Chapter 739: Epaminondas First Battle
Chapter 739: Epaminondas First Battle
Pelopidas answered instantly, “If even Epaminondas can’t stop the enemy, then no one can defeat the Spartans!”
But those around them still could not understand why Pelopidas was so confident in Epaminondas, who, as far as they knew, had fought in many battles but only as a soldier and an officer and had never commanded an army. However, Pelopidas’s confidence and the lack of a better solution led them to ignore their concerns and lead the remaining citizen soldiers to Cadmeia with Pelopidas.
Meanwhile, Epaminondas had already devised a strategy against the enemy as he made his way to the southern gate. Having lived in Thebes for decades, he was familiar with the surrounding terrain. Hence he knew that the central city area of Thebes lay in the plains between the mountains, especially the southern part of the city, which was flanked by protruding mountains forming a trumpet-like terrain.
Arriving at the southern gate, Epaminondas began to brief the others on his plan: He would send eight hundred men each to lurk on the mountains on either side of the southern gate. Once the enemy reinforcements arrived, Epaminondas would lead the remaining citizen soldiers out of the city to meet them. Then after both sides were fully engaged, the ambushers would immediately attack the enemy’s flank and rear…
Some objected, saying it was too risky to fight outside the city, especially when facing the Spartan army, and that relying on the city walls for defence would be better.
Epaminondas immediately rebuked their conservative idea, calmly saying, “The new government of Thebes we just established is still unstable. In addition, the enemy is still occupying Cadmeia. Suppose we allow the Spartans stationed in the surrounding city-states to assemble outside the city and besiege Thebes. In that case, the battle will last longer and become even more difficult when the Spartan army from Sparta arrives… And if the battle goes on, the psychology of the people could change! So we must take advantage of the enemy’s gradual arrival in Thebes and take the initiative to defeat them individually to buy time for Thebes’ revival!…”
He finally convinced everyone. Still, they didn’t expect this usually quiet man to say such heart-wrenching words.
Of course, some still ask, “What if we failed to fool the Spartans, or they don’t attack us?”
Epaminondas replied calmly, “Then we’ll just retreat to the city; it’s not as if we suffered any casualties. And even if they found our troops lurking in the mountains, they wouldn’t dare pursue them because we know the terrain better. Still, I think the arrogant Spartans would definitely attack us, hoping to reoccupy Thebes as soon as possible.”
“Damn Spartans, we will never let their scheme succeed!…” The crowd loudly expressed their anger and resolved to fight the Spartans.
Epaminondas finally said, “Everyone, let’s work together to make this battle a nightmare for the Spartans!”
Then the stimulated people began to deploy following Epaminondas’ strategy.
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The messenger requesting reinforcements arrived first at Plataea, the city-state closest to Thebes. When the Spartan strategos stationed there learned of the uprising in Thebes and the overthrow of the pro-Spartan government, he was so shocked since he knew the loss of Thebes would spell great trouble for Sparta’s control of Boeotia. So, without hesitation, he led the two thousand soldiers garrisoned there on a swift march to Thebes, reaching the city by dusk. But to his surprise, he saw the Thebans marching out of the city in formation, provoking the advancing Spartan army by smashing their round shields with their spears.
How could the Spartan strategos allow someone they had already defeated to run rampant only because they slightly outnumbered his army?! So, despite his soldiers’ exhaustion, he immediately had his troops form up to the same length as their opponents and then signalled for the attack.
On the other side, Epaminondas also gave the order to attack, while he himself moved to the front of the formation, holding up his shield and spear, and took the lead in charging the enemy.
The Spartans were at a slight disadvantage at the start of the battle since, apart from the Spartan army was a little exhausted after a long journey, the Thebans’ morale was also high. However, after slowing down and regaining their strength, the Spartan army gradually regained the advantage, relying on their rich battle experience and greater skill. Suddenly, the lurking Thebans came out from both sides and attacked the Spartan flank and rear.
Unable to defend themselves, the Spartan army was quickly routed and began fleeing in all directions.
Barely half an hour into the battle, the Thebans had won a great victory. As they cheered, they began to think highly of the strategist of this battle, Epaminondas, who had been unknown. And now, this middle-aged man of ordinary appearance had won their trust in just a single battle.
Then, when another Spartan army stationed at Thespiae heard of the tragic defeat of the Spartan army at Plataea while on its way to Thebes, its commander, Sphedelias, thought he didn’t have enough troops and instead retreated westwards to a small town halfway between Thespiae and Thebes.
Upon hearing of the enemy’s retreat, Epaminondas immediately led the army back into the city, stationed some at the top of the wall and sent men to report the victory to the two Boeotarchs.
Conversely, Pelopidas and Phyllidas led a day-long assault on Cadmeia, which they still couldn’t take since it had a solid wall even though Cadmeia was small. Moreover, Cadmeia was situated on a hill with only one road leading up to it, making it impossible for the Theban army to use its vastly superior numbers fully. But even after surrounding the Spartan army, giving them no way to retreat, the Spartans still fought the enemy to the death, leading to the failure of the Theban’s several attempts. As a result, both the strategoi and soldiers felt discouraged.
Then when the fantastic news came that the army at the southern gate had defeated the Spartan reinforcements, everyone’s spirits and morale soared.
The strategoi began to talk about Epaminondas with smiles, and Phyllidas kept praising him, “Pelopidas, you weren’t mistaken! Epaminondas is truly an excellent commander!”
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
As news of the successful uprising in Thebes spread throughout central Greece the next day, the countless Theban exiles began to return to their mother state from all directions to defend the new Theban government, with most of the exiles coming from Athens. For the citizens of Athens, this was a welcome sight. Although the council was openly silent on the matter, many Athenian volunteered to travel with the exiles to Thebes to fight alongside them, including two of this year’s newly elected strategoi, who joined the volunteers in their personal capacity.
As the Exiles marched westwards excitedly, they fought with the Spartan allied forces marching towards Thebes, stationed in several cities in the Boeotian region, and won all the battles.
Thebes’ strength grew with the continuous support to the point that they forced the Spartan reinforcements in Thespiae to retreat.
The next day the Thebans attacked Cadmeia again, and although they failed again, the Spartan strategos felt no joy, for when he stood at the top of Cadmeia and looked down, he could see the growing number of enemies down the hill, making him understood the situation clearly. Thebes had obviously received outside help, which also meant that the Spartan reinforcements failed in their attack on Thebes or did not come at all. As a result, not only did he feel a little desperate, but so did the Spartan soldiers in Cadmeia.
Then Pelopidas sent an envoy to negotiate with the Spartan strategoi in Cadmeia, offering them safe passage if they returned Cadmeia. Eventually, they reached an agreement.
With the return of Cadmeia, the new government of Pelopidas and Phyllidas has finally completed the liberation of Thebes. But while the people cheered, the leaders, led by Pelopidas, remained sombre, knowing their trial had just begun and the Spartans would never give in.
On the third day, the news finally reached Sparta, to the shock of the Gerousia. Now they had no intention of making trouble for Theonia, as they had to quickly focus on putting out the fire the Thebans had started.
So after much discussion, the Gerousia decided to send Agesipolis, who had been king for less than two years, to lead the expedition.
Then Sparta began to recruit soldiers from its Peloponnesian allies.
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While Leotychides led the Theonian allied army to defeat the Carthaginian army and intercept many supplies, the Iberian army managed to breach the outer area of Cephaloedium.
Why was Cephaloedium, which had held out against the enemy for almost ten days and caused Hasdrubal’s troops to attack the city several times, suddenly got breached?
After several failed attacks, Hasdrubal realised that a frontal assault would be too costly and difficult to break through, so he deployed the Iberian army.
Hasdrubal’s Iberian infantry were all from the southern part of the Iberian peninsula, recruited from the native tribes conquered by the Magonids. There were a total of four thousand men, almost all of them wearing their ethnic dress of white linen with purple trim, no armour and only a leather headdress on their heads. They were also armed with a large oval shield, a spear and a falcata hung from their waist. The falcata is a sword similar in style and length to the Theonian short sword and is also extremely sharp, with the slight difference that its front part is slightly curved.
Not only are these Iberians brave and tough, but they can also fight well in the mountains, unlike the Carthaginians, who have always lived on the flat coast of northern Africa.