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164 ANCIENT GREECE. [CHAP. xn.drew the rest ;and his object was, in that one point to breakthrough the hostile line. In this manner he was triumphantat Leuctra, where he fellupon the right wing of the Spartans. But at Leuctra 5the success of the Theban cavalryhad led the way to a successful issue; it is at Mantinea, thatwe see for the first time the full application of the newtactics, which are described to us by one profoundly acquainted with the 9"subject. Epaminondas/ says Xenophon, 1"advanced with his army like a galley with threateningsure that if he could once break through the line ofprow ;his adversaries, a general flightwould ensue. He thereforedetermined to make the attack with the flower of his army,while he drew back the weaker part of it." Thus the illustrious Theban solved the great problemin tactics, by meansof its position, to use the several parts of an army at will ;the art of war which was thus invented deserved the name,and was the same which insured to Alexander the victoryon the Granicus, as well as to Frederic at Leuthen. It iseasy to be perceived, that the execution of the plan was a stillgreater effort than its invention. Troopsfar better trainedthan the usual armies of the Greeks, were needed. Andit is in this very circumstance, that Xenophon, himselfan experienced officer, places the great merit of Epaminondas.2We may therefore say with truth, that the higher branchesof the art of war began with Epaminondasto be understood.But even before him, a change had gradually taken place inthe whole military regulations ;a change of the most decisive importance.We allude to the custom of paying the troops. In stateswhich originally made exclusive use of militia, the form andthe spirit of their military institutions must have been changedby the introduction of mercenary troops. These could nothave the internal regulations of the militia; which werefounded on the division of the citizens; and although theSwiss mercenaries of the sixteenth century have proved thatbattles can be gained even with hired soldiers, yet the ex-1Xenoph. H. Gr. vL Op. p. 596. We learn from the same passage howmuch the excellent Theban cavalry (formed hy Pelopidas) surpassed theSpartan.3Xenoph. Op. p. 645.