"Epameinondas, however, was carried back to camp still living, and the physicians were summoned, but when they declared that undoubtedly as soon as the spear-point should be drawn from his chest, death would ensue, with supreme courage he met his end. For first summoning his armour-bearer he asked him if he had saved his shield. On his replying yes and placing it before his eyes, he again asked, which side was victorious. At the boy's answer that the Boeotians were victorious, he said, "It is time to die," and directed them to withdraw the spear point. His friends present cried out in protest, and one of them said: "You die childless, Epameinondas," and burst into tears. To this he replied, "No, by Zeus, on the contrary I leave behind two daughters, Leuctra and Mantineia, my victories." Then when the spear point was withdrawn, without any commotion he breathed his last."
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, , Book 15, translation of C. H. Oldfather
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Epaminondas
(Ἐπαμεινώνδας; circa 419/411–362 BC) was a Greek general and statesman of the 4th century BC who transformed the Ancient Greek city-state of , leading it out of Spartan subjugation into a pre-eminent position in Greek politics called the . He broke Spartan military power at the and liberated the Messenian .
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