Conflicts & Resolutions · Battle

Battle of Leuctra

371 BCE · 4th century BCE · Also known as Leuctra

The Battle of Leuctra was fought in Boeotia in 371 BCE between Thebes and its Boeotian allies under Epaminondas and a Spartan army under King Cleombrotus I. Epaminondas massed his left wing 50 ranks deep, with the Sacred Band under Pelopidas, and smashed the Spartan right, killing the king. The defeat ended the belief in Spartan invincibility and began a decade of Theban supremacy in Greece.

Battle of Leuctra
Image: Edmund Ollier Publication date 1882 · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

SpartaMilitary, Decline, SummaryBoeotian LeagueMilitary, Impact, Summary

Mentioned in 7 state histories

ThebesSpartaTegeaBoeotian LeaguePeloponnesian LeagueArcadian LeagueMessene

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Battle of Leuctra. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-leuctra
MLA
“Battle of Leuctra.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-leuctra. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Battle of Leuctra.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-leuctra.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Battle of Leuctra’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-leuctra (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻