Latest / Ancient Greece: Philosophy, Democracy, and Endless War — Fexingo History
The Battle of Leuctra That Broke Spartan Power
In 371 BCE, a Theban general named Epaminondas marched a small army into Boeotia and faced off against the supposedly invincible Spartan phalanx. What happened next reshaped the Greek world: the Thebans crushed the Spartans so thoroughly that Spartan military dominance ended forever. This episode explores the tactical innovation that made it possible—the oblique order and the sacred band of Thebes—and the man who dared to think differently. We talk about the battle itself, the politics behind it, the role of the Pelopidas-led Sacred Band, and the aftermath that saw Thebes briefly become the…
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