Page 430 the sole Jurisdiction of their own City. Upon which the Lacedemonians being inrag'd, resolv'd to make War upon them as the common Enemies of Greece. For their growing Pow'r began to be suspected, lest (being Masters of all Baeotia) they should some time or other catch an opportunity to deprive Sparta of the Sovereign Command. Especially for that they were a Warlike Nation, Inferior to none in Greece, and by their daily Exercise in the publick Schools, their Bodies became far stronger; and besides had many valiant Commanders, and especially three, Epaminondas, Gorgias,: and Pelopidas. And to this may be added, That the Thebans by reason of the Nobility of their Ancestors (who were famous in the Heroick times) were of Proud and Lordly Spirits, and ever aspiring to great matters. Upon this account the Lacedemonians this Year rais'd an Army, compos'd of their own Cities and of their Confederates, and prepar'd themselves for War. So that
When Phrasichides was Lord Chancellor of Athens, and the Romans appointed Eight Military Tribunes to execute the Office of Consuls, viz. Publius Manlius, Caius Erenucius,Caius Sextius, Tiberius Julius,LuciusLabinius, Publius Fibonius, Caius Manlius, and Lucius Antistius, The Thebans excluded from the common League, were forc'd by their own strength alone, to bear the brunt of the War against the Lacedemonians; for by the Articles of the Peace (Ratifi'd and confirm'd by all) none of the Cities were to send them any Aid or Relief. Therefore the Lacedemonians (now that the Thebans were wholly desert'd) decreed a War against them, and were resolv'd to subject Thebes to the Lacedemonian State. And forasmuch as all observ'd that the Lacedemonians made extraordinary preparations, and that the Thebans on the other hand had none to stand by them, every body was of opinion that they would be easily Conquer'd by the Spartans. And therefore all that wish'd them well were much troubl'd and concern'd for them, to see their inevitable Ruin approaching. But their Enemies on the contrary rejoyc'd, a, if the Thebans were even already subdu'd.
When the Lacedemonians had rais'd their Army, they Created Cléombrotus General. And in the first Place sent Ambassadors to Thebes to demand that all the Cities of Beotia should be allow'd to Govern themselves according to their own Laws, and that Platea and Thespiae should be Rebuilt, and that those Territories should be restor'd to the Ancient Proprietors. To which the Thebans answer'd, That as they did not concern themselves with the matters of Laconia, so the Lacedemonians ought not to meddle with the Affairs of Beotia. Upon receiving of this answer, the Lacedemonians (without any further delay) order'd Cleombrotus to March with the Army against Thebes. And the Lacedemonian Confederates were very ready to join in this War, hoping that the Beotians would be subdu'd with little or no fighting, and without any great Labour or Pains.
Marching on therefore, they Encomp'd at Cheronea, and there waited for their Confederates, who came in but slowly. In the mean time the Thebans hearing of the Enemies March, sent their Wives and Children for security to Athens. Then they made Epaminondas General of the Army, and intrusted him with the management of the whole War, joining with him six Beotians and Governors of Beotia as his Council. He listed whoever was of Age able and fit to bear Arms among the Thebans, and likewise among the other Beotians, and having now an Army not above Six thousand, with these he March'd out of Thebes; at which Instant of time some Prodigies were seen, which boded no good Success. For as they were going out at the Gates, there met them an Herald that (according to ancient Custom) led a blind Man (that had ran away) and cry'd aloud, Bring him not out of Thebes, nor put him to Death, but carry him back again and save his Life. The old Men took this Cry of the Herald for an evil sign: But the young Men held their peace, lest by their Timorousness they should seem to have a desire to diswade Epaminondas from the Expedition, he had undertaken. To those that were pressing upon him first to consider well of these Presages, he answer'd in this Verse,
Such a frank resolution had no sooner dash'd and caus'd those that were Timorous to Blush, but another Prodigy more frightful happen'd. For a Secretary went before carrying a Javelin, to which a Scroll was annex'd, to signify that the Army was to obey the Orders and Commands of their Generals. It fell out that a high Wind blew off this Scroll, and fix'd it upon a Pillar of a Tomb, in which very place some Lacedemonians and Peloponnesians, that formerly follow'd Agesilaus were bury'd, and had been there slain: