greycat

In Sparta there were different classes. (1)The Spartiates (Greek: Σπαρτιάται, "Spartans") were the males of Sparta known to the Spartans as "peers" or "men of equal status" Spartiates were exempt from manual labor, and controlled the government of the state. Spartiate men were expected to prepare constantly for military conflict. (2)The Perioikoi, literally "dwellers around," inhabitants of outlying towns who carried out most of the trade and commerce of the city, since Spartiates were forbidden from engaging in commercial activity. (3)The helots, enslaved populations tied to the land and over whom the Spartan state claimed ownership. In the late 5th century BC and later, a new class, the neodamodeis (lit. 'new' damos dwellers), arose. It seems to have been composed of liberated helots. (4)There were also the hypomeiones (lit. inferiors), men who were probably, although not certainly, Spartiates who had lost social rank. source: Wikipedia

Greek Hoplites c. 650-640 (Proto-Corinthian vase painting) Greek hoplite , c. 480 BC Greek hoplite and Persian warrior, c. 5th century BC Greek hoplite Scythian archer c. 500-490 BCE

Also...The only time I have heard of it being a problem in Germany was with WWII games, because it is directly depicting the Nazi party.

Yes. I don't think there should be a problem if we use it in the correct cultural context. If Wikipedia is correct about it being OK to use it for "scholarly reasons", I see no problem. : of, characteristic of, or suitable to learned persons

I see how they work now...

also I should note that these writings are based on Peter Connolly's writings. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Connolly

I recognize the last one as Thor's hammer.

This is kind of a work in progress since I keep learning new things. If you notice any errors, especially with the Greek words, please notify me. Thanks.

Maybe we can get an artist to recreate something based viking artifacts?

SPARTAN WARRIOR, c.346 BC (2) is depicting a Spartiate who was a male of Sparta known to the Spartans as "peers" or "men of equal status" The army was mostly Lakedaimonian rather than Spartiate around this time from a region of southern Greece in the southeast Peloponnesus. The Perioikoi, were the members of an autonomous group of free but non-citizen inhabitants of Sparta and may have worn a thorax (3) according to this source at least: http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Spartan-Warrior-735%E2%80%93331-BC_9781849087001 Peter Connolly depicts them as a mixture thorax and ‘bell’ cuirass at Battle of Thermopylae 480 BC http://www.wildfiregames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=17906#entry279831

lol...thanks.

Yes, that is even how we use the word today... 2a often not capitalized : marked by strict self-discipline or self-denial <a Spartan athlete> b often not capitalized : marked by simplicity, frugality, or avoidance of luxury and comfort Looting sounds like an interesting idea. Not sure how to work into game though...

Composition of the Spartan 300 Whatever the hypothetical composition of the archaic Spartan army, the number of 300 men appear in classical Greek records, this being the number of the Sacred Band of Thebes (378-338 BC), the Spartans at Thermopylae (480 BC) and the number on each side of the 'Battle of the Champions' (546 BC) fought between Argos and Sparta. Unit composition pentekostys ("fifty") platoon A 'sworn band' (enomotia) consisting of 25 men was the smallest division and is hypothesized to originally have been composed of 23 hoplites, a 'tail leader' (ouragos) [green shield] and lead by an an enomotarch [black shield]. The enomotiai were coupled into 'fifties' (pentekostyes) and were commanded by a pentekonter [yellow shield]. The war band (lochos) of 100 men was the basic unit of a phalanx and consisted of two pentekostyes or platoons and was commanded by a by a lochagos. The battalion (mora) of 300 men consisted of three lochoi and was commanded by a 'war ruler/leader' (polemarch). The first mora the hippeis was composed of 300 hoplites who were the elite of the Spartan army. The mora was the largest hoplite formation used by the Spartan army. We know that by the time of Xenophon (c. 431-355 BC) that the enomotia had been increased to 36 men, the pentekostys to 72, the lochos to 144 and the mora to(*)576. The entire Spartan army consisted of 6 morae (3456 men) and was led by one of two Spartan kings. enomotia (36 men) enomotarch [black shield] (*) Attached to each mora was a cavalry unit also a called a mora. (probably 60 men) stages of combat: (1) Ephodos: The hoplites stop singing their paeanes (battle hymns) and move towards the enemy, gradually picking up pace and momentum. In the instants before impact war cries would be made. (2) Krousis: The opposing phalanxes meet each other almost simultaneously along their front. The promachoe (the front-liners) had to be physically and psychologically fit to sustain and survive the clash. (3) Doratismos: Repeated, rapid spear thrusts in order to disrupt the enemy formation. NOTE: Some modern scholars believe that the Krousis stage 3 and Othismos stage 4 are not seperate stages but happen together during combat. See post # 4 and 5. (4) Othismos: Literally "pushing" after the most spears have broken, the hoplites begin to push with their large shields and use their secondary weapon, the sword. This could be the longest phase. (5) Pararrhexis: "Breaching" the opposing phalanx, the enemy formation shatters and the battle ends. Sources: Greece and Rome At War (Peter Connolly) http://books.google.com/books/about/Greece_and_Rome_at_War.html?id=yDujuAAACAAJ Archaic & Classical Greek Warfare http://www.tvdsb.ca/webpages/jarvela/files/Lesson%208-Archaic%20&%20Classical%20Greek%20Warfare.pdf Ancient Greek Phalanx Combat http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CD4QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpeople.uncw.edu%2Fkozloffm%2Fgreekphalanx.doc&ei=BxqtUuPgAY_soATKuYKIBQ&usg=AFQjCNHL60mVGvsAnJaw_zMGumz7vfEQWA&sig2=uZQwk_xIHjJ_0qK-RjRQQw

That is a good point. armor was often handed down through families. Having more sons was something that was encouraged, so not everybody would be able to get equipment in this way. I would think that after winning a battle they would take what they wanted though.

another funky one...

I made a few linguistic changes. If you don't think it sounds better you don't have to use it... The Vikings of old were a north Germanic people who hailed from Scandinavia. During the early Middle Ages their regions expanded to Russia, England, Iceland and Greenland. They traveled to as far as Asia to the New World nearly 500 years before Columbus. Though feared for their fighting skills, they were also skilled traders and sailors. By the end of the Viking Age, which lasted from 793-1066 AD, their raids on the mainland faded, nonetheless they have left their mark on European culture and history.

I think it may be referring to only the "The Spartiates on Sphakteria" (2) SPARTAN WARRIOR, c.346 BC

The cuirass At the beginning of our period, many Spartan warriors will have worn the bronze ‘bell cuirass’ (thorax), in which a front plate and a back plate, both covering from neck to waist, were fastened together. This is the style worn by archaic Spartan bronze figurines, such as the well-known example from Dodona. The design resembles a bell by gently flaring inwards at the waist before jutting out in a flange, which was no doubt intended to catch or deflect any downward spear thrusts. It is possible that the Spartan warrior, following the example set by the hoplites of other city-states, graduated, along with them, from the cumbersome bronze bell cuirass to the more comfortable fabric corslet. Xenophon describes this thorax lineos (‘linen corslet’), which covered a man down to his abdomen and incorporated a skirt of fabric strips called pteryges (Xen., Anab. 4.7.15). This design of corslet, with its telltale shoulder flaps, is frequently depicted on vase paintings, but is nowhere explicitly linked with Spartans. source: http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Spartan-Warrior-735%E2%80%93331-BC_9781849087001

The final day at Thermopylae as illustrated by Peter Connolly Peter Connolly (8 May 1935 – 2 May 2012) was a renowned British scholar of the ancient world, Greek and Roman military equipment historian, reconstructional archaeologist and illustrator.

something funky...

They did wear cloaks but not into battle. A bronze statuette of a Spartan officer from the early 5th century BCE. He is wrapped in his cloak, or tribon.

Shield emblems (episema) It is well known that hoplite shields often carried painted designs or bronze appliqué blazons; one example is the Gorgoneion (or Medusa mask) in Aristophanes’ Acharnians (quoted above). The philo-Spartan Alkibiades allegedly depicted Eros with a thunderbolt on his shield, which was thought to be far too frivolous (Plut., Alk. 16.2), whereas the Thebans depicted Herakles’ club on theirs (Xen., Hell. 7.5.20). Plutarch even records the case of a Spartan who painted a life-sized fly on his shield, explaining that ‘I move in so close to the enemy that the emblem is seen by them as big as it really is’(Plut., Ap. Lak., Anon. 41 = Mor. 234C–D). At one point, Xenophon describes how an Argive force identified its enemy as Sikyonians, ‘seeing the sigma on their shields’ (Xen., Hell. 4.4.10); clearly, on this occasion, the men of Sikyon had painted Σ on their shields, being the initial letter of their town. Similarly, modern writers often state as a fact that Spartan shields carried the , indicating ‘Lakedaimon’. However,the evidence is problematic. source: http://www.ospreypub...C_9781849087001

This is what author says about greaves. Greaves The evidence for Spartan greaves (knemides) is as equivocal as the evidence for corslets; both items appear on the archaic bronze figurines, but there is little evidence thereafter. However, where the hoplite shield might mitigate the absence of body armour, it seldom covered a man’s lower legs, where greaves would provide the only protection. If the Spartan elected to wear greaves, each bronze knemis must have been modelled, albeit roughly, to fit his leg, because it wrapped around the shin leaving only a narrow gap at the back, along the wearer’s calf. The springiness of the bronze kept the greaves in place and, as with the helmet, padding provided comfort while cushioning any blows. We can assume that such padding was normally made of fabric, but Aristotle claims that marine sponges could be used, and particularly the species nicknamed ‘the sponge of Achilles’: ‘this one they place under the helmet and greaves, to deaden the sound of the blow’ (Arist., Hist. An. 5.14 = 548B). Of course, in deadening the sound, it also absorbed the impact, which was surely its primary purpose. source: http://www.ospreypub...C_9781849087001

They are from Osprey military history books. They use archeological sources. http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/Spartan-Warrior-735%E2%80%93331-BC_9781849087001

ok