The Spartan Military Culture and its Importance in the Society and Politics of Sparta

Question 1

How was the army split at the start of the period?

Answer 1

Army was divided into five Lochoi or regiments. Each made up of 1000 men at the battle of Plataea (479), but that was not the whole army. Demaratus tells Xerxes that there were 8,000 Spartans.

Question 2

Who were the Skiritai?

Answer 2

A unit of perioikoi from northern Lakonia.

Question 3

What other regiments were in the Spartan army?

Answer 3

The Brasidians, helots freed upon returning from Brasidas 424 campaign, and Neodamodeis,

Question 4

What did each lochos consist of? and then mathematically how many Spartiates were there at the Battle of Mantinea according to Thucydides?

Answer 4

Four pentekostues, and each pentekostus of four enomotiai, each enomotiai was 32 men. Based off this, there were 7 lochoi at Mantinea, 3584 Spartiates (Thucydides, The History of the Peloponnesian War, 5.67-68)

Question 5

Xenophon mentions a reorganisation of the Spartan army, when is this noted to have happened? and what was the change?

Answer 5

Xenophon mentions the introduction of the mora. Xenophon first mentions this (Hellenica, 2.4.31) for 403BC. Xenophon details the division in the following: ‘Thus equipped, he divided them into six regiments (morai) of cavalry and infantry. Each infantry regiment of hoplites had a polemarchus (war leader), four lochagoi (unit commanders), eight pentekonterai (commander of 50 men), and sixteen enomotarchai (section leaders). All these units at the word of command form up into sections, two, three, or six abreast.’ (Constitution of the Spartans, 11.4)

Question 6

Xenophon, describes the battle of Leuktra in 371 BC, what does Xenophon say an enomotia consist of? what calculations can be made from this?

Answer 6

Enomotia = 36 men,
Each mora = 576 men,
So 3,456 in the hoplite army. (Hellenica, 6.4.12)

Question 7

What did the Spartans admit they lacked knowledge of in 464?

Answer 7

Skill or knowledge of siege warfare.

Question 8

Who revolted against the Spartans 464BC?

Answer 8

Helot revolt

Question 9

Why did the Athenian fleet put in to Pylos?

Answer 9

in 425 BC, the fleet had intended to sail round the Peloponnese to Corcyra and then to Sicily. However, bad weather forced them to stop at Pylos.

Question 10

What did positioning at Pylos mean for the Spartans? What gave away the Spartan position on Sphacteria?

Answer 10

This meant that 420 Spartan Hoplites were cut off on the island with the Athenians in control of the sea. A Spartan campfire had gotten out of control and set fire to and destroyed most of the scrub cover on the island, exposing the Spartan numbers and position. The Athenians seized this opportunity to attack.

Question 11

Where did Brasidas arrive in 424BC? What did his army consist of? What did he do here?

Answer 11

Brasidas arrived in Chalcidice, Thrace in 424 with his army of Helots and mercenaries (Thucydides 4.8). Many cities revolted from Athens and joined Brasidas. Brasidas addressed the citizens of Acanthus, Thucydides comments on this speech ‘… and he was not without ability as a speaker, for a Spartan.’ (The History of the Peloponnesian War, 4.84). This speech was successful and Acanthus revolted from Athens and joined Brasidas.

Question 12

What did Brasidas hope his successes would inspire back home? What happened instead?

Answer 12

Brasidas hoped that his victories would lead to Spartan reinforcements. Back home, Thucydides tells us, some Spartans were jealous of his success, and that what they really wanted was to recover the prisoners taken at Sphacteria. Brasidas’ success gave the Spartans the bargaining chip they needed.

Question 13

What further successes did Brasidas have?

Answer 13

Brasidas also ca[tured Torone and Lekythos.

Question 14

What did the Battle of Mantinea end? And what did it re-establish?

Answer 14

It ended Athens’ attempt to disrupt the Peloponnesian League and allowed Sparta to re-establish control. Furthermore, it helped recover the Spartan’s military reputation tarnished after the Sphacteria surrender.

Question 15

In Archidamus II’s address to the assembly in 432, what does he admit of their navy, according to thucydides?

Answer 15

‘… Our navy? We are outnumbered, and it will take time to build up its numbers and train the crews’ (The History of the Peloponnesian War 1.80.4) This is Archidamus II admitting that the Spartans are not strong at naval warfare.

Question 16

How did the role of Nauarchos change in the 408 BC?

Answer 16

It changed from a position appointed as and when needed to a permanent annual position. Additionally, the nauarchos now had the power of a king on campaign. It was against the law to be re-appointed.

Question 17

What naval battle is recorded 411BC?

Answer 17

Xenophon’s Hellenica’s first chapter details a Spartan victory over Athens, but not where it occurred.

Question 18

What naval battle is recorded 410 BC?

Answer 18

Alcibiades defeats the Spartan fleet at Cyzicus; the Spartan admiral Mindaros is killed.

Question 19

What happens within the Spartan navy 407 BC?

Answer 19

Lysander is appointed Nauarchos.

Question 20

What naval battle is recorded 406 BC? and what happens to Lysander after this? what impact does this have on Sparta?

Answer 20

Lysander defeats the Athenians at Notium (Xenophon, Hellenica 1.5.11-14). Callicratidas is then elected as nauarchos replacing Lysander; at first Cyrus refuses to give him any money but does so after Callicratidas defeats the Athenians at Mytilene off the island of Lesbos.

Question 21

What defeat does Callicratidas face 406 BC?

Answer 21

After his victory at Mytilene, ignoring the advice of his helmsman, Callicratidas, outnumbered, engages the Athenian fleet at the Arginusae islands and is defeated. Callicratidas falls into the sea and is never seen again.

Question 22

What do Sparta’s allies demand after Callicratidas’ death?

Answer 22

The Chians (of Chios) and others, demand that the Spartans re-elect Lysander. As a result, he is sent as epistoleus, 2nd in command, to the nauarchos Aracus. Lysander was the one actually in command (Xenophon, 2.1.6-7).

Question 23

What does Cyrus tell Lysander 405BC? what battle happens this year?

Answer 23

Cyrus tells Lysander to avoid battle until he has more ships (Xenophon Hellenica, 2.1.14). The final battle of the 2nd Peloponnesian war is the Battle of Aegospotami.

Question 24

What does Aelian (Miscellaneous History) tell us of Gylippus?

Answer 24

That he was a mothax (12.43).

Question 25

What campaign did Gylippus lead?

Answer 25

Gylippus, under command of the assembly advised by Alcibiades, took an army of Peloponnesians to Sicily.

Question 26

What was the situation in Sicily when Gylippus arrived?

Answer 26

The Athenians were trying to cut Syracuse off with a wall. The Syracusans had already tried to prevent this by constructing two counter-walls. Having arrived outside Syracuse in 414 BC, Gylippus quickly realised the danger the Syracusans were in as the Athenians were well advanced with their wall.

Question 27

What did Gylippus do upon his arrival? what happened after this?

Answer 27

He captured the the fort Labdalon on the heights of Epipolae. The Syracusans then started a third counter-wall and Gylippus launched an unsuccessful night attack on a weak section of the Athenian wall.

Question 28

Who was in command of the Athenian forces at this point? How did the Athenian general respond to Gylippus arrival? Why was this a bad move?

Answer 28

General Nicias was so effected by the arrival of Gylippus that he decided to fortify a headland (Plemmyrium) opposite the city with three forts rather than continuing to concentrate on the wall on Epipolae. This was a bad move as it meant that the Athenians stationed at Epipolae had no easy access to water and were vulnerable to attack when they ventured out.

Question 29

Whilst Nicias built the forts at Plemmyrium, what did Gylippus do? what did the Syracusans do?

Answer 29

Gylippus built a counter-wall at Epipolae, using the stones the Athenians had laid out for their own wall. He also attacked the Athenians but was defeated; Gylippus took blame for the defeat, encouraged his men with a speech and led a second attack, resulting in a victory. The Syracusans managed to complete their cross wall outside syracus; the Athenians could no longer complete a landward siege of the city.

Question 30

What did Nicias do after the Syracusans had removed any possibility of a landward siege?

Answer 30

Sent a letter to Athens asking for reinforcements or permission to withdraw.

Question 31

What did Gylippus persuade the Syracusans to do in the Spring of 413 BC? What was the result of this?

Answer 31

Persuaded the Syracusans to man their fleet and fight the Athenians at sea. A battle took place at sea, during which the Athenians stationed in the forts at Plemmyrion had gone to the shore to watch. This allowed Gylippus to seize the forts and the headland resulting in a huge success for the Syracusans even though they lost the sea-battle.

Question 32

What had the Athenians lost with the three forts at Plemmyrion? What did the Syracusans gain?

Answer 32

The Athenians had lost supplies and equipment, and the Syracusans now controlled both headlands either side of the entrance to the harbour.

Question 33

What did the Syracusans hear about this time? What did they decide to do? What did Gylippus do simultaneously?

Answer 33

Heard that Athenian reinforcements were on their way so decided to attack the Athenians again before they arrived. The Syracusans made adjustments to their triremes to prepare for the battle. As the Syracusans attacked the Athenians at sea , Gylippus led men out to attack the Athenian wall. Both battles were indecisive.

Question 34

What happened two days after these indecisive battles?

Answer 34

The joint Syracusan-Peloponnesian forces attacked again, emerging victorious at sea.

Question 35

What happened as the Syracusans thought they were going to win?

Answer 35

The Athenian general Demosthenes arrived with a large relief force.

Question 36

What did Demosthenes decide to do upon arriving at Sicily?

Answer 36

He sized up the situation that Nicias had allow develop after the arrival of Gylippus. He used his fresh troops to launch a night attack on Epipolae to try recover control of the heights. After initial success, the Athenians were defeated in the confusion of the darkness.

Question 37

What happened after Demosthenes defeat at Epipolae? What did Demosthenes want to do? Why couldn't he?

Answer 37

The Syracusans confidence was renewed and Gylippus went off to raise additional forces in Sicily. Demosthenes immediately wanted to retreat, but could not persuade Nicias. Gylippus arrived with reinforcements in this time. Demosthenes now succeeded in persuading Nicias but, according to Thucydides, there was an eclipse of the moon which the Athenians took to be a bad omen - persuading Nicias to delay for twenty-seven days as advised by the soothsayer in his army.

Question 38

After the Athenian delay in retreat, what did the Syracusans do? What did this achieve for the Syracusans? What did the Athenians do in response?

Answer 38

The Syracusans launched a double attack, they were victorious by sea, but the Athenians managed to prevent Gylippus from gaining control of the shore as well. This battle gave the Syracusans back control of their harbour. The Athenians, now blockaded from leaving Sicily, tried to break through the naval blockade, the Syracusans sailed out to stop them but were defeated with no choice now but to retreat by land.

Question 39

How did the Athenians eventually retreat?

Answer 39

They split into two divisions. The first, led by Demosthenes, was routed eventually by the Syracusans and he surrendered. The second, led by Nicias, managed to get a little further, under constant attack, and he too surrendered when his division was attacked at a river crossing. His men were so thirsty they ignored their safety and were easily picked off by the Syracusans. Nicias surrendered to Gylippus who tried to spare the two commanders to take back to Sparta but was unable to convince the Syracusans.

Question 40

What happened to Gylippus in 404BC?

Answer 40

His disgrace. Lysander entrusted him what remained of the Athenian treasury after the Spartan capture of the city. Gylippus embezzled some of this from each sack and his dishonesty was discovered by the ephors. He left Sparta in disgrace (Plutarch, Lysander 16).