Epameinondas the Great

Abstract

Epameinondas the great Theban general and politician (c. 318/312-362 B.C.) deserves credit for crippling the might of Sparta, founding the independent polis of Messenia and advancing the Boeotian League to the foremost position of power in all of Greece. It is then rather surprising that not a single dedicated monograph has been published in English on the general. With this thesis I hope to remedy the situation by providing a detailed and exhaustive account of Epameinondas’ life and career. Such a task is made difficult since the surviving source material for the early to the middle of the fourth century predominantly focuses on the affairs of Athens and Sparta. However, once information on Thebes has been isolated a continuous narrative may be comprehended, which uplifts the veil on an obscure portion of history. As a result it is possible to produce a detailed analysis of Epameinondas’ role in the government and his development of a federal league of states led by the Thebans. Along with this his military endeavours are examined in great detail with a close inspection of the relevant topographies of each respective area.