§15.80.1περὶ δὲ τοὺς αὐτοὺς καιροὺς Θετταλοὶ πρὸς Ἀλέξανδρον τὸν Φερῶν τύραννον διαπολεμοῦντες, καὶ πλείοσι μάχαις ἡττωμένοι, πολλοὺς δὲ τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἀπολωλεκότες, πρέσβεις ἀπέστειλαν πρὸς Θηβαίους, ἀξιοῦντες αὐτοῖς βοηθῆσαι καὶ στρατηγὸν αὐτοῖς ἐξαποστεῖλαι Πελοπίδαν.
At about the same time, the Thessalians, who were waging war against Alexander, the tyrant of Pherae, and had been defeated in several battles and lost many of their soldiers, sent ambassadors to the Thebans, asking them to assist them and to dispatch Pelopidas to them as general.
ᾔδεισαν γὰρ τοῦτον τὸν ἄνδρα διὰ τὴν ὑπʼ Ἀλεξάνδρου σύλληψιν ἀλλοτριώτατα διακείμενον πρὸς τὸν δυνάστην, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἀνδρείᾳ διάφορον καὶ ἐπὶ στρατηγικῇ συνέσει διαβεβοημένον.
For they knew that this man, because of his capture by Alexander, was most hostilely disposed toward the ruler, and at the same time was outstanding in courage and renowned for his strategic intelligence.
§15.80.2συναχθείσης δὲ τῆς κοινῆς συνόδου τῶν Βοιωτῶν, καὶ τῶν πρέσβεων διαλεχθέντων περὶ ὧν εἶχον ἐντολάς, οἱ μὲν Βοιωτοὶ πάντα συνεχώρησαν τοῖς Θετταλοῖς, καὶ δόντες εἰς ἑπτακισχιλίους στρατιώτας τῷ Πελοπίδᾳ συντόμως ἐκέλευον βοηθεῖν αὐτὸν τοῖς δεομένοις· τοῦ δὲ Πελοπίδου ταχέως μετὰ τῆς δυνάμεως ἐξιόντος συνέβη τὸν ἥλιον ἐκλιπεῖν.
When the common assembly of the Boeotians had been convened, and the ambassadors had spoken about the instructions they had, the Boeotians granted everything to the Thessalians, and having given up to seven thousand soldiers to Pelopidas, they ordered him to assist those in need quickly; but as Pelopidas was quickly setting out with the force, it happened that the sun was eclipsed.
§15.80.3πολλῶν δὲ τὸ γεγονὸς ὑποπτευσαμένων, τῶν μάντεών τινες ἀπεφήναντο διὰ τὴν γενομένην ἔξοδον τῶν στρατιωτῶν ἐκλιπεῖν τὸν τῆς πόλεως ἥλιον.
While many suspected the occurrence as an omen, some of the seers declared that because of the departure of the soldiers that had taken place, the sun of the city was eclipsed.
καὶ διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων προλεγόντων τὸν τοῦ Πελοπίδου θάνατον, οὐδὲν ἧττον ὁ Πελοπίδας ἀνέζευξεν ἐπὶ τὴν στρατείαν, ὑπὸ τοῦ χρεὼν ἀγόμενος.
And although these words foretold the death of Pelopidas, none the less Pelopidas set out on the campaign, led by destiny.
§15.80.4ὡς δὲ κατήντησεν εἰς τὴν Θετταλίαν, καὶ τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον κατέλαβε προκατειλημμένον τοὺς ὑπερδεξίους τόπους καὶ στρατιώτας ἔχοντα πλείους τῶν δισμυρίων, ἀντεστρατοπέδευσε μὲν τοῖς πολεμίοις, προσλαβόμενος δὲ συμμάχους παρὰ τῶν Θετταλῶν συνῆψε μάχην τοῖς ἐναντίοις.
When he arrived in Thessaly, and found Alexander having already occupied the commanding positions and having more than twenty thousand soldiers, he pitched camp opposite the enemy, and having joined to himself allies from among the Thessalians, he joined battle with his opponents.
§15.80.5τοῦ δὲ Ἀλεξάνδρου διὰ τὰς ὑπεροχὰς τῶν τόπων πλεονεκτοῦντος, ὁ Πελοπίδας σπεύδων διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀνδρείας κρῖναι τὴν μάχην ἐπʼ αὐτὸν ὥρμησε τὸν Ἀλέξανδρον.
Since Alexander had the advantage because of the heights of the positions, Pelopidas, eager to decide the battle through his own courage, rushed against Alexander himself.
τοῦ δὲ δυνάστου μετὰ τῶν ἐπιλέκτων ὑποστάντος, ἐγένετο μάχη καρτερά, καθʼ ἣν ὁ Πελοπίδας ἀριστεύων πάντα τὸν περὶ αὐτὸν τόπον νεκρῶν κατέστρωσε, τέλος δʼ ἐπιθεὶς τῷ κινδύνῳ καὶ τοὺς πολεμίους τρεψάμενος τὴν μὲν νίκην περιεποιήσατο, τὸν δὲ αὑτοῦ βίον ἀπέβαλε, πολλοῖς περιπεσὼν τραύμασι καὶ τὸ ζῆν ἡρωικῶς προέμενος.
When the ruler with his select troops withstood him, there arose a fierce battle, in which Pelopidas, fighting heroically, strewed all the place around him with corpses, and finally putting an end to the battle and routing the enemy, he won the victory on the one hand, but lost his own life on the other, having received many wounds and heroically surrendering his life.
§15.80.6ὁ δʼ Ἀλέξανδρος δευτέρᾳ μάχῃ λειφθεὶς καὶ τοῖς ὅλοις συντριβείς, ἠναγκάσθη καθʼ ὁμολογίαν τοῖς μὲν Θετταλοῖς τὰς καταπεπολεμημένας πόλεις ἀποδοῦναι, Μάγνητας δὲ καὶ τοὺς Φθιώτας Ἀχαιοὺς παραδοῦναι Βοιωτοῖς, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν Φερῶν μόνων ἄρχοντα σύμμαχον εἶναι Βοιωτοῖς.
Alexander, having been defeated in a second battle and completely crushed, was forced by treaty to restore to the Thessalians the cities he had subdued, and to hand over the Magnetes and the Phthiotic Achaians to the Boeotians, and for the future, ruling over Pherae alone, to be an ally of the Boeotians.