Spartan Mora regiments at Battle of Plataea

[Ghostmojo]

I have no fixed view upon this although I do sometimes veer towards the points PMB made. I suppose it depends which particular campaign/period you are looking at. If there was a mixed mora composed of individual sub-units (be they at lochos, pentekosty, enomotia level or whatever) of alternate Spartiates, Perioikoi, and even Hypomeniones (or would they be with the Spartiates?), then these units would have had to have trained together for the mora to be able to manoeuvre cohesively on the field. Presumably that wouldn't be too difficult if the familiarity was there? Would these units be aligned side by side or behind each other? Either way - countermarching and other typically Spartan unit reconfigurational manoeuvres would be possible - possibly/probably easier, if the full blood Spartans (with their file leaders) were at the front (say the first 6 of a 12 rank deep file) with the lesser troops behind who basically followed and added weight and numbers (whilst being well-trained troops themselves).

That would mean the Periokoi were some kind of auxiliary body which beefed up the regular Spartan regiments all along the line rather than standing separately in their own units. There is some validity in that argument since the best men at the front would give heart to those behind - but also take the brunt of the damage (thus explaining Spartan casualty figures). The army would appear (at face value) to be Spartan because the frontage would have the best men very visible. The rear ranks would still be highly trained support hoplites (probably with a Spartiate file closer) but before and after battle would possibly march separately and certainly return to different (non-mess) homes.

A Mora of say 512 men containing Spartans from a call up of 32 age groups might be expected to have 16 enomotiai of 32 homoioi. However, it might only have 8 or 12 enomotia with the surplus as Perioikoi auxiliary rear troops. However, as I say this is mere speculation. The alternate argument would state the Spartans would not happily allow for mixed files on a battlefield or even mixed units. But if the units were quite separate then how do we recognise or evaluate the Perioikoi mora or regiments? I can't see how a larger mixed formation could easily manoeuvre if the breakdown were separate enomitiai, pentekostys and so on - although I suppose it is possible.