10-31-2007, 12:24 PM
Quote:Where can I get some information about this battle that was fought between Sparta and the Achaian League?
Your best source is Plutarch's life of Philopoemen. Polybios must have written about it, but I don't recall the chapter.
These were not the Spartans of old. Machinidas was a Tarantine tyrant and usurper. After Sellasia the already small number of Spartiates was devastated, so as mentioned this was mostly a mercenary and "new" spartiate army.
No elephants on either side, but Spartans had faced elephatns when Pyrrus invaded Laconia and they defeated him. Since Areus minted coins in the firts half of the 3rd C BC, Spartan Kings had made some show of being like the Diodachi around them. Machinidas himself fought on horseback!
As to the beards, that osprey book did a great diservice. Perhaps the only thing we know was neat about a Spartan was his beard- he combed it you'll recall. A better model might be the flowing beards seen on assyrian and near eastern statuary. By this point any "true" spartans would have been fairly rich and as has been mentioned the days of Agoge and the Rhetra were gone- to rise again as a macabre attraction for wealthy romans.
Paul M. Bardunias
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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!"
