Editing Epaminondas (section)

===Character===
In matters of character, Epaminondas was above reproach in the eyes of the ancient historians who recorded his deeds. Contemporaries praised him for disdaining material wealth, sharing what he had with his friends, and refusing bribes. One of the last heirs of the Pythagorean tradition, he appears to have lived a simple and ascetic lifestyle even when his leadership had raised him to a position at the head of all Greece. Cornelius Nepos notes his incorruptibility, describing his rejection of a [[Achaemenid Dynasty|Persia]]n ambassador who came to him with a [[bribe]]. These aspects of his character contributed greatly to his renown after his death.

Epaminondas never married and as such was subject to criticism from countrymen who believed he was duty-bound to provide the country with the benefit of sons as great as himself. In response, Epaminondas said that his victory at Leuctra was a daughter destined to live forever. He is known, however, to have had several [[Pederasty in Ancient Greece|young male lovers]], a standard pedagogic practice in ancient Greece, and one that Thebes in particular was famous for; Plutarch records that the Theban lawgivers instituted the practice "to temper the manners and characters of the youth".{{sfn|Plutarch|1955|p=387}} An anecdote told by Cornelius Nepos indicates that Epaminondas was intimate with a young man by the name of Micythus. Plutarch also mentions two of his beloveds (''[[eromenos|eromenoi]]''): [[Asopichus]], who fought together with him at the battle of Leuctra, where he greatly distinguished himself;<ref>Athenaeus, ''Deipnosophists'', [https://topostext.org/work/218#13.83 13.83]</ref> and [[Caphisodorus]], who fell with Epaminondas at Mantineia and was buried by his side.<ref>Plutarch, ''Amatorius'', [https://topostext.org/work/298#761d 761d]</ref>

In ''[[Gulliver's Travels]]'', he is described as one of the six most virtuous and noble men who have lived.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks03/0300011h.html#part43|title=Fifty Orwell Essays|website=gutenberg.net.au}}</ref>