spartan army at Mantinea 418 BC

[Paralus]

3000 homoioi still was a considerable force.

Indeed. In fact, it will be the largest that Sparta had put into the field in some considerable time. One needs to go back to Plataea for such numbers. Even at Tanagara in 458/7 Thucydides only puts the homoioi at 1,500. Kleomenes, if Herodotus is being specific with his term "Spartiate", took in excess of 2,000 homoioi to settle Spartan grievances with Argos sometime after his Athens foray in 506.

A figure of some 3,000 odd homoioi at Mantiniea, representing five sixths of their total, would put that total at some 3,600. Given the very parlous numbers by the time of Leuctra, that seems quite realistic.

All of which serves to indicate just how very serious this confrontation was. Sparta had spent long years entrenching its control of its frontiers - the wars against Argos for control of the Thyreatis are a stark example. Just as necessary were its alliances in Arkadia. This was the area through which it could be invaded and through which it would march its armies to the north. As well, many a perioikic settlement was just to the south of this area. Sparta employed its tried and true "divide and rule" strategy here at all times and rarely allowed the development of large cities. One needs only to cast an eye back to Kleomenes' end after having attempted to raise Arkadia against the Spartans.

By 418 League dissafection with Sparta and inspired diplomacy by the chameleon Alkibiades had raised the insufferable and hugely dangerous spectre of war - against Sparta - on its northern doorstep. Hence only the old and the young were back in defence of the city of Sparta. Sparta would live or die on the field at Mantinea.