11-03-2009, 03:56 PM
Quote:Then there were practical matters. The Spartan advantage was that they were 'professional' soldiers who were constantly drilled to perfection by practice -practice-practice. How could a 'perioikoi' 50 miles away join in this ?
This is a problem, but a bigger problem to me is that the basic unit of enomotia seems to be tied into the Syssition system. Since niether Perioci or non-citizens could be in the syssitia, this is problematic. I have a hard time believing that they would comingle so intimately in war when they could not in life. If the ranks of hoplites were composite, I'd be more likely to accept a scheme by which they marched in homogeneous groups, then deployed one behind the other- perhaps a reason to be able to double down to 4 ranks?
Paul M. Bardunias
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A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
MODERATOR: [url:2dqwu8yc]http://www.romanarmytalk.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=4100[/url]
A Spartan, being asked a question, answered "No." And when the questioner said, "You lie," the Spartan said, "You see, then, that it is stupid of you to ask questions to which you already know the answer!"
