<<The>> bronze lie shattering the myth of Spartan warrior supremacy

The story of the Spartans is one of the best known in history, from their rigorous training to their dramatic feats of arms--but is that portrait of Spartan supremacy true? Renowned novelist and popular historian Myke Cole goes back to the original sources to set the record straight. The Spartan hoplite enjoys unquestioned currency as history's greatest fighting man. Raised from the age of seven in the agoge, a military academy legendary for its harshness, Spartan men were brought up to value loyalty to the polis (the city-state) above all else, and to prize obedience to orders higher than their own lives. The last stand at Thermopylae made the Spartans legends in their own time, famous for their brevity and their ability to endure hardship, to control their emotions, and to never surrender--even in the face of impossible odds, even when it meant their certain deaths. But was this reputation earned? Or was it simply the success of a propaganda machine that began turning at Thermopylae in 480 BC? Examining the historical record, both literary and material, paints a very different picture of Spartan arms--a society dedicated to militarism not in service to Greek unity or to the Spartan state itself, but as a desperate measure intended to keep its massive population of helots (a near-slave underclass) in line, forcing them to perform the mundane work of farming, cleaning, building and crafting to permit the dandified Spartan citizens ( spartiatai ) the time they needed to focus on their military training. Covering Sparta's full classical history, The Bronze Lie examines the myth of Spartan warrior supremacy against the historical record, delving into the minutiae of Spartan warfare from arms and armor to tactics and strategy. With a special focus on previously under-publicized Spartan reverses that have been left largely unexamined, it looks at the major battles as well as re-examining major Spartan "victories." Most importantly, it re-examines Thermopylae itself, a propaganda victory utterly out of proportion to its actual impact--a defeat that wasn't even accomplished by 300 Spartans, but rather by thousands of allied Greeks, all for the net effect of barely slowing a Persian advance that went on to roam Greece unchecked and destroy Athens itself. Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Contents 6 Preface 8 List of Maps 14 Part I: The Myth of Sparta 18 Introduction 20 Part II: The Reality of Sparta 26 I. Cuckold Kings and Wolves’ Work: Behind the Spartan Mirage 28 The Impenetrable Mists of Sparta’s Mythic Past 29 Hoplite Warfare in Classical Greece – Arms, Armor and Tactics 37 The Spartan “Upbringing” – Myth and Reality 43 Spartan Warrior Values – Clues from Tyrtaeus 49 The Spartan Army 52 II. Archaic Sparta at War: Early Losses, Foreign Roots 63 The First Messenian War – A Twenty-year Slog to Victory 66 The Second Messenian War 85 Conflict with Argos, Tegea and Samos 92 Athenian Entanglement 103 Prelude to the Persian Wars 112 Sparta’s Battlefield Performance in the Archaic Period 117 III. The Greco-Persian War: The Thermopylae Speed Bump 118 The Battle of Marathon 122 The Battle of Plataea 163 Mycale 170 Sparta’s Record in the Greco-Persian War 171 Pausanias and Leotychides 172 IV. The Peloponnesian Wars: Floundering at Sea, Surrendering on Land 177 Two Battles with Arcadia 178 The Third Messenian War – The Battle of Stenyclerus and the Second Battle of Ithome 181 The Peloponnesian Wars Begin 183 The Archidamian Phase of the Peloponnesian Wars 187 A Stillborn Peace 226 The Decelean Phase of the Peloponnesian Wars 240 V. Masters of Greece? Sparta Squanders its Hegemony 259 Tarnished Victory – The Athenian Insurgency, The Elean War, and Spartan Actions in Asia Minor 261 The Corinthian War 280 VI. Masters of Greece? Sparta Squanders its Hegemony 300 First and Second Olynthus 304 Theban Wages Come Due 306 The Boeotian War 309 VII. The End of Sparta: Irreformable and Irrelevant 330 The Boeotian War Continues 331 Enter Macedon 341 Sparta in the Hellenistic Age 346 VIII. Conclusion: The Bronze Lie 367 The Lycurgan Ideal and the Spartan Mirage 369 Cults of Personality 370 Discipline and Military Organization 372 Manpower Crisis, Slavery and Spartan “Strength” 375 Scouting and Reconnaissance 386 Siegecraft and Assaults on Fortified Positions 388 Giving and Accepting Bribes 390 Winning by Trickery and Diplomacy 392 Religious Observance 394 Bravery Unto Death 396 Rigidity and Adaptability 399 PART III: Tangling Myth and Reality 404 IX. The “Moron Label”: The Spartans and the Political Far Right 406 Appendix A. Historiography and Objectivity 420 Appendix B. The Fundamentals of Ancient Battle 424 Glossary 429 Bibliography 437 Index 455 Plates 466 The Spartan hoplite enjoys unquestioned currency as history's greatest fighting man. The last stand at Thermopylae made the Spartans legends in their own time, famous for their toughness, stoicism and martial prowess, and for their refusal to surrender in the face of impossible odds, even when it meant certain death. Was this reputation earned? Or was it simply the success of a propaganda machine that had begun working long before the battle at the Hot Gates. Covering Sparta's full classical history from the foundation of the city-state through to its final overthrow by Rome in the 1st century BC, The Bronze Lie examines the myth of Spartan warrior supremacy and paints a very different picture of Spartan warfare - one punctuated by frequent and heavy losses. It looks at the major battles, with a special focus on previously under-publicized Spartan reverses that have been left largely unexamined. It reveals why Spartan society became dedicated to militarism, and examines the men who lived under its brutal rule. The result is a refreshingly honest and accurate account of Spartan warfare that challenges long-held myths about this ancient Greek society and culture, myths that still inspire warrior creeds today. --Inside jacket. The last stand at Thermopylae made the Spartans legends in their own time, famous for their toughness, stoicism and martial prowess – but was this reputation earned? Covering Sparta's full classical history, The Bronze Lie examines the myth of Spartan warrior supremacy. This book paints a very different picture of Spartan warfare – punctuated by frequent and heavy losses. We also discover a society dedicated to militarism not in service to Greek unity or to the Spartan state itself, but as a desperate measure intended to keep its massive population of helots (a near-slave underclass) in line. What successes there were, such as in the Peloponnesian Wars, gave Sparta only a brief period of hegemony over Greece. Today, there is no greater testament to this than the relative position of modern Sparta and its famous rival Athens. The Bronze Lie explores the Spartans' arms and armor, tactics and strategy, the personalities of commanders and the common soldiery alike. It looks at the major battles, with a special focus on previously under-publicized Spartan reverses that have been left largely unexamined. The result is a refreshingly honest and accurate account of Spartan warfare. Covering Sparta's full classical history, The Bronze Lie examines the myth of Spartan warrior supremacy.The last stand at Thermopylae made the Spartans legends in their own time, famous for their toughness, stoicism and martial prowess – but was this reputation earned?This book paints a very different picture of Spartan warfare – punctuated by frequent and heavy losses. We also discover a society dedicated to militarism not in service to Greek unity or to the Spartan state itself, but as a desperate measure intended to keep its massive population of helots (a near-slave underclass) in line.What successes there were, such as in the Peloponnesian Wars, gave Sparta only a brief period of hegemony over Greece. Today, there is no greater testament to this than the relative position of modern Sparta and its famous rival Athens. The Bronze Lie explores the Spartans'arms and armor, tactics and strategy, the personalities of commanders and the common soldiery alike. It looks at the major battles, with a special focus on previously under-publicized Spartan reverses that have been left largely unexamined. The result is a refreshingly honest and accurate account of Spartan warfare. The Spartan hoplite enjoys unquestioned currency as history's greatest fighting man. Spartans were known for their refusal to surrender in the face of impossible odds, even when it meant certain death. But was this simply the success of a propaganda machine? Covering Sparta's full classical history from the foundation of the city-state through to its final overthrow by Rome in the 1st century BC, The Bronze Lie examines the myth of Spartan warrior supremacy and paints a very different picture of Spartan warfare one punctuated by frequent and heavy losses. Author Myke Cole looks at the major battles, with a special focus on previously under-publicized Spartan reverses that have been left largely unexamined. He reveals why Spartan society became dedicated to militarism, and examines the men who lived under its brutal rule. The result is a refreshingly honest and accurate account of Spartan warfare