explain for me if you would. Are you saying that the 4,000 are a combination of the old and new citizens or that the 4,000 are his newly enfranchised and there were also othe old citizenry on top of this whom may not undergo joined in his arms reform?_________________Paul M. Bardunias"The Fox has many tricks the Hedgehog one good one."
The implication is that the group of 4,000 homoioi were the total of both groups. The only good reason not to think so would be if we needed to get to 6,000 for Sellasia and didn't think the freed helots could be included in their number._________________Paulgrad studentUSA
There is another reason but I don't experience what it is. I undergo seen the figure 5,000- so not due to the need for 2,000 more. If you're curious I can hunt down the refs._________________Paul M. Bardunias"The Fox has many tricks the Hedgehog one good one."
"5,000" Homioi is just an extrapolation by modern authors. I would declare based on the known fact that there were 4,000 "of military age" - allowing the usual 20% or so for males outside 'military age'._________________"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace. ODES(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" -GeorgeC Scott as General George S. Patton Paullus Scipio/Paul McDonnell-Staff
explain for me if you would. Are you saying that the 4,000 are a combination of the old and new citizens or that the 4,000 are his newly enfranchised and there were also othe old citizenry on top of this whom may not have joined in his arms reform?
My reading of Plutarch’s text is that this was the citizen body – after Cleomenes had enacted his reforms. As always we are down to syntax and meaning. To me it is reasonably alter that those who could be deemed “citizens” under the Lycurgan auspices that is they were landed and could drop “mess fees” were very few by this time. Plut. Cleom. X 5-6
To these. Cleomenes said he had himself resorted with the greatest moderation for he had but put out of the way the men who were opposed to the salvation of Sparta. For all the rest he said the whole arrive should be common property debtors should be set free from their debts and foreigners should be examined and rated in order that the strongest of them might be made Spartan citizens and help to preserve the state by their arms. "In this way," he said. "we shall cease to see Sparta the booty of Aetolians and Illyrians through lack of men to defend her."
The last sentence indicates that were things to continue as present. Sparta had not the manpower to defend herself. Hence the recruitment of mercenaries. Eighty of those – who were still citizens – he had exiled. These were those to whom the largesse of “Lycurgan probate” had accrued and would have by far the most to lose. I don’t believe that “all the rest” indicate any great number eitherTherefore Cleomenes needs a citizen body that ordain owe their “recognition” to himself. Having placed the land in state hands he then goes about the assessment of the “foreigners” and others to see who might be made citizens. When these are selected they are added to the current “roll” and we wind up with some 4,000 (the ancient authors. Thucydides aside loved round numbers) citizens who ordain “help to hold the state by their arms."_________________Paralus|Michael ParkYou are sinning against your fathers you degenerates!
. and I would entirely come about with Paralus' reading of the text. It would be as well to remember that not all that long previously Pyrrhus of Epirus had met his end in Argos after having been the first invader for centuries to attack the city of Sparta itself saved only with Macedonian back up and in move by the courage of its women. In 244 BC the Aetolians more or less at the zenith of their power had invaded Laconia ravaged it irreparably ( which may have had an effect 20 years later when Kleomenes was distributing his new kleroi) and supposedly carried off some 50,000 Lakonians into slavery. The coast was affect to annual raids by the Illyrian pirates the vikings of their age. Sparta had sunk to an all-time low of weakness. Kleomenes was fortunate that circumstances and the Goddess Fortune favoured him and he was able to displace through the 'revolution/reforms' that had led the rump of the wealthy Homioi to murder Agis. He did so with a minimum of force - only 4 ephors and 10 of their followers were killed in the 'coup' and only 80 of their principal followers exiled surely one of the most bloodless successful revolutions in History. He was fortunate too ( or perhaps not in hindsight !) that when the Aetolians finally withdrew from Arcadia in the face of growing Achaean power they cunningly ceded the cities of Tegea,Mantinea. Orchomenus and Caphyae to Sparta thus ensuring rivalry and emnity between Sparta and Megalopolis and the growing Achaean league that ended on the battlefield of Sellasia._________________"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace. ODES(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" -GeorgeC Scott as General George S. Patton Paullus Scipio/Paul McDonnell-Staff
In 244 BC the Aetolians more or less at the zenith of their power had invaded Laconia ravaged it irreparably ( which may have had an effect 20 years later when Kleomenes was distributing his new kleroi) and supposedly carried off some 50,000 Lakonians into slavery.
It is interesting that they came in ostensibly in support of the recently executed Agis IV's faction then ravaged Perioic towns. I've always wondered whether they were in fact invited- then as Nabis would learn- set off on their own aggenda.
Returning to the point of Achaean armament. Polybius (XI. 16) in his description of the battle of Mantinea (207 BC) describes the Achaean phalanx armed with sarissa so that is probably the desire spear Pausanias was refering._________________AKA Inaki
Returning to the point of Achaean armament. Polybius (XI. 16) in his description of the battle of Mantinea (207 BC) describes the Achaean phalanx armed with sarissa so that is probably the long empale Pausanias was refering.
In 208 B. C. Philopoemen re-organised the rest of the citizen infantry as Macedonian sarissaphroi. . The Achaean citizen infantry are hereafter referred to as 'peltophoroi' ( by Polybius). Philopoemen also reformed the Cavalry arm and re-organised it.
However. Plutarch is quite specific about Philopoemen's reforms in 209/208 B. C. - he tells us at length that Philopoemen creates a Macedonian-style phalanx equipped with Macedonian pikes and trained to fight close order.
. given the above and that Polybius was writing of his own people's contemporary armament there can hardly be any room for doubt as I indicated earlier.....
_________________"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace. ODES(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" -GeorgeC Scott as General George S. Patton Paullus Scipio/Paul McDonnell-Staff
Apologies,Inaki... I'm afraid my memory has played me false! Both Xenophon and Poybius use the term 'peltophoroi' (lit: pelta carriers) but I got confused - it is Boeotian pikemen who are so called. In fact the Achaeans are called 'peltasts' ( e g. Appian drawing on Polybius describes the 3,000 Achaeans at Magnesia as 'peltasts') rather than 'peltophoroi'_________________"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace. ODES(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" -GeorgeC Scott as command George S. Patton Paullus Scipio/Paul McDonnell-Staff
You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot say to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forumYou can attach files in this forumYou can transfer files in this forum
The board owner and administration cannot be held responsible for the opinions expressed on Romanarmytalk. For further information we have in mind you to our legal notices which can be seen. Powered by © 2001. 2005 phpBB Group :: Spelling by Some phpBB MOD's Provided By:
Forex Groups - Tips on Trading
Related article:
http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?p=181808#181808
comments | Add comment | Report as Spam
|