There is an old saying, that after Epaminondas nothing was ever the same again. In this thesis I will focus on three questions: "Epaminondas the man." Who was he? "Epaminondas the general." How did he change the technique of warfare that made it possible to beat the Spartans? "Epaminondas, founder of cities and wall-builder." How did he build the walls around the cities he initiated, that made them resist enemy attacks for many years to come?While seeking the answers to yhese questions I will make a contextual analysis to get the historical background to all the phenomina involved..