08-18-2007, 02:53 PM
Quote:Diodorus, quoting Ephorus, is possibly corrupt in places
That's a pretty good general commentary on Diodorus. He presents Epaminondas wounded by a thrown spear. It has been suggested to me that this came from light troops covering the retreat, but frankly I think any light troops, not sure what they would be doing on the theban right, would be CYA at this point and running a heck of a lot faster than the hoplites. I think the story is to make his death more heroic. It was always excusable for a great warrior to be brought low by the cowardly "spindles" of effeminate missile troops- like Achilles.
Quote:the Athenians won on their wing
I am chronically hard on the Athenians- it's a Spartan thing. They might have been expected to win on their wing since the thebans so weighted the left, but I do wonder if there was more expected of them. Whatever it was, the "suprise" attack of the thebans and the inability of the right to hold long negated it.
Paul M. Bardunias
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A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
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A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
