spartan army at Mantinea 418 BC

[Giannis K. Hoplite]

Oh come on! Don't start such a debate! Remember,one of the greatest wars in history started with those same arguements! It lasted 27 years hock: :lol:
However,I don't find logical that the spartan army fought as a mixture of Homioi and Perioikoi. This would mean that the tactical units were composed of both homioi and perioikoi,meaning that each enomotia would also be a mixture,and their trainig would have to be the same. This would mean that each unit composed only of perioikoi would be equal with one composed only of Spartans. It simply can't have been like that. What could have been the case is that Spartans may have been covered in their left flank or center with a whole diferent phalanx of perioikoi.Those would be equal with the rest Peloponnesian allies,like the Tegeans. The Spartan army never was described as a mixture of homoioi and perioikoi,fighting in the same phalanx. It was described as Spartans and allies,and the perioikoi,as free men,can be described as allies. They had to follow Spartans everywhere in battle? Yes. But so did the Tegeans and typically all the other allies of the Peloponnesian Leage.
Khairete
Giannis