Spartan Mora regiments at Battle of Plataea

[Paullus Scipio]

Ghostmojo wrote:

Following his death, a new commander might have reorganised these Brasideioi along more regular lines perhaps, and allowing for deaths, desertions and so on might not this unit have decreased substantially or significantly? Conversely it might have been augmented with other liberated helots. However, I favour the Brasideioi remaining a separate unit with another separate unit of Neodamodeis raised in immitation of this successful 'new citizen' unit.

...see above - the first Helot Hoplites were raised around 425, and perhaps numbered some 1-2,000. By 421 BC they had completed their service, been freed as a reward to become 'Neo-damodeis'/new citizens and been settled at Lepreum. In 424 a further 700 Helots were recruited and sent to Chalkidike inThrace under Brasidas and served him well, becoming known as 'Brasideoi'. In 421 after Brasidas' death, they return to Sparta under Clearidas following the Peace Treaty, are freed in turn and after initially being allowed to settle anywhere they liked, were ultimately sent to join the other 'neodamodeis' in Lepreum, just outside Laconia, and guarding the frontier. (Thuc V.34) There they seem to have had a similar status to 'Perioikoi', though of course they were 'spartans'. In 418 one 'lochos' 5-600 strong ,of each, (together equivalent to a 'Mora' )are recalled to the colours for first Mantinea as recounted above ( the remainder presumably still guarding the frontier as the garrison of Lepreum).

Surely, the secretive nature of the Spartan system is reinforced to an enemy not really knowing for certain if the unit they faced was fully Spartiates - Hypomeniones - Perioikoi - or Neodamdodeis? The arrival of the lambda shield device would further enhance the lack of clarity.

...indeed, and it is that very secrecy, remarked upon in ancient times, which led to vagueness and confusion about the Spartan Military by both ancient and modern commentators, and without which we would not be having this debate !! D lol:

I do wish somebody would publish Lazenby's The Spartan Army again.

It does not seem to be readily available online....Amazon want $500 for it....when they can get it !! hock: hock: I certainly concur with pretty much all Lazenby's views on the subject, and he and J.K. Anderson's "Military Theory and practice in the Age of Xenophon" are the leading modern boks on the subject...