05-10-2010, 03:27 PM
Quote:As for Plutarch its is only an anecdote of the Spartan mother who urged her son to take a step forward to compensate for the -shorter than the enemy blade-when he complained.
Recall as well that there is the story of the Spartan with a life-sized fly as a blazon on his aspis. When accused of wanting to be safely anonymous, he replies something to the effect that his foes see it well when his shield is jammed in their face. These two and others fit into a tradition of close-in fighting at Sparta. Whether it is simply to point out the andrea of the Spartans or if there is a real underlieing tradition of Spartans specifically pushing combat to close quarters is debatable.
By the way, if I were attempting to program a computer model of othismsos, I could do so with two rules: attack forward and never give ground willingly. Everything else involved in othismos "emerges", comes about on its own, given those two rules. This algorithm was essentially written by Tyrtaios, and it was Spartan boys he programmed.
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!"
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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!"
