BATTLE OF TEGYRA. 135 near Orchomenus, he ascertained that there were still some Lace- daemonians in the town, and that no surprise could be effected ; upon which he retraced his steps. But on reaching Tegyra, he fell in with the Lacedaemonian commanders, Gorgoleon and Theo- pompus, returning with their troops from the Lokrian excursion. As his numbers were inferior to theirs by half, they rejoiced in the encounter ; while the troops of Pelopidas were at first dismayed, and required all his encouragement to work them up. But in the fight that ensued, closely and obstinately contested in a narrow pass, the strength, valor, and compact charge of the Sacred Band proved irresistible. The two Lacedaemonian commanders were both slain ; their troops opened, to allow the Thebans an undis- turbed retreat ; but Pelopidas, disdaining this opportunity, per- sisted in the combat until all his enemies dispersed and fled. The neighborhood of Orchomenus forbade any long pursuit, so that Pelopidas could only erect his trophy, and strip the dead, before returning to Thebes. 1 This combat, in which the Lacedaemonians were for the first time beaten in fair field by numbers inferior to their own, produced a strong sensation in the minds of both the contending parties. The confidence of the Thebans, as well as their exertion, was redoubled ; so that by the year 374 B. c., they had cleared Boeotia of the Lacedagmonians, as well as of the local oligarchies which sustained them; persuading or constraining the cities again to come into union with Thebes, and reviving the Boeotian confed- eracy. Haliartus, Koroneia, Lebadeia, Tanagra, Thespiae, Plataea, and the rest, thus became again Boeotian ; 2 leaving out Orcho- menus alone, (with its dependency Chaeroneia,) which was on the borders of Phokis, and still continued under Lacedaemonian occu- pation. In most of these cities, the party friendly to Thebes was 1 Plutarch, Pelopidas, c. 17 ; Diodor. xv, 37. Xenophon does not mention the combat at Tegyra. Diodorus mentions, what is evidently this battle, near Orchomenus ; but he does not name Te- gyra. Kallisthenes seems to have described the battle of Tegyra, and to have given various particulars respecting the religious legends connected with that spot (Kallisthenes, Fragm. 3, ed. Didot, ap. Stephan. Byz. v, Ttyvpa).
- That the Thebans thus became again presidents of all Boeotia, and re-
vived the Bffiotian confederacy, is clearly stated by Xenophon, Hellen. v, 4, 63; vi, 1.1.
