Battle of Mantinea
Plain near Mantineia, Arcadia, Peloponnese, Greece
What happened
The Theban general Epaminondas and his allies fought an alliance of Sparta, Athens and Mantinea. Thebes had become the leading power in Greece under its great general Epaminondas. At Mantinea he made his army look as if it was setting up camp, then secretly massed his best troops on one side, fifty ranks deep. The Theban attack broke the enemy line, but Epaminondas fell, and his side could not follow up its success.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was one of the largest battles between Greek city-states, and it left no state strong enough to lead Greece. This weakness opened the way for Macedon under Philip II to dominate Greece.
What came next
The historian Xenophon, who lived through it, was disappointed that it settled nothing, concluding that no Greek state would clearly lead Greece. Within 25 years, Philip II had won control of Greece at Chaeronea.
Did you know?
As a young hostage in Thebes, Philip II of Macedon may have learned battle tactics directly from Epaminondas.
Timeline
- 371 BCEEpaminondas defeats Sparta at Leuctra.
- 368-365 BCEYoung Philip of Macedon is a hostage in Thebes.
- 4 July 362 BCEThe Battle of Mantinea; Epaminondas falls.
- 338 BCEPhilip II wins at Chaeronea.