Extract

Theban general. First attested at the Spartan siege of *Mantinea (386), he was exiled by the pro-Spartan junta (382). His contribution to the liberation of *Thebes (1) (379/8 ) earned the first of thirteen boeotarchies (see federal states). Returning from an attack on *Orchomenus (1), he inflicted a psychologically important defeat on two Sparta morai at *Tegyra (375). At *Leuctra (about which he had a prophetic dream) he and the *Sacred Band helped to execute *Epaminondas' battle-plan. After the historic Theban invasion of *Laconia (370/69), he was (like Epaminondas) acquitted on a politically inspired charge of acting ultra vires. In 367 he visited *Artaxerxes (2) II, extracting a rescript which suited Theban interests but proved hard to enforce. Latterly his special interest was *Thessaly.