§7.1Fuisse patientem suorumque iniurias ferentem civium, quod se patriae irasci nefas esse duceret, haec sunt testimonia.
The following are proofs that he was patient and forbearing towards the injustices of his fellow citizens, because he considered it a sin to be angry with his country.
cum eum propter invidiam cives sui praeficere exercitui noluissent duxque esset delectus belli imperitus, cuius errore res eo esset deducta, ut omnes de salute pertimescerent, quod locorum angustiis clausi ab hostibus obsidebantur, desiderari coepta est Epaminondae diligentia: erat enim ibi privatus numero militis.
When his citizens, out of envy, had refused to place him in command of the army, and a leader inexperienced in war had been chosen, by whose error the situation was brought to such a pass that all feared greatly for their safety, because they were shut up in a narrow pass and besieged by the enemy, the diligence of Epaminondas began to be missed; for he was there as a private citizen in the rank of a soldier.
§7.2a quo cum peterent opem, nullam adhibuit memoriam contumeliae et exercitum obsidione liberatum domum reduxit incolumem.
When they sought help from him, he showed no remembrance of the insult, and brought the army, freed from the siege, back home in safety.
§7.3nec vero hoc semel fecit, sed saepius.
Nor indeed did he do this only once, but quite often.
maxime autem fuit illustre, cum in Peloponnesum exercitum duxisset adversus Lacedaemonios haberetque collegas duos, quorum alter erat Pelopidas, vir fortis ac strenuus.
But it was especially illustrious when he had led the army into the Peloponnesus against the Lacedaemonians and had two colleagues, of whom one was Pelopidas, a brave and energetic man.
hi cum criminibus adversariorum omnes in invidiam venissent ob eamque rem imperium iis esset abrogatum atque in eorum locum alii praetores successissent, §7.4Epaminondas populi scito non paruit idemque ut facerent persuasit collegis et bellum, quod susceperat, gessit.
When all of these, through the accusations of their adversaries, had fallen into unpopularity, and for that reason their command had been taken away from them, and other generals had succeeded to their place, Epaminondas did not obey the decree of the people, and persuaded his colleagues to do the same, and carried on the war which he had undertaken.
namque animadvertebat, nisi id fecisset, totum exercitum propter praetorum imprudentiam inscitiamque belli periturum.
For he perceived that, unless he did so, the whole army would perish through the imprudence and ignorance of war on the part of the generals.
§7.5lex erat Thebis, quae morte multabat, si quis imperium diutius retinuisset, quam lege praefinitum foret.
There was a law at Thebes which punished with death if anyone retained his command longer than had been predefined by law.
hanc Epaminondas cum rei publicae conservandae causa latam videret, ad perniciem civitatis conferri noluit et quattuor mensibus diutius, quam populus iusserat, gessit imperium.
Since Epaminondas saw that this had been passed for the sake of preserving the state, he did not wish it to be turned to the destruction of the city, and held his command four months longer than the people had ordered.