Pelopidas as a Negotiator in the Context of Diplomacy of the Theban Polis

Abstract

The paper examines the negotiating activities of the Theban statesman and commander Pelopidas. Much of this activity was concentrated within the diplomatic contacts of the Theban polis. It was Pelopidas who was responsible for the negotiation process in the northern direction (in Thessaly and Macedonia), as well as for negotiations with the Persians. An analysis of narrative sources shows that Pelopidas’ greatest fame as a negotiator was brought by his embassy to Susa to the court of the Persian king Artaxerxes in 367 BC. The success of Pelopidas with the Persian king was facilitated by his personal qualities, as well as the rhetorical and semantic features of the speech of the Theban ambassador. The negotiations took place face to face, and for Artaxerxes the words of Pelopidas turned out to be more meaningful than the Attic ones, but at the same time more laconic than the Spartan ones, which characterizes the individual oratorical style of Pelopidas. Likewise, the semantic load of Pelopidas’s speech was chosen taking into account historical and foreign policy realities. Narrative sources show that from a young age Pelopidas had the ability to inspire, convince and teach other people. Already before the coup in Thebes of 378 BC. Pelopidas made speeches calling for the liberation of Thebes from the Spartans, which inspired his comrades, and during the coup itself he was probably responsible for negotiations with the Spartan garrison of Kadmeia. Literary tradition credits Pelopidas with drawing up a proposal to the Spartan Sphodrias that he should seize the Athenian Piraeus. According to this version, the words of Pelopidas seduced Sphodrias more than money. Pelopidas also spoke in Thebes against the skilled orator Meneclides and won the trial. As for Pelopidas’ northern diplomacy, trying to bring Thessaly and Macedonia under Theban control, he managed to achieve a lot.