led by General Pelopidas in anticipation that the Spartans' strongest soldiers would traditionally be stacked on the right flank. This strategy proved fruitful for Thebes as the battle cost the lives of many Spartans, including King Cleombrotus. The battle of Leuctra "led, undeniably, to a wholly different world, in which the Spartans were badly weakened and Thebans wildly emboldened."

After the Battle of Leuctra in 371 B.C. had shattered the foundations of Spartan hegemony, Thebes attempted to build