At Leuctra (371 BC), ~700 Spartans faced ~7,000 Thebans under Epaminondas, who concentrated elite units on the left flank opposite King Cleombrotus. 400 Spartiates died. Aristotle: "the blow that toppled Sparta."
Battle of Leuctra devastates Spartan elite warriors
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Key facts
- The Battle of Leuctra occurred in 371 BC between Sparta and Thebes
- Spartan forces: about 11,000 men including only 700 full Spartan citizens
- Theban forces: about 7,000 men under Epaminondas
- Theban general Epaminondas placed his best units on the left wing directly opposite King Cleombrotus
- The Thebans arranged troops in an exceptionally deep formation
- King Cleombrotus was mortally wounded early in the battle
- The Theban Sacred Band led the attack that collapsed the Spartan line
- 400 Spartiates (nearly half the citizen elite) died on the field
- Aristotle: wrote that Leuctra was the blow that toppled Sparta
- The following year (370 BC), Epaminondas invaded the Peloponnese and liberated most helots in Messenia
- Epaminondas founded the new city of Messini with walls to protect freed helots
- Thebes also helped organize the Arcadian League centered on the fortified city of Megalopolis
- These new cities formed a defensive ring around Sparta's territory
Sources
Battle of Leuctra - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The Battle of Leuctra was fought on 6 July 371 BC between the Boeotians led by the Thebans, and the Spartans along with their allies amidst the ...
Battle of Leuctra (371 BC) | Stories Preschoolstoriespreschool.com
The Battle of Leuctra was a battle fought on 6 July 371 BC between the Boeotians led by Thebans and the Spartans along with their allies amidst the post- ...
The Battle of Leuctra 371 BC: Theban Triumph over Spartabattlemerchant.com
Epaminondas positioned the Sacred Band at the tip of his reinforced left flank, where they led the direct assault on the Spartan elite.
Battle of Leuctra (371 BCE) | Description & Significance - Britannicabritannica.com
A force of some 12,000 Spartan and other Peloponnesian troops, led by King Cleombrotus, marched to attack Thebes, which hastily prepared to defend itself with ...
Battle of Leuctra (371 B.C.) - The Latin Librarythelatinlibrary.com
A battle fought on the plain of Leuctra in southern Boeotia, in which a Boeotian army under Epaminondas defeated a Spartan army under King Cleombrotus.
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