Quote: Their grim determination was the most important factor in moulding the Greek coaletion against the Persians at the Amfictioninc Counsil. Without it there wouldn´t be any resistance because other Greeks were awed by the size of the Persian empire.
The Spartans certainly represent one of what amounted to maybe four actual free acting Greek states that resisted Persia in any significant why – Sparta, Corinth, Athens and Aigina. Rather than grim determination, I would suggest Spartan compulsion is a bigger factor in molding ‘Greek’ resistance; seeing as the bulk of the Greek states that fought Persia were either members of the Peloponnesian league or like Aigina constrained by Sparta to fight – Athens (and her dependencies Plataea and Chalcis) having already decided to fight on their own.
Quote:Thermopylae proved that they put their lives were their words were. The Spartan troops present as marines at Salamis reaffirmed their commitment to fight to the bitter end. Yes, their close combat training came handy during the Salamis boarding actions. They were also responsible for providing officers and trainers for the troops of the Delian League and set the basis for the successes of Eurymedon and Mycale not to mention Cyprus and Karia.
Come on now, whatever Sparta’s contributions at Thermopylae and Plataea, you’re reaching here to give tham any significance to them on the naval side. Aside from the fact that you are disregarding the explicit testimony of Herodotus; Sparta played hardly any role in the naval victories. Sparta contributed 16 ships at Salamis about 4 percent of the Greek fleet (compare Athens and tiny Aegina who contributed 200 and 30 ships). The Athenians and Aeginetans were noted as the best Greeks who fought that day not the Spartans (Herodotus 8.93). Athenian and Aeginian ships were manned by their own nationals not Spartans ergo Athenians and Aeginetans carried the day at sea.
There really can be no doubt that Themistocles was the architect of the Greek navel victory, Eurybiades was a pure figure-head.
The Spartans provide no officers to the Delian League, they did provide commanders for the Hellenic league, but the arrogance of said officers lead very directly to the formation of the Athenian led Delian league. I really cannot see what leads you to suggest Sparta had any impact at all on Eurymedon; a victory of Athens and the Delian league alone.
At Mycale the Athenians, Corinth and Sicyon carried the day the Spartans arrived only after the Persian line and camp had been overrun for mopping up…