![]() Men in their fifties had done this ten thousand times. This process of arming for battle, which the citizen-soldiers of other poleis had practiced no more than a dozen times a year in the spring and summer training, the Spartans had rehearsed and rerehearsed, two hundred, four hundred, six hundred times each campaigning season. Just stubbing his toe before battle could put the strongest warrior out of commission. It seems like shoes would be of the upmost importance in battle when you can't control what terrain you'll be fighting on or where you'll be stepping. I've heard that Greek hoplites are always depicted barefoot in artwork, but I don't see how that could have possibly been the case in reality. The Spartans are depicted as wearing heavy footgear for battle. the soles of their footgear churning up trenches in the plain and slinging yet more dust into the already choking air. Starting with the heavy oxhide soles which could tread over fire. The total, excluding armed squires ranging as auxiliaries, exceeded forty-five hundred and extended wing to wing across the plain for nearly six hundred meters.Įach Spartan hoplite has a "helot squire" who fights alongside him, usually in a light infantry role. Squires armed the warriors from the feet up. ![]() Here it seems that they act as both skirmishers and heavy infantry who take a position of honor on the Spartan left. What were the Skiritai? I've heard that they performed specialist roles in the Spartan army. First the Skiritai, on the left, forty-eight shields across and eight deep. Now the Spartans and Tegeates advanced to their positions in the line. The rangers took possession of half the face, driving the enemy skirmishers back where their slings and shafts were outranged and could work no harm to the army. these light-armed forces had been cleared early by the Skiritai, whose comrades below would advance as always from their position of honor on the Lakedaemonian left. This did not deter the Skiritai from torching the wharves and warehouses of the harbor. The Spartan Skiritai rangers had just finished setting the enemy refuse yards ablaze. When they knew where a battle would take place, did one side ever scatter obstacles on the enemy's side to disrupt their advance while keeping their own side clean? ![]() Their own side, the foe's, had been cleared smooth as a schoolmaster's desk. In addition the enemy had strewn boulders and driftwood to break up the flat over which Leonidas and his men must advance. I hope it's not too much but I'll quote some excerpts.Ī portion of the plain adjacent the wall was occupied by a maritime junkyard rotting craft lay littered at all angles, extending halfway across the field, amid tumbledown work shacks and stinking mounds of debris squalled over by wheeling flocks of gulls. In particular the battle that occurs midway through between the Spartans and another Greek city in the 490s BC. Previous AMAs | Previous Roundtables Featuresįeature posts are posted weekly. May 25th | Panel AMA with /r/AskBibleScholars Please Subscribe to our Google Calendar for Upcoming AMAs and Events To nominate someone else as a Quality Contributor, message the mods. Our flaired users have detailed knowledge of their historical specialty and a proven record of excellent contributions to /r/AskHistorians. Please Read and Understand the Rules Before Contributing. Report Comments That Break Reddiquette or the Subreddit Rules. Serious On-Topic Comments Only: No Jokes, Anecdotes, Clutter, or other Digressions. Provide Primary and Secondary Sources If Asked. Write Original, In-Depth and Comprehensive Answers, Using Good Historical Practices. Questions should be clear and specific in what they ask, and should be able to get detailed answers from historians whose expertise is likely to be in particular times and places. Nothing Less Than 20 Years Old, and Don't Soapbox. Be Nice: No Racism, Bigotry, or Offensive Behavior. Downvote and Report comments that are unhelpful or grossly off-topic.Upvote informative, well sourced answers.New to /r/AskHistorians? Please read our subreddit rules and FAQ before posting! Apply for Flair
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |