Pelopidas bade them be of good courage, as now if ever the tyrant would have to pay the penalty of his crimes:  and he sent a message to the tyrant himself, saving that he was a strange man, to torture and murder his wretched and innocent citizens every day, and to spare him, who he knew would be sure to wreak vengeance on him if he should escape.  The tyrant, admiring his spirit and fearlessness, said, “What! does Pelopidas wish to die?” The other, hearing of this answered, “Yes, that you may become even more hateful to heaven than you are now, and so may die sooner.”

Hereupon he prevented the people from having access to him, but Thebe, the daughter of Jason, and Alexander’s wife, having heard from the guards of Pelopidas of his daring and nobleness, desired to see the man and converse with him.  When she was come she did not, woman-like, at once perceive the greatness of his mind in the position in which he was, but judging from his short-cut hair, his dress and his food, that he was treated ill and not as became such a man, she wept.  Pelopidas, not knowing at first who she was, was surprised at this, but, when he knew her, addressed her by her father’s name, for he was a companion and friend of Jason.  When she said, “I pity your wife,” “So do I pity you,” answered he, “that without being a prisoner you stay with Alexander.”  This speech somehow touched the lady, for she was grieved at the ferocity and licentiousness of the tyrant, who, besides his other atrocities, had debauched her youngest brother.  She constantly visited Pelopidas, and, talking to him of her sufferings, became filled with courage, and with hatred of Alexander.

XXIX.  The Theban generals invaded Thessaly, but through incompetence or misfortune effected nothing, and had to retreat in disgrace.  The state fined them ten thousand drachmas, but sent Epameinondas with the army.  There was at once a great fluttering of hope among the cities of Thessaly at the reputation of that general, and the cause of the tyrant tottered to its fall, such fear fell upon his officers and friends, and such a longing to subvert his government upon his subjects, who viewed the future with hope, as now they expected to see the tyrant meet with his deserts.  However, Epameinondas, disregarding his own glory in comparison with the safety of Pelopidas, and fearing that if Alexander were driven to despair by seeing his kingdom falling to pieces, he might turn upon him like a wild beast, conducted the war remissly.  By degrees and after slow preparation he surrounded the tyrant and confined him to one spot, so as to be able to check any attack that he might venture on, and yet not to excite his savage and ferocious nature; for he had heard of his cruelty and disregard of what is right, and how he would bury men alive, and dress them in the skins of wild boars and bears and then set dogs at them and hunt them with spears, making this his sport, and how he surrounded two peaceful cities, Meliboea and Skottusa, with his body-guard