Source edition
Cornelius Nepos. Cornelii Nepotis Vitae. Fleckeisen, Alfred; Halm, Karl, editors. Leipzig: Teubner, 1886.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a biography depicting the life of Pelopidas, a great general and patriot of Thebes. The narrative begins with the Spartan occupation of Thebes, which forces Pelopidas and other dissidents to flee into exile in Athens. From there, a small group of exiled youths, including Pelopidas, secretly return to their homeland under the cover of night during a magistrates' banquet to execute a daring plan of liberation. Exploiting the magistrates' carelessness, they assassinate the rulers and rouse the citizenry, successfully freeing Thebes from Spartan control. Following this triumph, Pelopidas plays a pivotal role alongside his close ally Epaminondas, contributing to the rise of Thebes in key events such as the Battle of Leuctra. The biography concludes with his capture and rescue in Thessaly, his heroic death on the battlefield, and the immense honors bestowed upon him and his family after his passing.