A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

180 PELOPIDAS. PELOPS.
For this, Epaminondas and Pelopidas were im- Thebes for protection against Alexander, and Pepeached afterwards by their enemies at Thebes, lopidas was appointed to aid them. His forces,
but were honourably acquitted. [EPAMINONDAS; however, were dismayed by an eclipse of the sun.MENECLEIDAS.] Early in B. c. 368, the Thessa- (June 13), and, therefore, leaving them behind, he
lians who were suffering under the oppression of took with him into Thessaly only 300 horse, having
Alexander of Pherae, applied for aid to Thebes. set out amidst the warnings of the soothsayers.
The appeal was responded to, and Pelopidas, being On his arrival at Pharsalus he collected a force
entrusted with the command of the expedition, occu- which he deemed sufficient, and marched against
pied Larissa, and received the submission of the ty- Alexander, treating lightly the great disparity of
rant, who had come thither for the purpose, but who numbers, and remarking that it was better as it
soon after sought safety in flight, alarmed at the was, since there would be more for him to conquer.
indignation shown by Pelopidas at the tales he According to Diodorus, he found the tyrant occuheard of his cruelty and profligacy. From Thessaly pying a commanding position on the heights of
Pelopidas advanced into Macedonia, to arbitrate Cynoscephalae. Here a battle ensued, in which
between ALEXANDER II. and Ptolemy of Alorus. Pelopidas drove the enemy front their ground, but
Having accommodated their differences, he took he himself was slain as, burning with resentment,
away with him, as hostages for the continuance of he pressed rashly forward to attack Alexander in
tranquillity, thirty boys of the noblest families, person. The Thebans and Thessalians made great
among whom, according to Plutarch and Diodorus, lamentations for his death, and the latter, having
was the famous Philip, the father of Alexander the earnestly requested leave to bury him, celebrated
Great. [PHILIPPUs II.] In the course of the his funeral with extraordinary splendour. They
same year Pelopidas was sent again into Thessaly, honoured his memory also with statues and golden
in consequence of fresh complaints against Alex- crowns, and gave more substantial proofs of their
ander of Pherae; but he went simply as an gratitude by presents of large estates to his chilambassador, not expecting any opposition, and dren.
unprovided with a military force. Meanwhiie Pelopidas has been censured, obviously with
Alexander, the Macedonian king, had been mur- justice, for the rashness, unbecoming a general,
dered by Ptolemy of Alorus; and Pelopidas, being which he exhibited in his last battle; and we may
applied to by the loyalists to aid them against the well believe that, on more occasions than this, his
usurper, hired some mercenaries and marched into fiery temperament betrayed him into acts characterMacedonia. If we may believe Plutarch, Ptolemy istic rather of the gallant soldier than of the prudent
seduced his soldiers from him by bribes, and yet, commander. His success at the court of Artaxerxes
alarmed by his name and reputation, met him sub- would lead us to ascribe to him considerable skill
missively, and promised to be a faithful ally of in diplomacy; but some deduction must be made
Thebes, and to keep the throne for Perdiccas and fiom this in consideration of the very favourable
Philip, the brothers of the late king, placing in his circumstances under which his mission was underhands at the same time his son Philoxenus and taken, and the prestige which accompanied him in
fifty of his friends, as hostages for the fulfilment of consequence of the high position of his country at
his engagement. After this, Pelopidas, offended that period, and the recent humiliation of Sparta.
at the desertion of his mercenaries, marched with Certainly, however, this very power of Thebes,
a body of Thessalians, whom he had collected, unprecedented and short-lived as it was, was owing
against Pharsalus, where he heard that most of the mainly to himself and to Epaminondas. But these
property of the delinquents was placed, as well as are minor points. Viewing him as a manl, and
their wives and children. While he was before taking him all in all, Pelopidas was truly one of
the town, Alexander of Pherae presented himself, nature's noblemen; and, if he was inferior to
and Pelopidasf, thinking that lie had come to give Epaminondas in powers of mind and in commandan account of his conduct, went to meet him, ac- ing strength of character, he was raised above ordicompanied by a few friends and unarmed. The nary men by his disinterested patriotism, his untyrant seized him, and confined him closely at calculating generosity, and, not least, by his cordial,
Pherae, where he remained till his liberation, in affectionate, unenvying admiration of his greater
a. c. 367, by a Theban force under Epaminondas. friend. (Plut. Pelopidas, Reg. et Imp. Apoph. p.
During his imprisonment he is said to have treated 61, ed. Tauchn.; Diod. xv. 62, &c., 67, 71, 75,
Alexander with defiance, and to have exasperated 80, 81; Wess. ad loc.; Xen. Hell. vii. 1. ~~ 33,
his wife Thebe against him. In the same year in &c.; Ael. V. H. xi. 9, xiv. 38; Paus. ix. 15;
which he was released he was sent as ambassador Polyb. vi. 43, Fragm. Hist. xv.; Corn. Nep.
to Susa, to counteract the Lacedaemonian and Pelopidas.) [ALEXANDER of Pherae; EPAMIAthenian negotiations at the Persian court. His NONDAS.] [E. E.]
fame had preceded him, and he was received with PELOPS. (li'xAo4.) 1. A grandson of Zeus,
marked distinction by the king, and obtained, as and son of Tantalus and Dione, the daughter of
far as Persia could grant it, all that he asked for, Atlas. (Hygin. Fab. 83; Eurip. Orest. init.) As
viz. that Messenia should be independent, that he was thus a great-grandson of Cronos, he is
the Athenians should lay up their ships, and that called by Pindar Kpdsvos (01. iii. 41), though it
tile Thebans should be regarded as hereditary may also contain an allusion to Pluto, the mother
friends "f the king. For himself, Pelopidas re- of Tantalus, who was a daughter of Cronos.
fused. all the presents which Artaxerxes offered [PLUTO.] Some writers call the mother of Pelops
him, and, according to Plutarch (Artax. 22), Euryanassa or Clytia. (Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 5,
avoided during his mission all that to a Greek 11; Tzetz ad Lye. 52; comp. Apostol. Centur.
mind would appear to be unmanly marks of ho- xviii. 7.) He was married to Hippodameia, by
mage. whom he became the father of Atreus (Letreus,
In. c. 364, the Thessalian towns, those espe- Paus. vi. 22. ~ 5), Thyestes, Dias, Cynosurus,
cially of Magnesia and Phthiotis, again applied to Corinthius, Hippalnus s (Hippalcmus or Hippal