THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA, 371 BC: The Collapse of Sparta's Empire and the Rise of the Theban Hegemony

Details Thebes's fight against Sparta that would lead to them shattering the Spartan empire. Chronicles how victory boiled down to the indomitable spirit of Epaminondas and Pelopidas. The two formed a local resistance movement that first liberated their home from Spartan oppression in 378 and then challenged Sparta's empire outright in the Theban-Spartan War. By 371 at the Battle of Leuctra, their vision of a free Thebes and broken Sparta was realized, and the infamous Spartan war machine was at long last defeated. Contains 18 color illustrations.