Pelopidas facts for kids
Pelopidas (/pəˈlɒpɪdəs/; Greek: Πελοπίδας; died 364 BC) was a very important leader and general from the ancient Greek city of Thebes. He played a huge role in making Thebes the most powerful city in Greece during the mid-fourth century BC. This period is often called the Theban hegemony.
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Biography
Pelopidas: Athlete and Warrior
Pelopidas came from a rich and respected family. He used his wealth to help his friends and serve the public. He himself lived a simple life, like an athlete.
In 384 BC, Pelopidas fought alongside the Spartans during the Siege of Mantinea. He was badly hurt by the Arcadians. His friend Epaminondas and the Spartan king Agesipolis saved him.
The ancient writer Plutarch described this event. Pelopidas had seven wounds and fell among many dead soldiers. Epaminondas thought he was dead but bravely defended his body. Epaminondas himself was wounded. Then, Agesipolis arrived and saved both of them.
Plutarch said this event made their friendship incredibly strong. Pelopidas and Epaminondas worked together in politics for the next 20 years.
Plutarch also wrote that Pelopidas spent his money helping poor people in Thebes. He wore simple clothes and ate plain food. He loved the tough life of a soldier. People said he was too humble to spend more on himself than the poorest Theban.
Once, his friends told him he needed to manage his money better for his wife and children. Pelopidas pointed to a blind, poor man named Nicodemus. He said, "Yes, money is necessary for Nicodemus."
In 382 BC, the Spartans took control of the Theban citadel (a fortress). Pelopidas escaped to Athens. There, he planned to free Thebes. Sparta often supported governments run by a small group of powerful people, called oligarchies. These governments then supported Sparta.
In 379 BC, Pelopidas and his group, who believed in democracy (rule by the people), surprised and killed the main leaders in Thebes who supported Sparta. They then encouraged the people to rise up against the Spartan soldiers. The Spartan army surrendered to an army gathered by Pelopidas.
Leading Thebes as Boeotarch
After this, Pelopidas was elected boeotarch (a war leader or general) for 12 years. Around 375 BC, he led his army to defeat a much larger Spartan force at the Battle of Tegyra. This victory was largely thanks to the bravery of the Sacred Band of Thebes. This was an elite group of 300 experienced soldiers.
At the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC, Pelopidas helped greatly. His friend Epaminondas, a brilliant general, used a new battle plan called the oblique order. Pelopidas quickly led the Sacred Band to attack the Spartans. After the Battle of Leuctra, Thebes started to become the most powerful city in Greece, replacing Sparta.
In 370 BC, Pelopidas joined Epaminondas as boeotarch in the Peloponnese region. They helped the city of Messene become independent from Sparta. This greatly weakened Sparta's power. When they returned, both generals were accused of staying in command too long. But they were not found guilty. The people of Thebes knew Pelopidas and Epaminondas were their most important leaders. They both wanted to unite Greece under Theban leadership.
Diplomatic Mission to Persia
In 367 BC, Pelopidas traveled to Persia to meet King Artaxerxes II. Because of his famous victory at Leuctra, Pelopidas convinced the king to support Thebes' plans for Greece. The king agreed that Messene should remain independent.
Campaigns in Thessaly and His Final Battle
In the 360s BC, Pelopidas led Theban forces into Central and Northern Greece. In 369 BC, people from Thessaly asked for help. Pelopidas led an army against Alexander of Pherae, a powerful ruler. After defeating Alexander, Pelopidas went to Macedon. He helped settle a dispute between two people who wanted to be king.
To make sure Thebes had influence in Macedon, he brought back hostages. One of them was Philip, the king's younger brother. This young man would later become a very famous king himself. In Thebes, Philip learned a lot about Greek military tactics and politics.
The next year, Pelopidas was asked to help in Macedonia again. But his hired soldiers left him. He had to make a deal with Ptolemy of Aloros. On his way back through Thessaly, Alexander of Pherae captured him. Two armies from Thebes were needed to free him. The second, successful army was led by Epaminondas.
In 364 BC, Pelopidas received another plea for help from Thessalian towns against Alexander of Pherae. Even though an eclipse of the sun meant he could only bring a few soldiers, he defeated Alexander's much larger army. This happened at the Cynoscephalae. However, Pelopidas wanted to kill Alexander himself. He rushed forward too eagerly and was killed by Alexander's guards. Plutarch believed Pelopidas lost his life because he was too reckless and angry.
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