Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece Chapter 1135: Battle of Leuctra

"I understand. I will return and discuss it with the others to secure greater benefits for the kingdom in the treaty," Ansitanos replied.

"There is another thing..." Davos hesitated for a moment. "Will you reconsider your resignation as Minister of Foreign Affairs? Another war seems on the verge of breaking out, and in the complex landscape of the Greek Mainland, no less. Diplomatic affairs are of the utmost importance right now. We need an experienced veteran like you at the helm. How can you leave at such a critical juncture?"

Ansitanos ran a thin finger through his gray hair. "Your Majesty, I am old. I no longer have the energy to handle such a strenuous task, especially with war looming. I am better off resigning as Minister of Foreign Affairs and making the most of my remaining time to do what I truly enjoy—like finally finishing the

"Very well." Davos did not press the issue. After a moment's thought, he continued, "I looked over the candidates you listed for Minister of Foreign Affairs and considered them for a long time. I feel Tapirus is the most suitable choice. He made great contributions during both the Western Mediterranean War and the Gallic War. He has both the qualifications and the ability. What do you think?"

"I completely agree with Your Majesty's decision," Ansitanos replied without hesitation.

"Then, once the treaty with Thebes is signed, I will summon the six Ministers of State and finalize the matter."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Heni, escort your teacher out for me."

"Teacher, how much of your

"I have always spoken to His Majesty like this. Is there a problem?" Henipolis asked, somewhat confused.

"His Majesty is no longer the man he used to be. Not only is his prestige within the kingdom unprecedented, but his power has also grown!" Ansitanos whispered with a sigh. The scene from moments ago played out in his mind again: he had recommended four candidates for Minister of Foreign Affairs, three of whom were his own students. None lacked the qualifications or achievements to rival Tapirus. Yet, Davos had pointedly chosen Tapirus—the one with whom Ansitanos had the loosest ties. A few years ago, an appointment as important as the kingdom's Minister of Foreign Affairs would typically have required discussions among the ministers before finally being submitted to the Senate for approval. Now, it only required a discussion between His Majesty and the six Ministers of State to reach a general decision, which essentially meant Davos had the final say.

"Teacher, His Majesty is exactly the same as before. You are overthinking things," Henipolis disagreed, offering a word of comfort in return.

Ansitanos could only offer a helpless sigh. "It seems I truly have grown old. I am always letting my imagination run wild..."

..............................

Following the signing of the Peace of Callias, the treaty terms stipulated that all contracting parties must recall their foreign deployments and dismantle any military fortresses located in foreign states.

Consequently, Athens was currently recalling the army led by Iphicrates stationed in Korkyra. Sparta, however, had not implemented the treaty. On the contrary, after learning that Thebes had sent envoys to Daionia, the Spartans felt a renewed sense of urgency. They had originally intended to send Xenophon as an envoy to Daionia once again to persuade King Davos not to support the Thebans. However, the Persian ambassador, Datis, who had not yet departed, warned the Spartans against associating too closely with Daionia. He also stated that to support Sparta in punishing Thebes, a large quantity of supplies gifted by Persia was currently being transported by a fleet from Miletus and would arrive shortly.

Under these circumstances, Sparta decided to launch a preemptive strike against Thebes. The speed at which the Spartans assembled their allied forces this time was unprecedented. Due to Agesilaus's poor health, the army was once again commanded by the other King of Sparta, Cleombrotus. Even before the treaty was signed, he had already been ordered to station himself in Phocis. In May, reinforcements crossed the Gulf of Corinth to rendezvous with his forces.

By this time, news that Daionia had formed an alliance with Thebes reached Sparta, leaving the Spartans on edge.

Shortly after, the Daionian envoy, Tapirus, arrived in Sparta. He reminded the Council of Elders that Daionia was now allied with Thebes and expressed his hope that Sparta would agree to a ceasefire and restore peace. This would prevent Daionia from being dragged into the war by its treaty obligations, which would ultimately ruin the decade-long friendship between Daionia and Sparta.

The elders, led by Agesilaus, replied that Sparta had been completely unaware of the alliance between Daionia and Thebes. Their grand army had already set out and might have even engaged Thebes in battle. Given the situation, it would be difficult to recall the army on such short notice. Nevertheless, they promised to do everything in their power to restore peace to Greece.

Tapirus saw right through the Spartans' prevarication. However, his visit was merely a formal notification adhering to traditional etiquette; King Davos had never ordered him to stop the war from happening. Thus, Tapirus promptly took his leave. On his way out of the city, he ran into the Persian ambassador, Datis, who subjected him to vicious threats and mockery.

Seeing that the vast majority of the Spartans had taken the Persian ambassador's side, Tapirus realized he was vastly outnumbered. He did not bother to argue back with full force. After exchanging a few perfunctory words, he left in a sorry state, firmly engraving the humiliation into his heart.

In mid-June, Cleombrotus massed his forces at Coroneia, the gateway between Phocis and Boeotia. After waiting for the subsequent reinforcements to arrive, he immediately marched toward Thebes.

By now, everyone on the Greek Mainland believed a decisive battle between Thebes and Sparta was inevitable. The massive scale of the Spartan army convinced them that Sparta held an absolute advantage. All that was left was to sit back and watch as Thebes was either utterly destroyed or turned into a Spartan puppet.

Even many Thebans harbored no hope of victory. Some even tearfully suggested surrendering to Sparta.

Certain city-states, like Athens, gloated over the impending disaster about to befall Thebes. Others, like Argos, felt a sense of dread and silently prayed for Thebes. A small handful of city-states actually extended a helping hand. The most notable among them was Jason, the tagus of Thessaly. He had secretly formed an alliance with Thebes over a year ago. At this critical moment, he sent three hundred members of the Cavalry of Thessaly to Thebes by sea, since the land route through Thermopylae was controlled by Sparta, making it impossible for the Thessalians to march south.

In early July, Cleombrotus unexpectedly led his army on a rapid march along a winding mountain trail, completely bypassing the ambush set up by the Boeotian Coalition Army. He arrived at Thisbe and launched a surprise attack on Creusis, the sole marine port held by Thebes. By capturing the few warships Thebes possessed, he secured his army's line of retreat.

After resting for two days, the Spartan Coalition, numbering over ten thousand soldiers, continued its march straight north toward Thebes. Upon reaching the Leuctra Heights, the Spartans discovered that their path forward had been blocked by the Theban Army.

Originally, when the Spartan Coalition first crossed into Boeotia, many Theban generals felt that the enemy's aggressive momentum and vastly superior numbers made a head-on confrontation impossible. They suggested temporarily evading the vanguard, abandoning the outlying military fortresses, and falling back to defend the city of Thebes itself.

Epaminondas vehemently opposed this idea. He firmly believed they needed to take the initiative to meet the enemy in battle. They could not allow the Spartans to invade the core territory of Thebes. If the enemy were permitted to freely destroy their farmlands and villages, it would shake the citizens' resolve to fight.

Over the years, Epaminondas had successfully led the Thebans in fending off multiple invasions by the Spartan Coalition, earning immense prestige among the citizens. Furthermore, he had recently been elected as a Boeotarch of the Boeotian League—the highest office in the Boeotian League, held jointly by two magistrates elected annually, the other being Pelopidas. Since Pelopidas, who had already returned to the city of Thebes, fully supported Epaminondas's decision, the Boeotian League, spearheaded by Thebes, ultimately resolved to fight the Spartan Coalition to the bitter end.

Commanding the entire force of the Boeotian Coalition Army—roughly six thousand men—Epaminondas arrived at the Leuctra Heights early and quietly awaited the enemy's arrival.

The Leuctra Heights were located at the southern edge of the plain where Thebes was situated. The area was dotted with low hills. One of these hills had a relatively flat, circular peak, which served as the command post for the Theban commanders and key generals, as well as the staging ground for their heavy infantry.

Upon learning of the Spartan Coalition's arrival, Epaminondas did not immediately order his men to form ranks or assume a battle formation. Instead, he moved his army to a hill opposite the Spartan Coalition's staging area and began constructing a camp.

Several Theban generals advised Epaminondas to launch an attack right then and there, taking advantage of the fact that the Spartans had just finished their march and were exhausted.

Epaminondas did not take their advice.

By the second day, the Spartans still had not made any military moves. However, Cleombrotus had learned through his scouts that the number of soldiers in the opposing Boeotian Coalition Army camp was significantly lower than his own. This finally prompted him, early on the third morning, to lead the fully rested Spartan Coalition out of their camp and begin forming ranks along the gentle slope.

Upon receiving the news, Epaminondas rushed outside the camp and gazed out at the opposite hill. A smile broke across his face. The Spartan Coalition's battle formation was identical to every other battle the Spartans had fought. The army was arrayed in a single line, with the red-cloaked Spartan Warriors positioned on the right wing, noticeably protruding ahead of the rest of the formation.