Invisible missiles

[Maximus Atreus]

Forgive my memory on this one, I'm at work and would have to check my source for the specifics. I believe it was in an article in an ancient warfare periodical this spring that I read about a Spartan army in tight formation being thoroughly defeated by lightly armed slingers & archers. The Spartans were unable to close ranks with their open and loose attackers who picked them apart from a short distance and ran whenever the Spartans charged. It was one of the first major battles we, or at least I, know of that forced a shift from predominantly or entirely phalanx based tight rank tactics into a more balanced army composition. Later one could say that the Romans capitalized on these and other lessons of light skirmishers and favored speed & mobility, evident by their often and liberal use of velites and cavalry, the use of which I would assume many of us could agree was essential to their militaristic success.

Anyone else familiar with the article I can't seem to recall all the details of? The issue had an oil painting of some ancient Mediterranean sea raiders with bronze scale caps on the cover.