Sparta: rise of a warrior nation

211 Pages·2017·5.138 MB·English

by  Matyszak, Philip

PHILIP ‘MATY’ MATYSZAK holds a Their contemporaries were fascinated
doctorate in Ancient History from St by the Spartans and we still are. They
P RA IS E F OR P H I L IP M A T Y SZ A K ’ S P R E V I O U S W O R K S:
John’s College, Oxford University, and are portrayed as the stereotypical macho
has been studying, teaching and writing heroes: noble, laconic, totally fearless and
on the subject for over twenty years. ‘HIGHLY READABLE...GOOD, CLEAR, impervious to discomfort and pain. What
He specializes in the history of Classical OLD-FASHIONED NARRATIVE STYLE’ makes the study of Sparta so interesting is
Greece and of the Late Republic and - THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH that to a large extent the Spartans lived up
Early Imperial periods of Rome. Maty to this image.
•
has personal military experience both Ancient Sparta, however, was a city of
as a conscript in Rhodesia and with contrasts. We might admire their physical
‘A PLEASURE TO READ. AN INTELLIGENTLY
the Territorial Army in Britain. These toughness and heroism in adversity but
days he splits his time between writing COMPOSED, WELL-PACED AND DRAMATIC ACCOUNT’ Spartans also systematically abused their
in his home in Canada’s Monashee - ANCIENT WARFARE children. They gave rights to citizen women
Mountains and providing e-learning that were unmatched in Europe until the
•
courses for Cambridge University’s modern era, meanwhile subjecting their
conquered subject peoples to a murderous
Institute of Continuing Education.
‘A FASCINATING LITTLE HANDBOOK OF SERIOUS
reign of terror. Though idealized by the
SCHOLARSHIP AND IRREPRESSIBLE WIT’
Athenian contemporaries of Socrates,
- BOSTON GLOBE Sparta was almost devoid of intellectual
achievement.
•
Philip Matyszak explores two themes:
how Sparta came to be the unique society
‘WELL WRITTEN, INSIGHTFUL AND A GREAT READ’
it was, and the rise of the city from a
- OXBOW BOOKS
Peloponnesian village to the military
superpower of Greece. But, above all,
his focus is on the Spartan hoplite, the
archetypal Greek warrior who was
respected and feared throughout Greece in
his own day, and who has since become
a legend. The reader is shown the man
Jacket design: Dominic Allen behind the myth; who he was, who he
thought he was, and the environment
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Sparta
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Sparta
Rise of a Warrior Nation
Philip Matyszak
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To the memory of Diana Tansley
First published in Great Britain in 2017 by
PEN & SWORD MILITARY
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS
Copyright © Philip Matyszak, 2017
ISBN 978 1 47387 464 0
The right of Philip Matyszak to be identified as Author of
this Work has been asserted by them in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the
British Library
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission
from the Publisher in writing.
Printed and bound in Malta by Gutenberg Press Ltd
Pen & Sword Books Ltd incorporates the Imprints of Pen
& Sword Aviation, Pen & Sword Maritime, Pen & Sword
Military, Wharncliffe Local History, Pen and Sword Select, Pen
and Sword Military Classics, Leo Cooper, Remember When,
Seaforth Publishing and Frontline Publishing.
For a complete list of Pen & Sword titles please contact
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Website: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk
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Contents
Glossary vi
Maps vii
Chapter 1 This is Sparta 1
Chapter 2 Becoming Sparta 17
Chapter 3 The First Messenian War 33
Chapter 4 Lycurgus 45
Chapter 5 The Second Messenian War 59
Chapter 6 The Making of a Spartan Warrior 71
Chapter 7 Domination of the Peloponnese 83
Chapter 8 Cleomenes I – Sparta’s ‘Mad’ King 97
Chapter 9 The Spartan Army 115
Chapter 10 The Road to Marathon 133
Chapter 11 Thermopylae: Their Finest Hour 147
Chapter 12 Apogee 165
Epilogue 181
Select Bibliography 185
Index 187
Index of Ancient Sources Discussed in the Text 191
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Glossary
Agathoergi – A picked group of 300 ‘enforcers’
Agelai – a ‘herd’ of Spartan children in training
Agoge – the Spartan education system
Archagetai – the Spartan kings
Aspis – hoplite shield
Doru – Hoplite spear
enomotia – file of warriors in the battle line
hebontes – young men in the final stage of training
homoioi – ‘The Equals’ Spartan men in good standing
hippagretai/hippeis – royal bodyguard
kleroi – plots of land held by Spartiates
Kopis – sword type
linothorax – armour type
obai/phylai – division of the Spartan people
paiderastia – ‘love of boys’
paides – stage of the agoge
perioiki – free non-Spartan Lacedaemonians
phratry – aristocratic faction
Phoebaeum – a ritual fight
Spartiates – fully paid-up Spartan warriors
syssitia – Spartan communal mess
Xiphos – sword type
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Thasos
Chlakidice
Cyzicus
Mt Athos
Lemnos
Troy
Mt Olympus
Lesbos
Cape
Artemisium
Sardis
Delphi Eratria
Thebes
Corinth Chios Ephesus
Athens
Andros Samos
Argos
Aegina
Miletus
Naxos
Halicarnassus
Cos
Rhodes
Kythera
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Pellana
Stenyclarus
Mt Ithome R.
P
a
ni Sparta
s Mt Taygetus
o
s
R. Eurotas
Cape
Acritas
Cape
N Taenarum Cape
Malea
Kythera
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Malian Gulf
Persian
Camp
Thermopylae
Trachinian Cliffs Alpeni
Anopaean Mts
Artemesium
Thermopylae
EUBOEA
Delphi
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