11-22-2009, 03:28 PM
Quote:Paul Cartledge - not unfamiliar with the ancient sources himself, and considered by many to be one of the leading (if not THE leading) authorities on Sparta refers to Lysander's election to the elite Royal Bodyguard of the 300 Hippeis (Agesilaos and the Crisis of Sparta (Duckworth 1987) p29), and also to the primary function of the Hippeis being "to serve as the king's bodyguard in battle, somewhat in the manner of Alexander's Makedonian Hypaspists" (ibid p205).
This I think is the heart of the problem, and one that is pervasive in the study of Greek warfare. Were there no hypaspists we might be less quick to label the Hippeis a bodyguard. In my opinion many elements of hoplite warfare have been misinterpreted in the past because of the reliance on Hellenistic and later Roman sources. Cartledge in the above is merely propagating the error by presenting them a a guard in a way that suggests that this is in any way clear and settled.
Paul M. Bardunias
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!"
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!"
