The history of the world

§. VII. The great battaile of Mantinaea. The honourable death of EPAMI∣NONDAS, with his commendation. [unspec 30]

EPAMINONDAS, considering that his Commission was almost now expired, and that his attempts of surprising Sparta and Mantinaea, ha∣uing failed, the impression of terrour which his name had wrought in the Peloponnesians, would soone vanish, vnlesse by some notable act he should abate their courage in their first grouth, and leaue some memorable character of his expedition; resolued to giue them battaile, whereby he reasonably hoped both to settle the doubtfull affections of his own Associates, and to leaue the Spartans as weake in spirit and abilitie, as he found them, if not wholly to bring them into subjection. Hauing therefore warned his men to prepare for that battaile, wherein victorie should be rewarded with Lordship of all Greece; and [unspec 40] finding the alacritie of his Souldiers to be such as promised the accomplishment of his owne desire; he made shew of declining the enemie, and intrenching himselfe in a place of more aduantage, that so by taking from them all expectation of figh∣ting that day, hee might allay the heate of their valour, and afterward strike their senses with amazement, when hee should come vpon them vnexpected. This opi∣nion deceiued him not. For with very much tumult, as in so great and sodaine a danger, the enemie ranne to Armes, necessitie enforcing their resolution, and the consequence of that daies seruice vrging them to doe as well as they might. The Theban Armie consisted of thirtie thousand foot, and three thousand horse; the La∣cedaemonians and their friends were short of this number, both in horse and in foot, [unspec 50] by a third part. The Mantinaeans (because the warre was in their Countrie) stood in the right wing, and with them the Lacedaemonians: the Athenians had the left wing, the Achaeans, Eleans, and others of lesse account, filled the bodie of the Ar∣mie. The Thebans stood in the left wing of their owne battaile, opposite to the La∣cedaemonians,

hauing by them the Arcadians; the Eubeans, Locrians, Sicyonians, Messe∣nians, and Thessalians with others, compounding the maine battaile; the Argiues held the right wing; the horse-men on each part were placed in the flancks, only a troupe of the Eleans were in reare. Before the footmen could joyne, the encounter of the horse on both sides was very rough, wherein finally the Thebans preuailed, notwithstanding the valiant resistance of the Athenians: who not yeelding to the enemie either in courage or skil, were ouer-laied with numbers, and so beaten vpon by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 slings, that they were driuen to forsake the place, and leaue their in∣fanterie naked. But this retrait was the lesse disgracefull, because they kept them∣selues together, and did not fall backe vpon their owne foot-men; but finding the [unspec 10] Theban horse to haue giuen them ouer, and withall discouering some Companies of foot, which had beene sent about by Epaminondas, to charge their battaile in the reare, they brake vpon them, routed them, and hewed them all in peeces. In the meane season the battaile of the Athenians had not onely to doe with the Argiues, but was hardly pressed by the Theban Horse-men, in such wise that it beganne to open, and was readie to turne backe, when the Elean squadron of Horse came vp to the reliefe of it, and restored all on that part. With farre greater violence did the Lacedaemonians and Thebans meete, these contending for Dominion, the other for the maintenance of their ancient honour, so that equall courage and equal losse on both sides made the hope and appearance of victorie to either equally doubtfull: [unspec 20] vnlesse perhaps the Lacedaemonians being very firme abiders, might seeme the more likely to preuaile, as hauing borne the first brunt, and furie of the on-set, which was not hitherto remitted, and being framed by Discipline, as it were by Nature, to excell in 〈◊〉〈◊〉, whereof the Thebans, by practice of a few yeeres, cannot be thought to haue gotten a habite so sure and generall. But Epaminondas perceiuing the obstinate stiffenesse of the Enemies to bee such, as neither the badde successe of their owne horse, nor all the force of the Boeotian Armie, could abate so farre, as to make them giue one foote of ground; taking a choise Companie of the most able men, whom hee cast into the forme of a Wedge, or Diamond, by the aduantage of that figure against a squadron, and by his owne exceeding vertue, accompanied [unspec 30] with the great strength and resolution of them which followed him, did open their rancks, and cleaue the whole battaile in despight of all resistance. Thus was the honour of that day wonne by the Thebans, who may justly bee said to haue carried the victorie, seeing that they remained Masters of the ground whereon the battaile was fought, hauing driuen the Enemie to lodge farther off. For that which was alleaged by the Athenians, as a token that the victorie was partly theirs, the slaughter of those Mercenaries vpon whom they lighted by chance in their owne flight, finding them behinde their Armie, and the retaining of their dead bodies; it was a Ceremonie regardable onely among the Greekes, and serued meerely for ostentation, shewing that by the fight they had obtained somewhat, which the [unspec 40] Enemie could not get from them otherwise than by request. But the Thebans ar∣riued at the generall immediate end of battaile; none daring to abide them in the field: whereof a manifest confession is expressed from them, who forsake the place which they had chosen or accepted, as indifferent for triall of their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and prowesse. This was the last worke of the incomparable vertue of Epaminondas, who being in the head of that Warlike troupe of men, which broke the Lacedaemo∣nian esquadron, and forced it to giue back in disaray, was furiously charged on the sodaine, by a desperate Company of the Spartans, who all at once threw their Darts at him alone; whereby receiuing many wounds, hee neuerthelesse with a singular courage maintained the fight, vsing against the Enemies many of their [unspec 50] Darts, which hee drew out of his owne bodie; till at length by a Spartan, called Anticrates, hee receiued so violent a stroke with a Dart, that the wood of it brake, leauing the yron and a peece of the tronchion in his brest. Hereupon hee sunke downe, and was soone conueighed out of the fight by his friends, hauing by his

fall somewhat animated the Spartans (who faine would haue got his bodie) but much more inflamed with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 indignation, the Thebans, who raging at this heauie mischance did with great slaughter compell their disordered enemies to leaue the field; though long they followed not the 〈◊〉〈◊〉, being wearied more with the sadnesse of this 〈◊〉〈◊〉, than with all the trauaile of the day. Epaminondas be∣ing brought into his Tent, was told by the Phisicians, That when the head of the Dart should be drawne out of his bodie, hee must 〈◊〉〈◊〉 die. Hearing this, hee called for his shield, which to haue lost, was held a great dishonour: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was brought vnto him. He bade them tell him which part 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the victorie; answere was made, that the Boeotians had wonne the field. Then said he, it is 〈◊〉〈◊〉 time for mee to die, [unspec 10] and withall sent for Iolidas, and Diophantes, two principall 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of Warre, that were both slaine; which being told him, He aduised the Thebans to make Peace, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with aduantage they might, for that they had none left that was able to discharge the office of a Generall. Herewithall he willed, that the head of the weapon should be drawne out of his bodie; comforting his friends that lamented his death, and want of issue, by telling them, that the victories of Leuctra and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were two faire Daughters, in whom his memorie should 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

So died 〈◊〉〈◊〉, the worthiest man that euer was bred in that Nation of Grecce, and hardly to bee matched in any Age or Countrie: for hee 〈◊〉〈◊〉 all o∣thers in the seuerall vertues, which in each of them were singular. His 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and [unspec 20] Sinceritie, his Temperance, Wisedome, and high Magnanimitie, were no way inferiour to his Militarie vertue; in euery part whereof hee so excelled, That hee could not properly bee called a Warie, a Valiant, a 〈◊〉〈◊〉, a Bountifull, or an In∣dustrious, and a Prouident Captaine; all these Titles, and many other, being due vnto him, which with his 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Discipline, and good Conduct, made a perfect composition of an Heroique Generall. Neither was his priuate 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sation vn∣answerable to those high parts, which gaue him praise abroade. For he was Graue, and yet very Affable and Curteous; resolute in publique businesse, but in his owne particular easie, and of much mildnesse: a louer of his People, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 with mens infirmities, wittie and pleasant in speech, farre from insolence, Master of his [unspec 30] owne affections, and furnished with all qualities that might winne and keepe loue. To these Graces were added great abilitie of bodie, much Eloquence, and very deepe knowledge in all parts of Philosophie and Learning, wherewith his minde being enlightened, rested not in the sweetnesse of Contemplation, but brake forth into such 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as gaue vnto Thebes, which had euer-more beene an vnder∣ling, a dreadfull reputation among all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 adjoyning, and the highest com∣mand in 〈◊〉〈◊〉.