Pausanias Analysis

Passage 9.13.6

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Passage 9.13.6: Epaminondas and Boeotarchs divided on whether to engage Sparta

Historical Non-skeptical

Greek Text

τότε δὲ ὁ Ἐπαμινώνδας Σκεδάσῳ καὶ ταῖς παισὶν ἐνήγιζέ τε καὶ εὔχετο, ὡς οὐ μᾶλλον ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας Θηβαίων ἢ καὶ τιμωρίας ἐκείνων τὸν ἀγῶνα ἐσόμενον. τῶν δὲ βοιωταρχούντων οὐ κατὰ ταὐτὰ ἐγίνοντο αἱ γνῶμαι, διεστηκυῖαι δὲ πολὺ ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων· Ἐπαμινώνδᾳ μὲν γὰρ ἤρεσκε καὶ Μάλγιδι καὶ Ξενοκράτει κατὰ τάχος πρὸς τοὺς Λακεδαιμονίους ποιεῖσθαι μάχην, Δαμοκλείδας δὲ καὶ Δαμόφιλος καὶ Σιμάγγελος συμβάλλειν μὲν οὐκ εἴων, ἐκέλευον δὲ ὑπεκθεμένους ἐς τὴν Ἀττικὴν γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας ὡς πολιορκησομένους αὐτοὺς παρασκευάζεσθαι.

English Translation

Then Epaminondas offered sacrifices and prayed to Skedasos and his daughters, declaring that the battle would be fought no less for vengeance upon their murderers than for the safety of Thebes. But among the Boeotarchs opinions did not coincide, and their views differed considerably from one another. Epaminondas, along with Malgis and Xenokrates, preferred to engage the Spartans swiftly, whereas Damokleidas, Damophilos and Simangelos opposed giving battle, advising instead to send away their women and children to Attica and to prepare themselves to endure a siege.

Proper Nouns

Damokleidas (Δαμοκλείδας) person
Damophilos (Δαμόφιλος) person
Lacedaemonians (Λακεδαιμόνιοι) person
Malgidis (Μάλγιδις) person
Xenokrates (Ξενοκράτης) person
Also in: 4.32.6
Simangelos (Σιμάγγελος) person
Skedasos (Σκεδάσιον) person
Epaminondas (Ἐπαμινώνδας) person
Thebes (Θῆβαι) place Q11225429
Attica (Ἀττική) place Q122443
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