After the celebrated battle of Chæronea, which laid the liberties
of Greece at the feet of the ambitious Philip of Macedon, that king
placed a garrison in Thebes; but scarcely had the inhabitants learnt
the death of Philip, when they arose in mass, and slaughtered the
Macedonians. Alexander, the son of Philip, afterwards styled the
Great, passed through the Straits of Thermopylæ, rendered immortal by
Leonidas and his Spartans, entered Greece, and marched directly towards
the revolted city. On the way, he said to those who accompanied him,
“Demosthenes in his harangues called me a child when I subdued Illyria;
he styled me a giddy youth when I punished the Thessalians: we will
now show him, under the walls of Athens, that I am a man grown.” His
appearance in Bœotia, like the rest of the actions of his life, was
carried into effect as soon as decided upon. When he reached the walls
of Thebes, he was satisfied with requiring that Phœnix and Prothulus,
the principal promoters of the insurrection, should be given up to
him. The Thebans, however, insultingly replied by demanding Philotas
and Antipater, Alexander’s generals and friends; and the young monarch
found himself under the painful necessity of proceeding to extremities.
Thebes had rendered such services to his father, that he proceeded
to the infliction of punishment with great reluctance. A memorable
battle ensued, in which the Thebans fought with ardour and courage;
but, after a protracted struggle, the Macedonians who were left in
the citadel, taking the Thebans in the rear, whilst the troops of
Alexander charged them in front, they were almost all cut to pieces.
Thebes was taken and pillaged. In the sack of this city, a lady of high
quality exhibited an instance of courage and virtue too extraordinary
to be passed by in silence. A Thracian officer, struck by her beauty,
employed violence to satisfy his passion; and then characteristically
proceeded to the indulgence of his avarice, by demanding of her where
she had concealed her treasures. The lady, whose name was Timoclea,
told him that she had cast them all into a well, which she pointed
out to him. Whilst he was leaning over the brink, looking with greedy
avidity for the treasure, she suddenly exerted all her strength, pushed
him in, and beat him to death with stones. Timoclea was arrested, and
led before Alexander; but, with all his errors, the young Macedonian
had too much generosity of character not to be struck by such an
action, and he pardoned her. We wish we could say he was equally
lenient towards the Thebans; but the unfortunate city was razed to the
ground, and thirty thousand of its inhabitants were sold into slavery.
He here, however, first displayed that love of letters, and veneration
for men distinguished in them, which characterized him during his short
but brilliant career; for, amidst the general destruction, he ordered
the house in which the lyric poet Pindar was born to be held as sacred
as a temple, and, at the same time, sought out and provided for all the
descendants of the family of the bard of Thebes.
The history of this city is a remarkable one. Although not ranking so
high as Sparta or Athens, it was raised to an equal importance by the
courage, talents, and high moral character of one man. Epaminondas
is, perhaps, the noblest specimen Greece has handed down to us of the
_hero_, in all senses: and to his career was bounded the glory of his
native city; it rose with him, and with him expired.