The Theban Hegemony, 371-362 BC

by John Buckler

The decade of Theban power in fourth-century Greece has not been the subject of a full study in this century. Mr. Buckler provides a totally new look at Theban diplomacy and politics. He examines, for the first time, the social and economic backgrounds of the leaders of Thebes during the period of its hegemony. He focuses attention also on local politics and on the constitution of the Boiotian Confederacy, the federal government created by Thebes in the 370s. Of special interest is the author's recognition of the historical implications of topography. He has inspected the terrain of the battlefields and routes of communication; his accounts of military campaigns are thus well grounded and convincing. His contemporary photographs of major sites and topographical maps are valuable supplements to the text. This study is a significant contribution to our knowledge of an important period of Greek history.

Genres: History

360 pages, Hardcover

First published October 23, 1980

Reviews

[Ozymandias · Rating 4 out of 5]

There aren’t a super lot of books on the Thebans. There aren’t a super lot of books on the 4th century BC either, except the tail end where a certain famous Macedonian king shows up and hogs all the attention. So anyone whose interests include what happened in Greece after the Peloponnesian War but before Alexander remade the world has to take what they can get. Hence this book.

I’ve always been fascinated by Thebes’ period as leader of the Greek world. The Peloponnesian War is interesting, but it doesn’t follow a narratively satisfying path (and not just because Athens loses). The war starts because the two sides want a fight, continues through some isolated and narrow engagements, and ends with a humiliating alliance between Sparta and Persia. But when the Spartans take over things get really interesting. Suddenly it’s the Spartans turn to figure out how to control an empire of unwilling subjects and they go about it as bluntly as you might expect – they seize and garrison Thebes’ Cadmea through treachery and force their opponents into exile. The exiles come back, retake their city, and cripple the Spartan army at Leuctra due to some clever tactics and superb leadership. They then march into Laconia and free the Helots (Spartan slaves) while the former powerhouse watches impotently. That’s narratively awesome, and I’m always a little surprised it isn’t appreciated more.

This book is one of the few to take on the subject of Thebes’ period of dominance and it does a good job with certain caveats. First off, it doesn’t really sell the narrative the way I just did. This book is very analytical and focused mainly on establishing the chronology and purposes behind Theban actions. As such, the narrative is divided up into different theaters of operation and we hear mentioned crucial facts (such as Pelopidas’ death) long before they are described in context. It also doesn’t really give you a strong feel for Theban culture. Maybe the chance for that never existed due to the lack of sources (Alexander burning the city to the ground likely didn’t help in that respect), but I feel like there is more out there than this book acknowledges. The book’s tactical descriptions could also be better. The basic path the battles took are described fine, but there was little explanation of why they turned out the way they did (Epaminondas’ famous oblique wedge in particular) or any real details of how Thebes conducted war. Even the Sacred Band, which received much later comment, is never given any real attention. It’s mentioned that they were an elite unit, that Pelopidas was in charge, and that’s it. No mention of paired lovers or even combat training or anything.

That may sound like a pretty big list of things this book doesn’t include, and it is, but it does a very good job on the topics it does focus on. Strategy, for example, is a very big deal here. Buckler explains Epaminondas’ strategic thinking in good detail and I buy most of the explanations he gives. I could have used a few more maps, but he includes photos of every battlefield along with descriptions to aid you in visualizing them. That was a nice touch. He’s also big on political organization. We hear quite a lot about how Thebes and the Boeotian Federation worked. At least in the abstract. And diplomatically (which is strategy by another name) he’s clear on goals and how they are to be met. What it amounts to is that this book will give you a good overview of what Thebes’ plans were during its brief hegemony (he concludes that Epaminondas and Pelopidas really were the cause of success, explaining its quick decline) and the basic strategic questions at hand. But it won’t give you a great feel for what Thebes was or how they lived/fought/thought/etc.

This isn’t a bad book to start you off on a study of the Theban Hegemony, but there are better books to provide a background on 4th century affairs. The Greek World in the Fourth Century offers a basic summary of the various states in the 4th century, including Thebes. Xenophon’s Hellenika is also very readable as far as ancient histories go. Personal bias means he avoids crediting or even mentioning Thebes whenever possible (even at the cost of clarity and lack of a focus) but he is an engaging storyteller. James Romm’s The Sacred Band looks very interesting and seems like it covers a lot of the same ground as this book only in a more accessible format. I haven’t read it yet, but I’ve read some of his other books (most notably Dying Every Day) and Romm is excellent at immersing the reader in the ancient world.

[Geoffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A competent and enlightening history of the twilight of the Greek city states, of the last true attempt at achieving internal hegemony. It’s a period that has generally been treated as little more than an interlude between the Peloponnesian War and the rise of Macedonia under Philip II, irrelevant in the larger scheme of things. But it proves to be fascinating despite the relative obscurity. This isn’t a book for digressions, it’s an attempt to establish a clear account of political events based on the limited documentation available. The seemingly straightforward narrative is strongly supported by nuance in the copious endnotes and detailed appendices on the establishment of chronology, as well as topographical insights based on visits to key locations. It assumes a basic knowledge of classical Greece. For broad generalisations or cultural, social or economic history based on archaeology you should look elsewhere.

[Dsg · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a decade in the mids 300s BCE, Thebes was the dominant Greek power. What caused its rise - the longest Theban rule over the peninsula since the Bronze Age - and why was Alexander and his father, Philip, about to route it? Would Thebes be condemned to be known mainly for its mythic past, or would Alexander incorporate its successes into his own empire?

[Justin Echols · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! A wonderful addition to Xenophon's Hellenika and certainly less biased against the Thebans.