Listed 4 sub titles with search on: Information about the place for destination: "LEFKTRA Ancient city VIOTIA".
A village 6 km SE of Thespiai. It is situated slightly N of a hill
(modern village of Parapoungia or Lefktra) overlooking the fertile plain bounded
by the Oeroe river to the S, the Permessos to the W, and the Thespios to the N.
To the E, on a hill, was the important Mycenaean city of Eutresis. Leuktra and
Butresis were komai in the Thespian territory; the former was situated on one
of the roads leading from Thespiai to the port of Kreusis, at the mouth of the
Oeroe. No trace of it has been found up to the present time.
In 371 B.C., to force Thebes to grant the Boiotian cities their independence
in accordance with the Peace of Antalkidas (386), Kleombrotos I, king of Sparta,
advanced his army from Phokis to Thebes. Held up near Koroneia, he walked across
Mt. Helikon, reached the shore of the Gulf of Corinth at Kreusis and once again
climbed up toward Thebes. With his 11,000 men he met 6,000 Boiotians under Epaminondas
in the plain of Leuktra. Epaminondas' victory ensured the hegemony of Thebes.
He had a trophy built on the spot. At the beginning of the 3d c. this trophy was
replaced by a monument that figured on silver Boiotian coins in the period 288-244
B.C. The Greek archaeologist A. Orlandos discovered some of the stones used in
this monument and rebuilt it on the original site. On a round base rebuilt of
Domvraina limestone he replaced the 0.68 mhigh frieze of triglyphs and metopai,
three fragments of which had been preserved; above a cornice 0.26 m high are the
eight trapezoidal blocks, placed in circular courses, each of which has a round
shield about one m in diameter carved in relief on the outer, parabolically curved
face. All these blocks were found in the vicinity of the trophy.
P. Roesch, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
A small town in Boeotia, on the road from Plataeae to Thespiae, memorable for the victory of Epaminondas and the Thebans over the Spartans in B.C. 371.
ta Leuktra. A village of Boeotia, situated on the road from Thespiae to Plataea (Strab. ix.), and in the territory of the former city. (Xen. Hell. vi. 4. 4). Its name only occurs in history on account of the celebrated battle fought in its neighbourhood between the Spartans and Thebans, B.C. 371, by which the supremacy of Sparta was for ever overthrown. In the plain of Leuctra, was the tomb of the two daughters of Scedasus, a Leuctrian, who had been violated by two Spartans, and had afterwards slain themselves; this tomb was crowned with wreaths by Epaminondas before the battle, since an oracle had predicted that the Spartans would be defeated at this spot (Xen. Hell. vi. 4. 7; Diod. xv. 54; Paus. ix. 13. § 3; Plut. Pelop. cc. 20, 21). The city of Leuctra, is sometimes supposed to be represented by the extensive ruins at Lefka (Leuka), which are situated immediately below the modern village of Rimokastro. But these ruins are clearly those of Thespiae, as appears from the inscriptions found there, as well as from their importance; for Leuctra was never anything more than a village in the territory of Thespiae, and had apparently ceased to exist in the time of Strabo, who calls it simply a topos. The real site of Leuctra, is very clearly marked by a tumulus and some artificial ground on the summit of the ridge which borders the southern side of the valley of Thespiae. The battle of Leuctra was fought probably in the valley on the northern side of the tumulus, about midway between Thespiae, and the western extremity of the plain of Plataea. Cleombrotus, in order to avoid the Boeotians, who were expecting him by the direct route from Phocis, marched by Thisbe and the valleys on the southern side of Mount Helicon; and having thus made his appearance suddenly at Creusis, the port of Thespiae, captured that fortress. From thence, he moved upon Leuctra, where he intrenched himself on a rising ground; after which the Thebans encamped on an opposite hill, at no great distance. The position of the latter, therefore, seems to have been on the eastern prolongation of the height of Rimokastro. The tumulus is probably the place of sepulture of the 1000 Lacedaemonians who fell in the battle. For a full account of this celebrated contest, see Grote, Hist. of Greece. In ancient times, the neighbourhood of Leuctra appears to have been well wooded, as we may infer from the epithet of shady bestowed upon it by the oracle of Delphi (Leuktra skioenta, Paus. ix. 14. § 3); but at present there is scarcely a shrub or a tree to be seen in the surrounding country.
This text is from: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD). Cited June 2004 from The Perseus Project URL below, which contains interesting hyperlinks
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