than their own; nor, indeed, in a set battle, when their
number was equal. Hence their courage was thought irresistible, and
their high repute before the battle made a conquest already of enemies,
who thought themselves no match for the men of Sparta even on equal
terms. But this battle first taught the other Greeks, that not only
Eurotas, or the country between Babyce and Cnacion, breeds men of courage
and resolution; but that where the youth are ashamed of baseness, and
ready to venture in a good cause, where they fly disgrace more than
danger, there, wherever it be, are found the bravest and most formidable
opponents.
Gorgidas, according to some, first formed the Sacred Band of three