10-18-2019, 10:41 AM
Unfortunatley I forgot to take my camera to the refight of 3rd Mantinea.
The game went along historical lines - a defeat for the Spartans but Philopoemen was killed in action as the two Tarantine mercenary cavalry forces cancelled each other out.
I found the description of Philopoemen`s counter-attack in Polybius a little confusing at first until I realised that the Spartans were probably advancing in echelon and so only the leading pike sub-units managed to cross the ditch. Philopoemen (or some other commander) would have then been able to attack the leading Spartan unit`s left flank with a division of infantry without exposing their right flank to the rest of the Spartan line which was still behind the ditch.
Re. the defensive ditch.
Today there is a road which crosses the valley of Mantinea to the south of the ancient city`s walls. It is conceivable that this road had drainage ditches on both sides of it; making it a formidable obstacle to the on-coming Spartan pikemen if it had recently been cleared before the battle.
I have noted a googleearth image:
[img]![[Image: Mantineia-ditch-and-Spartan-advance-jpeg...-width.jpg]](http://grandmanoeuvre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Mantineia-ditch-and-Spartan-advance-jpeg-20cms-width.jpg)
[/img]
The game went along historical lines - a defeat for the Spartans but Philopoemen was killed in action as the two Tarantine mercenary cavalry forces cancelled each other out.
I found the description of Philopoemen`s counter-attack in Polybius a little confusing at first until I realised that the Spartans were probably advancing in echelon and so only the leading pike sub-units managed to cross the ditch. Philopoemen (or some other commander) would have then been able to attack the leading Spartan unit`s left flank with a division of infantry without exposing their right flank to the rest of the Spartan line which was still behind the ditch.
Re. the defensive ditch.
Today there is a road which crosses the valley of Mantinea to the south of the ancient city`s walls. It is conceivable that this road had drainage ditches on both sides of it; making it a formidable obstacle to the on-coming Spartan pikemen if it had recently been cleared before the battle.
I have noted a googleearth image:
[img]
[/img]
