06-23-2004, 10:15 PM
Hmmmm Interesting,<br>
<br>
I went back and read the thread you refered to, as was stated in the post the Spartans were in decline during this time due to the effects of low birth rate and the extremley selective military training systems (throwing kids off cliffs can never be good for population growth) the Athenians were never a serious land, power even in their hayday.<br>
<br>
There are two main points of contention with your theory the Persians had ceased to be an expansionist empire because of their own internal power struggle problems and the most important the Macedonian Sarrisa!<br>
<br>
The effectivness of the Sarrisa and the Phalanx combined with cavalry and (and this is a very big AND) Alexanders siege and catapult equipment made the Macedonians an irresistable force during their time so regardless of the strength of the greeks I dont think they would have stopped Alexander<br>
<br>
Yes ill accept that had the greeks not have been having their own war the may have been able to stop the Macedonian military build up.<br>
<br>
Cheers<br>
Jason<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
I went back and read the thread you refered to, as was stated in the post the Spartans were in decline during this time due to the effects of low birth rate and the extremley selective military training systems (throwing kids off cliffs can never be good for population growth) the Athenians were never a serious land, power even in their hayday.<br>
<br>
There are two main points of contention with your theory the Persians had ceased to be an expansionist empire because of their own internal power struggle problems and the most important the Macedonian Sarrisa!<br>
<br>
The effectivness of the Sarrisa and the Phalanx combined with cavalry and (and this is a very big AND) Alexanders siege and catapult equipment made the Macedonians an irresistable force during their time so regardless of the strength of the greeks I dont think they would have stopped Alexander<br>
<br>
Yes ill accept that had the greeks not have been having their own war the may have been able to stop the Macedonian military build up.<br>
<br>
Cheers<br>
Jason<br>
<p></p><i></i>
