Pausanias, Description of Greece, ed. Friedrich Spiro, 9.13

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[1]
τῷ δʼ Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ τὰ μὲν τῶν προγόνων ὑπῆρχεν ἐς γένους δόξαν, ὁ δέ οἱ πατὴρ χρημάτων ἕνεκα μέσου ἀνδρὸς ἀπέδει Θηβαίου· διδάγματα δὲ αὐτοῖς τά τε ἐπιχώρια ἔμαθεν ἐς τὸ ἀκριβέστατον καὶ ὡς ἤδη μειράκιον ἦν ἐφοίτησεν ὡς Λῦσιν, ἄνδρα γένος μὲν Ταραντῖνον, ἐπιστάμενον δὲ τοὺς Πυθαγόρου τοῦ Σαμίου λόγους. λέγεται δὲ ὁ Ἐπαμινώνδας, ἡνίκα ἐπολέμουν Λακεδαιμόνιοι Μαντινεῦσι, πεμφθῆναι σὺν ἄλλοις ἀνδράσιν ἐκ Θηβῶν Λακεδαιμονίοις ἐπαμύνειν· ἔχοντα δὲ τραύματα ἐν τῇ μάχῃ Πελοπίδαν ἐξέσωσεν 0 ἐς ἅπαν ἀφικόμενος κινδύνου.

[2] χρόνῳ δὲ ὕστερον κατὰ πρεσβείαν ἐς Σπάρτην ἥκοντα Ἐπαμινώνδαν, ὅτε Λακεδαιμόνιοι συντίθεσθαι τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἔφασαν εἰρήνην τὴν ἐπὶ Ἀνταλκίδου καλουμένην, τηνικαῦτα Ἐπαμινώνδαν ἤρετο Ἀγησίλαος, εἰ κατὰ πόλιν ὀμνύναι Βοιωτοὺς ἐάσουσιν ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰρήνης· “οὐ πρότερόν γε” εἶπεν “ὦ Σπαρτιᾶται, πρὶν ἢ καὶ τοὺς περιοίκους ὀμνύοντας κατὰ πόλιν ἴδωμεν τοὺς ὑμετέρουσ” .

[3] ὡς δὲ ὁ Λακεδαιμονίων καὶ Θηβαίων ἐξῆρτο ἤδη πόλεμος καὶ οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι δυνάμει καὶ αὑτῶν καὶ τῶν συμμάχων ἐπὶ τοὺς Θηβαίους ᾔεσαν, Ἐπαμινώνδας μὲν ἔχων τοῦ στρατοῦ μοῖραν ἀντεκάθητο ὑπὲρ τῆς Κηφισίδος λίμνης ὡς ποιησομένων ταύτῃ Πελοποννησίων τὴν ἐσβολήν, Κλεόμβροτος δὲ ὁ Λακεδαιμονίων βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ Ἀμβρόσσου τρέπεται τῆς Φωκέων· ἀποκτείνας δὲ Χαιρέαν, ὃς φυλάσσειν διετέτακτο τὰς παρόδους, καὶ ἄλλους τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ Θηβαίους, ὑπερέβη καὶ ἐς Λεῦκτρα ἀφικνεῖται τὰ Βοιώτια.

[4] ἐνταῦθα καὶ αὐτῷ Κλεομβρότῳ καὶ Λακεδαιμονίων τῷ κοινῷ σημεῖα ἐγένετο ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ. τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν αὐτῶν ἐς τὰς ἐξόδους πρόβατα εἵπετο θεοῖς τε εἶναι θυσίας καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἀγώνων καλλιερεῖν· ταῖς δὲ ποίμναις ἡγεμόνες τῆς πορείας ἦσαν αἶγες, κατοιάδας οἱ ποιμένες ὀνομάζουσιν αὐτάς. τότε οὖν ὁρμήσαντες ἐς τὴν ποίμνην λύκοι τοῖς μὲν προβάτοις ἐγίνοντο οὐδὲν βλάβος, οἱ δὲ τὰς αἶγας τὰς κατοιάδας ἔκτεινον.

[5] ἐλέγετο δὲ καὶ μήνιμα ἐς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἐκ τῶν θυγατέρων εἶναι τῶν Σκεδάσου. Σκεδάσῳ γὰρ περὶ Λεῦκτρα οἰκοῦντι θυγατέρες Μολπία γίνεται καὶ Ἱππώ· ταύτας ἐς ὥραν ἤδη προηκούσας 0 Λακεδαιμονίων ἄνδρες βιάζονται παρὰ θέμιδα ς καὶ Φρουραρχίδας καὶ Παρθένιος. καὶ αἵ τε παρθένοι παραυτίκα—οὐ γάρ σφισιν ἀνεκτὰ ἐφαίνετο εἶναι τὰ τῆς ὕβρεως—ἀπάγχουσιν αὑτάς· καὶ ὁ Σκέδασος, ὡς ἐς Λακεδαίμονα ἐλθόντι οὐδεμία ἐγένετο αὐτῷ δίκη, οὕτως ἐς τὰ Λεῦκτρα ἐπανήκων αὑτὸν διεργάζεται.

[6] τότε δὲ ὁ Ἐπαμινώνδας Σκεδάσῳ καὶ ταῖς παισὶν ἐνήγιζέ τε καὶ εὔχετο, ὡς οὐ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας Θηβαίων ἢ καὶ τιμωρίας ἐκείνων τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐσόμενον. τῶν δὲ βοιωταρχούντων οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἐγίνοντο αἱ γνῶμαι, διεστηκυῖαι δὲ πολὺ ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων· Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ μὲν γὰρ ἤρεσκε καὶ Μάλγιδι καὶ Ξενοκράτει κατὰ τάχος πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ποιεῖσθαι μάχην, Δαμοκλείδας δὲ καὶ Δαμόφιλος καὶ Σιμάγγελος συμβάλλειν μὲν οὐκ εἴων, ἐκέλευον δὲ ὑπεκθεμένους ἐς τὴν Ἀττικὴν γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας ὡς πολιορκησομένους αὐτοὺς παρασκευάζεσθαι.

[7] τῶν μὲν δὴ ἓξ ἐς τοσοῦτον ἦν κεχωρισμένα τὰ βουλεύματα· προσγενομένης δὲ ψήφου τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν τοῦ ἑβδόμου τῶν Βοιωταρχῶν, ὃς ἐφρούρει μὲν τὴν κατὰ τὸν Κιθαιρῶνα ἐσβολήν, ὄνομα δὲ ἦν οἱ Βραχυλλίδης, τούτου τοῦ ἀνδρός, ὡς ἐπανῆλθεν ἐς τὸ στρατόπεδον, προσθεμένου τοῖς περὶ τὸν Ἐπαμινώνδαν, τότε καὶ πᾶσιν ἐδέδοκτο ἀγῶνι διακρίνεσθαι.

[8] τῷ δὲ Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ καὶ ἐς ἄλλους Βοιωτῶν ὕποπτα ἦν, ἐς δὲ τοὺς Θεσπιεῖς καὶ περισσότερον· δείσας οὖν μὴ σφᾶς παρὰ τὸ ἔργον προδῶσιν, ἀποχώρησιν παρεῖχεν ἀπὸ στρατοπέδου τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν 0 οἴκαδε· καὶ οἱ Θεσπιεῖς τε ἀπαλλάσσονται πανδημεὶ καὶ εἴ τισιν ἄλλοις Βοιωτῶν ὑπῆν δύσνοια ἐς τοὺς Θηβαίους.

[9] ὡς δὲ ἐς χεῖρας συνῄεσαν, ἐνταῦθα οἱ σύμμαχοι τῶν Λακεδαιμονίων ἅτε αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸν πρὸ τοῦ χρόνον οὐκ ἀρεσκόμενοι τὸ ἔχθος μάλιστα ἐπεδείκνυντο, οὔτε κατὰ χώραν μένειν ἐθέλοντες, ἐνδιδόντες δὲ ὅπῃ σφίσιν οἱ πολέμιοι προσφέροιντο. αὐτοὺς δὲ Λακεδαιμονίους καὶ Θηβαίους ἐξ ἴσου καθίστη τοὺς μὲν ἐμπειρία τε ἡ προϋπάρχουσα καὶ ἅμα αἰδουμένους μὴ καταλῦσαι τῆς Σπάρτης τὸ ἀξίωμα, Θηβαῖοι δὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς πατρίδος καὶ πρὸ γυναικῶν καὶ παίδων τὸν κίνδυνον ἐφεστηκότα ἑώρων.

[10] ὡς δὲ ἄλλοι τε Λακεδαιμονίων τῶν ἐν τέλει καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐτεθνήκει Κλεόμβροτος, ἐνταῦθα καὶ τοὺς Σπαρτιάτας καὶ ταλαιπωρουμένους ἐπελάμβανεν ἀνάγκη μὴ ἐνδιδόναι· παρὰ γὰρ τοῖς Λακεδαιμονίοις αἴσχιστον ἐδέδοκτο εἶναι βασιλέως νεκρὸν ἐπὶ ἀνδράσι πολεμίοις γενόμενον περιοφθῆναι.

[11]
Θηβαίοις μὲν ἡ νίκη κατείργαστο ἐπιφανέστατα πασῶν ὁπόσας κατὰ Ἑλλήνων ἀνείλοντο Ἕλληνες· Λακεδαιμόνιοι δὲ ἐς τὴν ὑστεραίαν τοὺς τεθνεῶτας διενοοῦντο ὡς θάψοντες καὶ ἀποστέλλουσι κήρυκα ἐς τοὺς Θηβαίους. Ἐπαμινώνδας δέ, ἐπιστάμενος ὡς ἐπικρύπτεσθαι τὰς συμφορὰς ἀεί ποτε οἱ Λακεδαιμόνιοι πεφύκασιν, ἔφασκεν ἀναίρεσιν τῶν νεκρῶν προτέροις αὐτῶν διδόναι τοῖς συμμάχοις, ἐπὶ δὲ ἐκείνοις ἀνελομένοις οὕτω καὶ τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ἠξίου θάπτειν τοὺς αὑτῶν.

[12] ὡς δὲ τῶν συμμάχων οἱ μὲν οὐδὲ ἀρχὴν 0 ἀνῃροῦντο ἅτε οὐ τεθνεῶτός σφισιν οὐδενός, τῶν δὲ ὀλίγον ἐφαίνετο εἶναι τὸ διεφθαρμένον, οὕτω Λακεδαιμόνιοί τε ἔθαπτον τοὺς αὑτῶν καὶ ἤδη Σπαρτιάτας ἐξελήλεγκτο εἶναι τοὺς κειμένους. ἀπέθανον δὲ Θηβαίων τε καὶ ὅσοι παρέμειναν Βοιωτῶν ἑπτὰ καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἄνδρες, Λακεδαιμονίων δὲ αὐτῶν πλείους ἢ χίλιοι.

Description of Greece. Pausanias. ed. Friedrich Spiro. Leipzig. 1903.

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Current edition Perseus

Ἑλλάδος Περιηγήσεως (Greek) (Pausanias. Pausaniae Graeciae descriptio, Volumes 1-3. Spiro, Friedrich, editor. Leipzig: Teubner, 1903.)

Translations (2)

Description of Greece Perseus (Pausanias. Pausanias Description of Greece, Volumes 1-4. Jones, W.H.S. (William Henry Samuel), translator; Ormerod, Henry Arderne, translator. London, New York: W. Heinemann, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1918-1935.) — 9.13 focus

[1]
Epaminondas had famous ancestors, but his father had less wealth than a Theban of ordinary means. He was most thoroughly taught all the subjects of the national education, and when a young man went to receive instruction from Lysis, a Tarentine by descent, learned in the philosophy of Pythagoras the Samian. When Lacedaemon was at war with Mantineia , Epaminondas is said to have been sent with certain others from Thebes to help the Lacedaemonians. In the battle Pelopidas received wounds, but his life was saved by Epaminondas at the greatest risk to his own.

[2] Later on, when Epaminondas had come to Sparta as an envoy, what time the Lacedaemonians said they were concluding with the Greeks the peace called the Peace of Antalcidas,¹ Agesilaus asked him whether they would allow each Boeotian city to swear to the peace separately. He replied: “No, Spartans, not before we see your vassals² taking the oath city by city.”

[3] When the war between Lacedaemon and Thebes had already broken out, and the Lacedaemonians were advancing to attack the Thebans with a force of their own men and of their allies, Epaminondas with a part of the army occupied to meet them a position above the Cephisian lake, under the impression that at this point the Peloponnesians would make their invasion. But Cleombrotus, the king of the Lacedaemonians, turned towards Ambrossus in Phocis . He massacred a Theban force under Chaereas, who was under orders to guard the passes, crossed the high ground and reached Leuctra in Boeotia .

[4] Here heaven sent signs to the Lacedaemonian people and to Cleombrotus personally.³ The Lacedaemonian kings were accompanied on their expeditions by sheep, to serve as sacrifices to the gods and to give fair omens before battles. The flocks were led on the march by she-goats, called katoiades by the herdsmen. On this occasion, then, the wolves dashed on the flock, did no harm at all to the sheep, but killed the goats called katoiades.

[5] It was also said that the wrath of the daughters of Scedasus fell upon the Lacedaemonians. Scedasus, who lived near Leuctra, had two daughters, Molpia and Hippo. These in the bloom of their youth were wickedly outraged by two Lacedaemonians, Phrurarchidas and Parthenius. The maidens, unable to bear the shame of their violation, immediately hanged themselves. Scedasus repaired to Lacedaemon , but meeting with no justice returned to Leuctra and committed suicide.

[6] Well, on this occasion Epaminondas sacrificed with prayers to Scedasus and his girls, implying that the battle would be to avenge them no less than to secure the salvation of Thebes . The Boeotarchs were not agreed, but differed widely in their opinions. For Epaminondas, Malgis and Xenocrates were minded to do battle with the Lacedaemonians at once, but Damocleidas, Damophilus and Simangelus were against joining in battle, and urged that they should put wives and children safely out of the way in Attica , and prepare to undergo a siege themselves.

[7] So divergent were the views of the six. The seventh Boeotarch, whose name was Brachyllides, was guarding the pass by Cithaeron, and on his return to the army added his vote to the side of Epaminondas, and then there was a unanimous decision to try the ordeal of battle.

[8] But Epaminondas had his suspicions of some of the Boeotians especially of the Thespians. Fearing, therefore, lest they should desert during the engagement, he permitted all who would to leave the camp and go home. The Thespians left with all their forces, as did any other Boeotians who felt annoyed with the Thebans.

[9] When the battle joined, the allies of the Lacedaemonians, who had hitherto been not the best of friends, now showed most clearly their hostility, by their reluctance to stand their ground, and by giving way wherever the enemy attacked them. The Lacedaemonians themselves and the Thebans were not badly matched adversaries. The former had their previous experience, and their shame of lessening the reputation of Sparta ; the Thebans realized that what was at stake was their country, their wives and their children.

[10] But when king Cleombrotus with several Lacedaemonian magistrates had fallen, the Spartans were bound by necessity not to give way, in spite of their distress. For among the Lacedaemonians it was considered the greatest disgrace to allow the body of a king to come into the hands of enemies.

[11]
The victory of Thebes was the most famous ever won by Greeks over Greeks. The Lacedaemonians on the following day were minded to bury their dead, and sent a herald to the Thebans. But Epaminondas, knowing that the Lacedaemonians were always inclined to cover up their disasters, said that he permitted their allies first to take up their dead, and only when these had done so did he approve of the Lacedaemonians' burying their own dead.

[12] Some of the allies took up no dead at all, as not a man of them had fallen; others had but slight loss to report. So when the Lacedaemonians proceeded to bury their own, it was at once proved that the fallen were Spartans. The loss of the Thebans and of such Boeotians as remained loyal amounted to forty-seven, but of the Lacedaemonians themselves there fell more than a thousand men.

English (Jones and Ormerod; retranslated Gregory Nagy, CHS, 2018) (OCR draft) Experimental (CHS Pausanias Reader retranslation by Gregory Nagy, based on Jones and Ormerod, with marked Greek terms, notes, quotations, and bibliographic attributions preserved.) — 9.13 focus

[1] Epameinondas had famous ancestors, but his father had less wealth than a Theban of ordinary means. He was most thoroughly taught all the subjects of the national education, and when a young man went to receive instruction from Lysis, whose lineage originated from Tarentum, learned in the philosophy of Pythagoras the Samian. When Lacedaemon was at war with Mantineia, Epameinondas is said to have been sent with certain others from Thebes to help the Lacedaemonians. In the battle Pelopidas received wounds, but his life was saved by Epameinondas at the greatest risk to his own.

[2] Later on, when Epameinondas had come to Sparta as an envoy, what time the Lacedaemonians said they were concluding with the Greeks the peace called the Peace of Antalkidas, Agesilaos asked him whether they would allow each Boeotian city to swear to the peace separately. He replied: “No, Spartans, not before we see your vassals taking the oath city by city.”

[3] When the war between Lacedaemon and Thebes had already broken out, and the Lacedaemonians were advancing to attack the Thebans with a force of their own men and of their allies, Epameinondas with a part of the army occupied to meet them a position above the Cephisian lake, under the impression that at this point the Peloponnesians would make their invasion. But Kleombrotos, the king of the Lacedaemonians, turned towards Ambrossos in Phokis. He massacred a Theban force under Khaireas, who was under orders to guard the passes, crossed the high ground and reached Leuktra in Boeotia.

[4] Here the god [ theos] sent signs to the Lacedaemonian people and to Kleombrotos personally. The Lacedaemonian kings were accompanied on their expeditions by sheep, to serve as sacrifices to the gods and to give fair omens before battles. The flocks were led on the march by she-goats, called katoiades by the herdsmen. On this occasion, then, the wolves dashed on the flock, did no harm at all to the sheep, but killed the goats called katoiades.

[5] It was also said that the wrath of the daughters of Scedasus fell upon the Lacedaemonians. Scedasus, who lived near Leuktra, had two daughters, Molpia and Hippo. These in the bloom of their youth were wickedly outraged by two Lacedaemonians, Phrurarchidas and Parthenios. The girls, unable to bear the shame of their violation, immediately hanged themselves. Scedasus repaired to Lacedaemon, but meeting with no justice returned to Leuktra and committed suicide.

[6] Well, on this occasion Epameinondas sacrificed with prayers to Scedasus and his girls, implying that the battle would be to avenge them no less than to secure the salvation of Thebes. The Boeotarchs were not agreed, but differed widely in their opinions. For Epameinondas, Malgis and Xenokrates were minded to do battle with the Lacedaemonians at once, but Damokleidas, Damophilus and Simangelus were against joining in battle, and urged that they should put wives and children safely out of the way in Attica, and prepare to undergo a siege themselves.

[7] So divergent were the views of the six. The seventh Boeotarch, whose name was Brachyllides, was guarding the pass by Cithaeron, and on his return to the army added his vote to the side of Epameinondas, and then there was a unanimous decision to try the ordeal of battle.

[8] But Epameinondas had his suspicions of some of the Boeotians especially of the Thespians. Fearing, therefore, lest they should desert during the engagement, he permitted all who would to leave the camp and go home. The Thespians left with all their forces, as did any other Boeotians who felt annoyed with the Thebans.

[9] When the battle joined, the allies of the Lacedaemonians, who had hitherto been not the best of friends, now showed most clearly their hostility, by their reluctance to stand their ground, and by giving way wherever the enemy attacked them. The Lacedaemonians themselves and the Thebans were not badly matched adversaries. The former had their previous experience, and their shame of lessening the reputation of Sparta; the Thebans realized that what was at stake was their country, their wives and their children.

[10] But when king Kleombrotos with several Lacedaemonian magistrates had fallen, the Spartans were bound by necessity not to give way, in spite of their distress. For among the Lacedaemonians it was considered the greatest disgrace to allow the body of a king to come into the hands of enemies.

[11] The victory of Thebes was the most famous ever won by Greeks over Greeks. The Lacedaemonians on the following day were minded to bury their dead, and sent a herald to the Thebans. But Epameinondas, knowing that the Lacedaemonians were always inclined to cover up their disasters, said that he permitted their allies first to take up their dead, and only when these had done so did he approve of the Lacedaemonians’ burying their own dead.

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Gregory Nagy, Editors: Angelia Hanhardt and Keith DeStone, Web producer: Noel Spencer, Consultant for images: Jill Curry Robbins, \[\[Noel gives this a separate URN\]\]

Pausanias Description of Greece 9.13

ed. Friedrich Spiro

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