Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

SPARTAN LINE BROKEN. 119this field. His small body of lioi'se was, like the Spartan, infront, but only covering the centre and partly the right. Itwas less in number, but as soon as the battle opened it at onceproved superior to the Spartan horse, and drove this forceback in great disorder on the line of battle, in which itcreated no little confusion. Under cover of this wavering inthe Spartan line, Epaminondas pushed forward his columntowards the Spartan right, ordering the horse to keep up ahearty skirmishing along their front. The column he led inperson, and we can imagine the tremendous momentum withwhich this compact body of fifty men deep, with their longspears and heavy shields and armor, struck the Spartan line.The fighting was desperate.The Lacedaemonians, surprisedat the unusual Theban formation, instead of completing theirconcave manoeuvre, extended their right to receive Epaminondas'column. This, if anything, weakened their line at thekey-point. But they had not been familiar with defeat, andoffered their wonted stubborn resistance. They would notyield.Epaminondas, after heroic efforts, proved too strong foreven Spartans. Cleombrotus was killed, together with a numberof his lieutenants.The Sacred Band took the confusedmass of the Spartan right in flank, and completed its destruction.Meanwhile on the Spartan centre and left there hadbeen little or no fighting. Not ordered forward, because theright could not advance, and not being attacked by the Thebancentre and right, which, thus refused, was practically inreserve, this portion of the Spartan army was at a loss whatto do. Finally, when the right had been entirely annihilated,and the Theban column, elate with victory, wheeled andopened an attack upon its flank, it melted away in its uncertainty,and the whole Lacednemonian army sought safetyinflight to its camp. Only the hoplites of the right and the