Editing Epaminondas (section)

===Military record===
Extant biographies of Epaminondas universally describe him as one of the most talented generals ever produced by the Greek city-states. Even Xenophon, who fails to note his presence at Leuctra, says of his Mantinean campaign: "Now I for my part could not say that his campaign proved fortunate; yet of all possible deeds of forethought and daring the man seems to me to have left not one undone." Diodorus is effusive in his praise for Epaminondas's military record:{{sfn|Diodorus Siculus|1952|pp=197{{ndash}}199}}
<blockquote>For it seems to me that he surpassed his contemporaries...in skill and experience in the art of war. For among the generation of Epaminondas were famous men: Pelopidas the Theban, [[Timotheus (general)|Timotheus]] and [[Conon]], also [[Chabrias]] and [[Iphicrates]]...[[Agesilaus]] the Spartan, who belonged to a slightly older generation. Still earlier than these, in the times of the Medes and Persians, there were [[Solon]], [[Themistocles]], [[Miltiades]], and [[Cimon]], [[Myronides]], and [[Pericles]] and certain others in Athens, and in Sicily [[Gelo]]n, son of Deinomenes, and still others. All the same, if you should compare the qualities of these with the generalship and reputation of Epaminondas, you would find the qualities possessed by Epaminondas far superior.</blockquote>

As a tactician, Epaminondas stands above every other general in Greek history, except kings Philip II and [[Alexander the Great]], although modern historians have questioned his larger strategic vision.{{sfn|Hornblower|Spawforth|2003|p=527}} According to Richard A. Gabriel, his tactics "marked the beginning of the end of traditional Greek methods of war". His innovative strategy at Leuctra allowed him to defeat the vaunted Spartan phalanx with a smaller force, and his decision to refuse his right flank was the first recorded instance of such a tactic.{{sfn|Gabriel|2001|pp=90{{ndash}}91}} Many of the tactical innovations that Epaminondas implemented would also be used by Philip II, who in his youth spent time as a hostage in Thebes and may have learned directly from Epaminondas himself.{{sfn|Bose|2003|p=8}}{{refn|1= Philip also "revived Epaminondas' strategy of mobilizing Sparta's neighbors".{{sfn|Luraghi|2008|p=18}}|group=note}}