Greece. The Lacedemonians themselves appeared diffatisfied, so that he was afraid of leading his foldiers without the city. In the midst of these diftreffes he placed all his hopes in the tolians, who had been ftrongly inftrumental in drawing him into the war. He folicited their affiftance in the most earnest and preffing manner; but they fhewed themselves very proper allies for a tyrant. Having difpatched his meffengers with large affu- He afks rances of ready affiftance, they then confulted how to act; and the assistthe refult of their confultation was, that Nabis, when he had a ance of ftrong army of Spartans and mercenaries at his command, was the totheir good ally, and deferved all poffible regard; but in the pre- lians. fent fituation of things, when his forces were in a manner cut off, and he scarce able to maintain himself in Sparta, it would beft ferve their purposes to remove him out of the way, and take the city to themfelves. This counfel being approved, Alexamenus was fent to Lacedæmon with 1000 foot and 30 horfe, who were ordered to obey him alone, and not to affift Nabis to make war on the Achæans. Nabis was greatly difiatisfied with this fmall reinforcement; but Alexamenus, to encourage him, told him, that the Etolians, if his neceffities required it, would march with all their forces to his relief; that Antiochus was refolved to make war on the Romans, and that many of the Greek states were inclined to his party. Nabis, encouraged by thefe affurances, began to exercife his troops without the city, by the advice of Alexamenus, who affifted on thefe occafions, and having gained the confidence of the tyrant, perfuaded him to poft his Spartan guards phalanx ways behind the reft of his troops. Having thus lulled He is the tyrant into great fecurity, he took the opportunity of a re- murdered view of the troops to execute his purpose. While the guards by the were pofted behind, he and his fmall body of horfe fuddenly Etolian attacked Nabis, and inftantly flew him. general, The Lacedæmonians who were prefent looked on with a mixture of joy and terror; joy that the tyrant was dead, terror at beholding fo ftrange an accident, the reafons of which they knew not. Alexamenus and the Etolians taking advantage of who pluntheir amazement, marched directly into the city, which they ders Sparplundered, the chief breaking into the tyrant's palace, and ri- ta, fling all his treafures. The Spartans beginning now to look on the murder of Nabis as their misfortune, and confidering how little it became them to look on and fee themfelves fpoiled by but is cut foreigners, took a child, whose name was Laconicus, defcended to pieces. of the royal family, and for that reafon bred up by Nabis, and by the fetting him on horfeback, gathered round him and attacked Spartans, many of the Etolians, whom they put to the fword. After a while they broke into the palace, where they flew Alexamenus and those that were with him, and alfo put many other Etolians to death, who had fled into a temple of Diana. Mean while Philopamen, who, by an exprefs, had been informed of the death of Nabis, arrived with a few troops at Sparta, but inftead of treacheroufly taking advantage of their confufions, he who unite he reprefented to the citizens the imprudence of their conduct, them- and engaged them, fince they had fo happily recovered their felves to freedom, to unite themselves to the Achæans, reaping thus by the Acha- his virtue, all the fruits the Etolians expected from their perfidy. ans. CHA P. IV. The Hiflory of the THEBANS, From the time of their becoming a commonwealth, to their reduction, by PHILIP of Macedon." Democra- WHAT kind of a commonwealth was firft established by cy prevails at Thetes, the Thebans, immediately after the death of Xanthus, does not appear. This only we know, that in process of time, when the Thebans came to their flourishing age, and in their turn put in for the fovereignty of Greece, their government was in the nature of a democracy, but it was not till after a long time, and by flow degrees, that they arrived to this height of power. Notwithstanding their great antiquity, their foreign and domeftic wars, and gallant defence of their city against the Argives and the Epigoni; yet their progrefs in the martial difcipline, or in the improvement of their government, laws, and commerce, was, for a long time, but inconfiderable, and they made but a very obfcure and contemptible figure in the world, in comparison of the Athenians and Lacedæmonians, being juftly accounted a flothful ftupid people even by Pindar and Plutarch, their own countrymen. In all likelihood they might have fo continued to the end, had it not been for their two great generals, Pelopidas and Epaminondas, who raifed them to their height The cha- of power and reputation. Their ftupidity and flowness was racter of not fo great an obftacle to their advancement in glory and fame, as their bafenefs and treachery, of which they gave many inftances, but more especially in their betraying the common caufe of Greece, and going over to Xerxes, king of Perfia; a treachery which was attended with a double difgrace, as they were the first that were gained over to that intereft, and their perfidy was attended with ill fuccefs. the Thebans. They apTheir treacherous conduct made them apprehenfive of the ply to refentment of their powerful neighbours, the Athenians, on Sparta for which account they fought the friendship and protection of the protection Lacedæmonians, which they eafily obtained, the Spartans being againft then more inclined to forgive the partifans of the king of PerAthens. fia, than to fuffer the Athenians to raise their greatnefs at the expence of their neighbours. The Thebans for a time expreffed an uncommon gratitude to their protectors, infomuch, that they adhered to the Spartans with the utmoft fidelity, during the the whole Peloponnefian war, by which means they not only recovered the government of Boeotia, of which, on account of their defection, they had been deprived by the Amphictyons, but their city was alfo reftored to its ancient luftre. That ruinous war turned out greatly to their advantage, and at the peace of Antalcidas they were become fo powerful and headstrong, that they refused to agree to that treaty, which ftripped them of their dominion over Baotia, and were, with no fmall difficulty, overawed and forced into it by the other states. The Spartans now ambitiously aiming at the dominion of The SparGreece, feized upon their citadel, and brought them under the tans feize yoke, the place having been betrayed by Leontides, into the their cihands of Phabidas, the Spartan general. About four years af- tadel. ter the Theban exiles, who, upon this occafion, had taken refuge in Athens, formed a fcheme for delivering their city from the Spartan yoke, and had concerted the defign with the popular, faction in Thebes. The chief promoter of the enterprife was. Pelopidas, a young daring nobleman, of great abilities and great generofity, who employed his large fortune in fupporting the diftreffed citizens, and had acquired fo great a reputation, that Jafon, tyrant of Theffaly, came to Thebes to enter into an alliance with him. The enterprife was alfo favoured by Epami nondas, another noble Theban, who, though extremely poor, would not accept of the prefents of Pelopidas, his moft intimate friend. Notwithstanding his poverty, he rendered himself greatly diftinguished by his virtues. He was modeft, prudent, and grave, eafy and complaifant in the commerce of the world, uniting with the ardour for military exercises, a wonderful tafte for study and the sciences, and fo great a lover of truth and fincerity, that he fcrupled to tell a lie even in jeft or for diverfion. Tho' he would not have any fhare in the defperate plot of the exiles, which he fufpected would be too bloody, yet by his difcourfes he had endeavoured to infpire the Thebans with a paffionate defire to throw off the Spartan yoke. The day for the execution of the project being fixed, the ex- The exiles iles came to a small town near Thebes, and twelve of them, drive the among whom was Pelopidas, entered the city, dreffed in mean Spartans habits, with dogs and nets, that they might pafs for hunters. from They went immediately to the houfe of Charon, a principal ci- Thebes. tizen, who was privy to their defign, where they were foon after joined by 36 more of their confederates. Phillidas, fecretary to Archias and Philip, the Spartan governors, who was alfo in the plot, that very day invited them and their companions to a grand entertainment, and to make it the more complete, he engaged to provide fome of the fineft women in the town. When the guests were almoft drunk, a whifper arofe, that the exiles were in the city, upon which Archias fent an officer to Charon, who was ordered to come immediately to the governor. This meflage greatly alarmed Charon and the confpirators, who now imagined that their plot was discovered. Charon, however, encouraging them, left his only fon in their hands, as a hostage for Ff3 his his fidelity, and went to Archias, whom he eafily fatisfied, with regard to the report, by promifing to go directly and enquire into the truth of it. Returning with joy to the confpirators, he informed them of what had paffed, when it was refolved inftantly to put their defign in execution. Mean while a courier arrived in great hafte from Athens, with a packet, containing an account of the whole confpiracy, which, when he delivered to Archias, he faid to him," My "lord, the perfon who writes you thefe letters, conjures you "to read them immediately, as they are about business of "confequence." Archias being in the height of jollity, laid the packet by unopened, and anfwered with a fmile, "Bufinefs to-morrow," ," which words were afterwards used by the Greeks as a proverb. The confpirators were at that time divided into two parties, one of which, under Pelopidas, went against Leontides, who was not at the feaft, the other, led by Charon and Melon, was to fall on Archias and his company. Thefe, who had dreffed themselves in women's apparel, to cover their armour, were no fooner introduced to the drunken guests, than they put them all to the fword. Pelopidas met with more refiftance. Leontides, who was afleep in bed, awaked at the noise that was made, fnatched his fword, and flew one of the confpirators, but was himself flain by Pelopidas. The confpirators then difpatched an exprefs to their affociates without the city. The doors of the prifons were broke open by them, and 500 prifoners let out. The Thebans were called upon to refume their liberty; and to furnish them with arms, the fpoils were taken down from the porticoes, and the armourers fhops were broke open. The citizens in the mean time were in the utmost confternation, and crowded into the strects, while the houses were all illuminated with torches. The garrifon in the citadel, however, did not ftir, though they confifted of 1500 men, and 3000 ciLiberty tizens had taken refuge with them. Probably they imagined proclaim that the power of the confpirators was much greater than it was. ed to the Epaminondas now joined the exiles, to difpel the fears of the Thebans Thebans, and to prevent any further maffacre. Being accompaby Pelosi nied by a crowd of the beft citizens and priefts, the latter with das and garlands and crowns in their hands, he affured the affrighted Epaminon people that their tyrants and oppreffors only had been put to das. The cita del reta death, and that no otheis fhould be flain. A general affembly of the Thebans being then fummoned by Pelopidas, he proclaimed liberty to them, and exhorted them to fight for their gods and their country. Pelopidas, Melon, and Charon, were the fame day elected Boeotarchs, or governors of Bestia, and the management of the war against Sparta was committed to Pelopidas. It was then refolved to befiege the citadel, for which purpofe troops were brought from feveral cities of Baotia, and a reinforceken. ment of 5000 foot and 500 horfe arriving from Athens, an army of 12,000 men was compofed, with which Pelopidas invefted the the place, which in a few days surrendered, fome say, for want of provifions, but according to others, not without fome kind of treachery in the commanders. The Lacedæmonians, upon hearing of the confpiracy, immediately fent their king, Cleombrotus, though in the depth of winter, into Boeotia, to the relief of the citadel, but at Megara he was met by the garrifon, who had been allowed to march off. Finding it impoffible to perform any action of consequence, he left Sphodrias, with fome troops, at Thefpia, and returned to Sparta. Sphodrias, at the inftigation of Pelopidas, as fome af firm, made an attempt to furprise the Piraum, or harbour of Athens, which fo exafperated the Athenians, especially when they heard that he was acquitted at Sparta, that they entered heartily into the war against the Spartans, though they had before withdrawn' their fuccours from Thebes, with the resolution of not interfering in the quarrel. Many other cities that were The vain weary of the Spartan yoke, then joining with the Thebans, the efforts of following fummer they were enabled fuccefsfully to oppose both the SparAgefilaus and Cleombrotus, who invaded their territories. The tans following year the Spartans had no fuccefs at land, and their against fleet was defeated by Conon, the Athenian. them. Soon after, the Thebans having recovered all the cities in Bootia, made a powerful diverfion in Phocis. Beginning at length to defpife the Spartans, they ventured to act offenfively, and had many fharp encounters with them, which failed not to raise their courage, and gain them experience. Their fucceffes were chiefly owing to the bravery and conduct of Pelopidas, who fignalized himself at the battle of Tanagra, against the Spartans, killing their general with his own hand. Soon after he formed the defign of furprifing Orchomenos, one of the largest and most confiderable cities in all Bastia, and which was ftill garrifoned by the Lacedæmonians. As he was marching towards it, at the head of fome horfe, and a chofen body of 300 foot, which, from their fidelity to each other, were called the facred battalion, Pelopidas he was informed that a numerous body of Spartans were on their gains a march to reinforce the garrison, which made him retire. In his figual adretreat, meeting this detachment near Tegyra, he attacked them vantage fo furiously, that he entirely routed them with great flaughter; over the by which he acquired more glory, than if he had fucceeded in Spartans. his original defign against Orchomenos, this being the greatest difgrace the Spartans had hitherto met with, it never having been known before that in any of their wars they had been beaten by an equal number, much lefs when the enemy was greatly inferior. The fuperiority was now fo evident in favour of the Thebans, that the Athenians began to be alarmed, and looking upon them as more dangerous rivals than the Spartans, agreed foon after to a peace with the latter. The Thebans, however, rejected with fcorn the terms of accommodation, because they were required to restore the cities of Bastia to their liberty. Not long after, taking offence at the Plateans, on account of their fingular fidelity to the Athenians, and looking Ff4 upon |