Spartan army of hellenistic period

[eugene]

Are there aby researches on the spartan army of hellenistic era?

[Ghostmojo]

This is a period of great fascination to me and I eagerly sift through the sparsity of documentation for any clues. Sadly, the classical period was far better covered (at least that which survives) and as the focus had switched from the southern Greek poleis states like Sparta and Thebes to the northern autocratic Greek regions like Makedon and Epeiros it is perhaps hardly surprising. One of the largest and potentially important battles ever on Greek soil in 331 [size=85:9v7ofgjr]BC[/size] barely merits a mention. Details of Agis III's futile uprising against Makedon with a confederate Greek army composed of those unsympathetic to Alexander's cause at Megalopolis, largely revolve around the doomed King's galant death ... something the Spartan royals still knew how to do with style.

The picture improves somewhat with the arrival of Kleomenes III - possibly Sparta's last great general and King. He reorganised the army and many aspects of the state, including the inevitable land redistribution (which his predecessor Agis IV had sadly failed to do - although not for lack of trying). In fact by placing his brother on the Eurypontid throne he precipitated the later tyrants and I suppose in his case you could say - "l'estate c'est moi". Crucially he reconfigured the Spartan hoplite phalanx along Makedonian pikeman lines (the Lakedaimonians never seem to have adopted the thureos) and had great success prior to Sellasia. The final battle was more a result of bad luck, possibly treachery, and his unfortunate reliance on lesser commanders like his brother Euklidas.

Other more worthy contributors to this forum will no doubt assist here as well, but the best sources we have for Hellenistic Sparta are probably Aristotle, Plato, Diodoros Siculus, Pausanias and Plutarch for starters.

[PMBardunias]

A key source for hellenistic Sparta was a laconophilic writer named Phylarchus. He is lost to us directly, but he was a/the major source for Plutarch's lives of Agis IV and Cleomenes III. Plutarch's lives, including Demetrius and Pyrrhus, with Diodorus and his later fragments paint the best picture for the early 4th to late 3rd centuries. Then Polybious takes over.

Spartans are peripheral players in much of the history, and were more of a power than is generally credited during the period. This is especially true when we consider not only the actions of the state, but also the impact of individual mercenaries like Cleonymus and Xanthippus.

[Ghostmojo]

The Spartans had an incredible talent for bouncing back. Unfortunately, almost every time they did so they would go and virtually exterminate another of their own armies battling giants of the Hellenistic world, and then have to wait for another generation or two to replenish forever dwindling manpower stocks.

Other interesting kings from this period (prior to Agis IV & Kleomenes III) were Areos I and his son Acrotatos. The former did much to normalise Sparta - and particularly also tried to ape more impressive and more famous Hellenistic monarchs. He introduced silver coinage into Sparta (bearing his own image in Alexandrian styling). Sadly, in true Spartan kingly fashion he died fighting a lost cause - as did his son. They both had a good crack at Pyrrhos first though.

[Dutchhoplite]

Perhaps add Plutarch's "Philopoemen" ??

[Paralus]

The Spartans had an incredible talent for bouncing back. Unfortunately, almost every time they did so they would go and virtually exterminate another of their own armies battling giants of the Hellenistic world, and then have to wait for another generation or two to replenish forever dwindling manpower stocks.

So true. The problem was that they could never really convince other Peloponnesians that their aims were altruistic enough. This because they were not. In every "resurgence" they'd march out with intentions of "liberation" (or whatever other flag) and, like an ancient Pavlov's dog, would at some stage set about the recovery of Messene and the neutering of Argos, Megalopolis or Arcaea. This from Agis "revolt" of 331 onwards.

If only I could find a racehourse or two as predictable on the card of next week's Adaminaby Cup meeting...