Follow the action through four phases. Positions and movements are illustrative; the notes distinguish evidence from reconstruction.
SCHEMATIC RECONSTRUCTIONPHASE 1 / 4
Theban-led coalition Spartan-led coalition→ Movement / pressure⇢ Reconstructed route
PHASE 01
The Theban left concentrates
The armies meet near Leuctra after the failure of a common peace to settle Thebes’ position in Boeotia. Cleombrotus commands a Spartan-led coalition; the opposing army is Theban-led and Boeotian. The Thebans concentrate a deep formation against the Spartan right, where the king stands. Xenophon explains their calculation: defeat this important sector and the rest may give way. The concentration is a firm element of the surviving accounts, but the frontage of individual contingents and the precise placement of the Sacred Band remain matters of reconstruction.
What remains uncertain: Xenophon reports formation depths, but the size and frontage of every contingent are uncertain. The Sacred Band’s detailed placement is disputed.