Battle of Leuctra
The Battle of Leuctra, fought in 371 BCE, marked a significant turning point in Greek history, primarily between the forces of Sparta and Thebes. The conflict arose from Sparta's efforts to dominate Greece and its opposition to the unification of Boeotian cities. Theban general Epaminondas challenged this Spartan hegemony at a peace conference, advocating for the rights of the Boeotian Confederacy. In response, Sparta, led by King Agesilaus II, sought to assert its military strength by attacking Thebes.
The battle occurred on a narrow plain where Epaminondas employed innovative tactics, notably by densely massing his troops on one flank while using a coordinated oblique formation for his right. This strategy allowed him to effectively counter Sparta's initial cavalry assault and subsequently exploit gaps in the Spartan line. The engagement culminated in a decisive victory for Thebes, leading to the death of Spartan King Cleombrotus and the disintegration of the Spartan army. The outcome of the battle not only diminished Spartan power in Greece but also established Theban dominance in the region for a period.
Battle of Leuctra
Related civilization: Classical Greece.
Date: Summer, 371 b.c.e.
Locale: Southwestern Boeotia
Background
From 400 until 371 b.c.e., Sparta strove to create an empire in Greece and opposed the unification of Boeotian cities. The Theban Epaminondas defied Sparta at the peace conference of 371, insisting on the right of the Boeotian Confederacy to exist. In retaliation, King Agesilaus II of Sparta ordered his army to attack Thebes.
Action
Under King Cleombrotus, the Spartan and allied army marched from Phocis into western Boeotia, continuing along the southern coast to neutralize the Boeotian navy. Cleombrotus’s route gave Epaminondas time to block him at the small, narrow plain of Leuctra (LEWK-trah). Cleombrotus deployed his army of some 11,000 troops in two wings with the Spartans on the right. To the north, Epaminondas surprised the Spartans with some innovations. He massed his Theban contingent fifty shields deep on the left in a formation that jutted forward from his main line. He ordered his Boeotian confederates on his right to advance more slowly than he and to march in an oblique formation. Pelopidas, his subordinate officer, led the elite Sacred Band as his cutting edge. The cavalry of both armies took an unusual position in front of their phalanxes.
Cleombrotus opened the battle by ordering his cavalry to attack and by shifting the Spartans to the right to outflank Epaminondas. A gap opened in his line through which streamed his defeated cavalry. Pelopidas charged immediately, pinning the Spartans until Epaminondas brought the main force to bear. Cleombrotus was killed and the Spartan army broken.
Consequences
By destroying the Spartan army, Epaminondas ended Spartan ascendancy in Greece and created the Theban hegemony.
Bibliography
Brewer, Paul. Warfare in the Ancient World. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1999.
Buckler, J. The Theban Hegemony, 371-362 b.c.e. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1980.
Lazenby, J. F. The Spartan Army. Warminster: Aris and Phillips, 1985.