04-08-2007, 11:45 PM
Quote:Politically Spartan kings like Agesilaus and Cleomenes dominated the political field in Sparta; the same does not seem to be true for Leonidas.
I have the impression he was a true Spartan, still fighting in the field, rather than a political figure. This would also have driven him, after hearing the words of the oracle, to lead the men into battle leaving the other king, which seems to be Leotychidas, and the regents to rule until his son became of age?
Quote:His death was very inspiring, after the Greeks won, but at the time I don’t see the Greeks being all that cheerful about it. The navy at Artemisium was not exactly cheering when it left and Herodotus describes it as a disaster (8.27).
I meant in the respect that it gave the Greeks a new initiative to fight back. Leonidas and the others had bought them a little more time.
Quote:Compare the Lamian war - Nobody talks a lot about the battle of Crannon, except to mention in was somehow a ‘crushing’ defeat for the Greeks in 322 BC (and of course because there is no detailed report about the battle). The reality is that Crannon was not much of a defeat; the Athenian lead Greeks outnumbered by Antipater almost 2:1 fought Alexander’s veteran troops and marshals to a standstill and retired in good order. The Athenians were simply out resourced; they provided the bulk of the army and the entire Greek navy. With part of their fleet tied down watching Antipater’s fleet, the remainder (~170-180+) ships was overmatched by Kleitos and the 240 or so ships he brought from Asia in a series of 2 or 3 battles around Amorgos. Crannon was something of a dice roll by the Greeks with the Macedonian fleet victorious it was worth one last try to get lucky; if they could pull off a smashing victory and maybe kill another Macedonian general or two, than they might still have a chance. A close fought, even battle was not enough (unfortunately).To be honest, I hadn't heard of Crannon...I don't know all the various Diadochi battles..
Is that another Kleitos?
Laudes :wink:
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
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The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
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