Pelopidas

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Pelopidas

Pelopidas (d. 364 BC) was a Theban

Thebes, Greece

Thebes is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, Greece, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain....
statesman and general.

He was a member of a distinguished family, and possessed great wealth which he expended on his friends, while content to lead the life of an athlete. In 384 he served in a Theban contingent sent to the support of the Spartans at Mantineia

Mantineia

Mantineia was a city in ancient Arcadia in the central Peloponnese that was the site of two significant battles in Classical Greece history. It is also a Communities and Municipalities of Greece in modern Arcadia, Greece, with its seat in the village of Nestani ....
, where he was saved, when dangerously wounded, by the Arcadians.

Upon the seizure of the Theban citadel by the Sparta

Sparta

Sparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the Eurotas River in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From circa 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars....
ns (383 or 382) he fled to Athens

Athens

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Pelopidas'

Start a new discussion about 'Pelopidas'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

Pelopidas (d. 364 BC) was a Theban

Thebes, Greece

Mantineia

Sparta

Athens

Athens , the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the List of cities by time of continuous habitation, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
, and took the lead in a conspiracy to liberate Thebes. In 379 his party surprised and killed their chief political opponents, and roused the people against the Spartan garrison, which surrendered to an army gathered by Pelopidas.

In this and subsequent years he was elected boeotarch
Boeotarch

Boeotarch was the title of the chief officers of the Boeotian Confederacy, founded in 379 BC after a rebellion freed the cities of Boeotia from Spartan dominance....
, and about 375 he routed a much larger Spartan force at the battle of Tegyra

Battle of Tegyra

The Battle of Tegyra was an Ancient Greece battle between Thebes, Greece and Spartan hoplite forces. In the battle, a Theban army under Pelopidas was challenged by a substantially larger Spartan force while retreating from an abortive attack on Orchomenus , but successfully attacked and routed the Spartans....
(near Orchomenus). This victory he owed mainly to the valour of the Sacred Band

Sacred Band of Thebes

The Sacred Band of Ancient Thebes was a troop of picked soldiers, numbering 150 age-structured pairs, which formed the elite force of the Theban army in the 4th century BC....
, an elite corps of 300 seasoned soldiers. At the battle of Leuctra

Battle of Leuctra

The Battle of Leuctra was a battle fought between the Thebes and the History of Spartans and their respective allies amidst the post-Corinthian War conflict....
(371) he contributed greatly to the success of Epaminondas

Epaminondas

Epaminondas was a Thebes, Greece general and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greece polis of Thebes, leading it out of Spartan subjugation into a preeminent position in Greek politics....
's new tactics by the rapidity with which he made the Sacred Band close with the Spartans.

In 370 BC he accompanied his lover Epaminondas as boeotarch into Peloponnesus. On their return both generals were unsuccessfully accused of having retained their command beyond the legal term.

In 369, in response to a petition of the Thessalians

Thessaly

Thessaly is one of the 13 Peripheries of Greece of Greece, and is further sub-divided into 4 Prefectures of Greece. The capital of the periphery and traditional Regions of Greece is Larissa....
, Pelopidas was sent with an army against Alexander of Pherae

Alexander of Pherae

Alexander was tagus or despotism of Pherae in Thessaly, and ruled from 369 BC to 358 BC....
. After driving Alexander out, he passed into Macedon

Macedon

Macedon or Macedonia was the name of a monarchy centred in the northernmost part of ancient Greece. The homeland of the ancient Macedonians, it was bordered by the kingdom of Epirus to the west and the region of Thrace to the east....
and arbitrated between two claimants to the throne. In order to secure the influence of Thebes, he brought home hostages, including the king's brother, afterwards Philip II

Philip II of Macedon

Philip II of Macedon,...
.

Next year Pelopidas was again called upon to interfere in Macedonia, but, being deserted by his mercenaries, was compelled to make an agreement with Ptolemaeus of Alorus. On his return through Thessaly he was seized by Alexander of Pherae, and two expeditions from Thebes were needed to secure his release.

In 367 Pelopidas went on an embassy to the Persian king and induced him to prescribe a settlement of Greece according to the wishes of the Thebans. In 364 BC he received another appeal from the Thessalian towns against Alexander of Pherae. Though an eclipse of the sun prevented his bringing with him more than a handful of troops, he overthrew the tyrant's far superior force on the ridge of Cynoscephalae

Battle of Cynoscephalae (364 BC)

At the Battle of Cynoscephalae , the Thebes forces of Pelopidas fought against the Thessaly troops of Alexander of Pherae in a drawn battle in which Pelopidas was killed....
. However, wishing to slay Alexander with his own hand, he rushed forward too eagerly and was cut down by the tyrant’s guards.