Abstract:
The battle of Leuctra was fought in 371 BC and represents a turning point in Greek
history. For a long time the Spartans had held military dominance on any
battlefield they entered, but this battle put an end to that dominance. It has been
said that the Theban general, Epaminondas, applied revolutionary tactics to defeat
the Spartans (Cawkwell 1972), but Hanson (1988) disputes this claim and gives
different reasons as to why the Spartans lost. I believe not enough thought has been
given as to the Spartan loss at Leuctra. Even if Hanson (1988), Cawkwell (1972)
and Krentz (1985)2 give various suggestions for Sparta’s loss at Leuctra, there are
still numerous other factors influencing a battle that have not been considered
in enough detail by them. I will be analyzing the translated texts of Xenophon
(Xen. Hell. 6.3-15), Pausanias (Paus. 9.13.2-12) and Plutarch (Pel. 20-23). While
analyzing these texts I shall keep in mind that Pausanias and Plutarch were not
alive at the time of the battle and when they wrote, they were being influenced by
the ‘Epaminondas tradition’3 and not the culture at the time of the battle. Xenophon
might have been alive at the time of the battle but he was a Spartan and certainly saw the battle from a Spartan perspective. I will focus on the following factors
influencing the battle at Leuctra (371 BC): (1) the purpose or the motivation of
each side engaging in this battle. (2) the morale of the troops before engaging in
the battle. (3) the quality and quantity of the troops fighting against each other.
(4) the formations and the tactics that the generals applied at the battle. By looking
at all these separate factors, I believe I will be able to produce a much clearer
explanation of the Spartan loss and the unexpected Theban victory. I will also look
at the ‘revolutionary tactics’ employed by Epaminondas and discuss these in
respect to the aforementioned factors.
