§8.1Postquam domum reditum est, collegae eius hoc crimine accusabantur.
After they returned home, his colleagues were accused on this charge.
quibus ille permisit, ut omnem causam in se transferrent suaque opera factum contenderent, ut legi non oboedirent.
He permitted them to transfer all the blame to himself, and to contend that it was through his agency that they had not obeyed the law.
qua defensioue illis periculo liberatis nemo Epaminondam responsurum putabat, quod quid diceret non haberet.
When they had been freed from danger by this defense, no one thought that Epaminondas would make a reply, because he would have nothing to say.
§8.2at ille in iudicium venit, nihil eorum negavit, quae adversarii crimini dabant, omniaque, quae collegae dixerant, confessus est neque recusavit quominus legis poenam subiret, sed unum ab iis petivit, ut in sepulcro suo inscriberent: §8.3'Epaminondas a Thebanis morte multatus est, quod eos coegit apud Leuctra superare Lacedaemonios, quos ante se imperatorem nemo Boeotorum ausus sit aspicere in acie, §8.4quodque uno proelio non solum Thebas ab interitu retraxit, sed etiam universam Graeciam in libertatem vindicavit eoque res utrorumque perduxit, ut Thebani Spartam oppugnarent, Lacedaemonii satis haberent, si salvi esse possent, neque prius bellare destitit, quam Messene restituta urbem eorum obsidione clausit. '
But he came into court, denied none of the things that his adversaries charged him with, and confessed all that his colleagues had said, nor did he refuse to undergo the penalty of the law; but he made one request of them, that they should write upon his tomb: 'Epaminondas was punished with death by the Thebans, because he compelled them to defeat the Lacedaemonians at Leuctra, whom, before he was commander, no one of the Boeotians dared to look upon in the field of battle, and because in a single battle he not only rescued Thebes from destruction, but also vindicated the liberty of all Greece, and brought the affairs of both sides to such a pass that the Thebans attacked Sparta, while the Lacedaemonians were content if they could escape in safety; nor did he cease to make war until, having restored Messene, he shut up their city with a siege.' When he had said this, laughter arose from all with great amusement, nor did any judge dare to cast a vote against him.
§8.5haec cum dixisset, risus omnium cum hilaritate coortus est, neque quisquam iudex ausus est de eo ferre suffragium. sic a iudicio capitis maxima discessit gloria.
Thus he departed from a trial for his life with the greatest glory.