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The Thebans, who excelled in bodily strength and prowess and had already conquered the Lacedaemonians in numerous battles, were elated in spirit and eager to dispute the supremacy on land. Nor were they cheated of their hope, both for the aforesaid reasons and because they had more good commanders and generals during the period under consideration. [2] Most famous were Pelopidas, Gorgidas,1 and Epameinondas. Epameinondas,2 indeed, far excelled not merely those of his own race but even all Greeks in valour and shrewdness in the art of war. He had a broad general education, being particularly interested in the philosophy of Pythagoras.3 Besides this, being well endowed with physical advantages, it is natural that he contributed very distinguished achievements. Hence even when compelled with a very few citizen soldiers to fight against all the armies of the Lacedaemonians and their allies, he was so far superior to these heretofore invincible warriors that he slew the Spartan king Cleombrotus, and almost completely annihilated the multitude of his opponents.4 [3] Such were the remarkable deeds which he unexpectedly performed because of his astuteness and the moral excellence he had derived from his education.

However, we shall somewhat later5 explain these matters more fully in a special chapter; at present we shall turn to the thread of our narrative.

1 Though Diodorus has Gorgias in two places, all other writers mentioning the Theban general of this period give only Gorgidas (see P.-W. Realencyclopädie, s.v. "Gorgidas").

2 See his life by Nepos, and Plut. Pelopidas 3-4.

3 His Pythagorean instructor was Lysis of Tarentum (Nepos Epameinondas 2.2).

4 At Leuctra, see chaps. 53 ff.

5 See chap. 88.

Diodorus Siculus. Diodorus of Sicily in Twelve Volumes with an English Translation by C. H. Oldfather. Vol. 4-8. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989.

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  • Cross-references in notes from this page (2):
    • Cornelius Nepos, Epaminondas, 2.2
    • Plutarch, Pelopidas, 3
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