er speaking thus, Charon went out, and soon came back to report that
all was well.

The Theban exiles now went to the banquet hall, where they were readily
allowed to enter to amuse the company. The Spartan officers, who were no
longer frugal and temperate as of old, were so heavy and stupid with
wine, that the supposed dancing girls easily killed them.

[Illustration: "Avenge yourselves by killing my only child."]

One version of the story is, that Pelopidas and his companions rushed
out into the street with lighted torches, and slew every Spartan they
met. The Spartan soldiers, deprived of most of their officers (who had
been killed in the banquet hall), and greatly frightened, fled in the
darkness from what they fancied was a large army, and returned in haste
to Sparta.

Imagine their shame, however, when it became known there that they had
been routed by only twelve determined men! The Spartan citizens were so
angry that they put the two remaining officers to death, and, collecting
another army, placed it under the leadership of Cle-om'bro-tus, their
second king, because Agesilaus was too ill at the time to fight.

LXXVIII. THE BATTLE OF LEUCTRA.

The Thebans, delighted at having thus happily got rid of their enemies,
had made Pelopidas and Epaminondas Boe'o-tarchs, or chiefs of
Boeotia, the country of which Thebes was the capital. These two men,
knowing well that the Spartans would soon send an army to win back the
city, now made great preparations to oppose them.

Epaminondas was made general of the army; and Pelopidas drilled a choice
company, called the Sacred Battalion. This was formed of three hundred
brave young Thebans, who took a solemn oath never to turn their backs
upon the enemy or to surrender, and to die for their native country if
necessary.

The Thebans then marched forth to meet their foes; and the two armies
met at Leuc'tra, a small town in Boeotia. As usual, the Thebans had
consulted the oracles to find out what they should do, and had been
told that all the omens were unfavorable. Epaminondas, however, nobly
replied that he knew of none which forbade fighting for the defense of
one's country, and he boldly ordered the attack.

The Spartans were greatly amused when they heard that Epaminondas, a
student, was the commander of the army, and they expected to win a very
easy victory. They were greatly surprised, therefore, when their
onslaught was met firmly, and when, in spite of al