Page:Outlines of European History.djvu/262

 212 Outlines of European History his brother, Artaxerxes II, — Xenophon had witnessed the de- feat of a large Persian army of archers by the shock of the irresistible Greek phalanx. Xenophon wrote out the story of his journey, and his book was widely read. To all Greece the weak- ness of the Persian State was evident. Every motive toward unity was present. But yet no Greek city was ready to submit to the leadership of another, and no plan of federation could be devised which proved satisfactory to all. Athens and Thebes unite against Sparta Destruction of Spartan power and the leader- ship of Thebes Section 34. The Leadership of Thebes Within ten years after the beginning of the King's Peace, Athens had recovered sufficient sea power to begin the organiza- tion of a second maritime alliance like her old Empire. The Spartan fleet was beaten and an alliance with Thebes was ar- ranged which greatly disquieted Sparta. Thebes succeeded in gaining the leadership of Boeotia, and when during the arrange- ment of a peace with Sparta the Spartans refused to recognize Thebes as the head of Boeotia, the Thebans made ready to oppose the Spartan invasion and the two armies met at Leuctra. The skillful Theban commander Epaminondas drew up his troops in a manner altogether novel, so placing his line that it was not parallel with that of the Spartans, his right wing being much further from the Spartan line than his left. At the same time he massed his troops on his left wing, making it many shields deep. This last was an old device.^ As the lines moved into action the battle did not begin along the whole front at once ; but the Theban left wing, being furthest advanced, met the Spartan line first and was at first engaged alone. Its onset proved so heavy that the Spartan right oppos- ing it was soon crushed, and the rest of the Spartan line was unable to stand as the Theban center and right came into action. 1 It is frequently stated that the new device of Epaminondas was the massing on his left wing. But this was not a new device ; the Thebans had employed it against the Athenians at the battle of Delium (424 B.C.) Epaminondas's innova- tion consisted in the obliqueness of his line of battle as it advanced.