A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

26o Thebes Attempts to Gain Supremacy
He violates
the law to
win a victory.
He defends
his conduct.
Nep. Ep. 8.
tion that all were alarmed for their safety.
They were confined
within a narrow space and blocked up by the enemy,
whereupon the energy of Epaminondas began to be in request,
for he was there as a private among the soldiers.
When they desired aid from him, he showed no recollection
of the affront that had been put upon him, but
brought the army safely home after releasing it from the
blockade. Nor did he act in this manner once only but
often.
The most remarkable instance was when he had led an
army into the Peloponnesus against the Lacedemonians,
and had two joined in command with him, of whom one
was Pelopidas, a man of valor and activity. On this occasion,
when through the accusations of their enemies
they had all fallen under the displeasure of their countrymen,
and their commission was in consequence taken from
them and other commanders came to take their places,
Epaminondas did not obey the order of the people, and
persuaded his colleagues to follow his example, continuing
to prosecute the war which he had undertaken; for he saw
that unless he did so, the whole army would be lost
through the incautiousness and ignorance of its leaders.
But there was a law at Thebes, which punished anyone
with death who retained his command longer than he was
legally appointed.
Epaminondas, however, as he saw that
this law had been made for the purpose of preserving the
state, was unwilling to make it contribute to its ruin, and
continued to exercise his command four months longer
than the people had prescribed.
When they returned home, his colleagues were impeached
for this offence, and he gave them leave to lay all
the blame upon him, and to maintain that it was through
his means that they did not obey the law. As they were