 In the years following the Spartan takeover, the exiled Thebans regrouped in Athens and, at the instigation of Pelopidas, prepared to liberate their city.Meanwhile, in Thebes, Epaminondas began preparing the young men of the city to fight the Spartans.In the winter of 379 BC, a small group of the exiles, led by Pelopidas, infiltrated the city.