Leuktra 371 BCE

The famous Spartan débâcle at Leūktra was a gamechanger both politically and militarily. Having won the Peloponnesian War and inherited the Athenian hegemony of the Greek world, Sparta for the next three decades had proven unbeatable in hoplite battle. All that was to change during one afternoon in the high summer of 371 BCE.

Kleombrotos was killed with most of his royal guard when Epameinondas’ Theban phalanx, which he had stacked ‘fifty-shields deep’ and fronted with the veteran Sacred Band, mowed down that of the Spartan king’s. Moreover, the Theban general’s use of what we know as the oblique order foreshadowed the combined arms tactics that was to be fully developed by Philip II of Macedon (onetime political hostage held in the house of Epameinondas), and subsequently employed to brilliant effect by his son Alexander the Great during his eye-opening success against the Persian Empire.

The innovative generalship of Epameinondas had given the Thebans a critical victory over the best hoplite force in Greece. Crucially, the fall of their king virtually signalled the end of Sparta’s hegemony over the Greek world, facilitating the, albeit brief, rise of Thebes.

"Nic Fields' Leûktra 371 BCE: Sparta’s Twilight presents a compelling and meticulously researched analysis of one of antiquity's most significant battle....In my view Leûktra 371 BCE: Sparta’s Twilight is a major addition to ancient military history. Nic Fields has presented a comprehensive look at a battle that reshaped the Greek world, emphasising the fleeting nature of power and the lasting impact of tactical innovation." carryingsonupthedale blog

"The strengths of this Helion series lies in its more detailed and thorough text, and in a particularly well-done central section of color illustrations Four plates in this second volume, all signed by Renato Dalmaso, illustrate the text. These drawings are remarkable and particularly well executed." Vae Victus Magazine No182 (translated from French)

".....I enjoyed it, I learned something, and it made me think about things as well. If you’re interested in Greek warfare in general, I think this is a book you ought to read." Slingshot Magazine Issue 361, Nov/Dec 2025