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Talking about the book in a few words |
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At the back covers: |
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The structure of the army of the Lacedaemonians is a
complete, masterly and justified inspection of the
crooked means though which the Spartans “omoioi” passed
through all the stages or training so as to come to
staff the most glorified “Phalanx” of infantry men that
ever existed.
Glorified not only from its many and proud victories but
and from its glorious defeat for the reason that its
fighters were placed with honesty and stood unbreakable
one next to each other in the battlefield. This
proceeding of the warrior that started from his seven
years and went through many difficult stages, so that
the polity could in the end deliver a completed man,
citizen and at the same time infantry warrior from the
view of breading, philosophy, spiritual education and “Paedia”,
exhausting, political expertise, introducing even in his
education as a basic component the musical cultivation
and the dancing this proceeding and development of the
warrior towards his completeness, will be called by the
Spartans, very simply “agogy”. No one could be called a
Spartan (Spartan “omoios” finally was a title of honor),
if hasn’t passed success fully all the periods and the
stages of the “agogi”.
The expertised effort of the well-lowed polity of Sparta
to organize her defense will stand as the cause of the
establishment of the first “Academy of the war”. It is
not by chance that Sparta gathers the looks of many
hundreds of well established investigators, historians
and writers, ancient and contemporary.
The city that despite its big acne and exhibition will
be lost from the historic setting without leaving traces
but only mystery for its terrific vigor and power. One
thing is certain, that every historical element and
information from the ancient Greek literature that we
have in our hands for the Polity of Sparta is written by
non Spartans∙ the Spartans didn’t write about their
history, others coped with it and that says a lot. The
study that you have in your hands follows the proceeding
of the Lacedaemonians in their “agogi”, taking the
thread from the start.
It’s starts to examine the subject having as a starting
point, the “agogi” that the polity provided to its
offspring’s, giving great importance to the determinant
activity of the ephors, in the clout finally of the
kings of Sparta in the constitution. The writer of this
exciting study ventures to introduce a new outlook on
the study, different from the one that prevails up to
today in the subjects with which he deals with, seats on
the real and the true, and doesn’t ignore that the
approach of such matters needs the identification of the
researcher with the theme.
In the pages of the in hand book, he searches the secret
of the Grand Proviso of Lycurgus and refers to many
paragraphs of it at every chance, he is intent on the
ancient mainly sources with respect, and attempts to
search the “omoios”. It attempts finally to interpret
the use and efficiency of the armament, and aims at
infiltrating the highest security “hideaway of the
Polity”.
The study of the present book reaches its peak with the
extensive reference to the organization of the troop
where the tactics of battle are analyzed. Dimitrios
Katsoulis believes that Sparta wasn’t a “comet” in the
Greek matters according to the prevailing false and
dangerous view, and attempts in many cases to reveal the
malevolent exhibitional expediencies and rebut them
bringing out aspects of the Polity that remained in the
background. |
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Contents |
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Prologue 13
Introduction 17 |
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Chapter one: The Dorians
in Lacedaemon.
The kings among the customs of the Spartans and the big
proviso of Lycurgus 26.
The ephors take in their hands the governing of the
Polity 34
The Polity honors the regal rank, 42. |
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Chapter two: The catalytic clout of the proviso in
the class of the citizens the big Proviso of Lycurgus
forges the ideal Polity, 56.
The population and the classes in Lacedaemon, 69.
The enrichment of the “omoioi”, the coins and the
introduction of gold in the Polity of Sparta, 76. |
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Chapter three: The role of the traditions and
the institutions in the training of the citizens as
warriors.
The completeness of the seven years was the starting
point for the gradual incorporation of the Spartans in
the phalanx, 98.
Parallel of the society of the Spartans to that of the
wolves, 121.
The “syskinies”, 125. |
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Chapter four: The traditional armament of the
Spartan “omoios” and the outward appearance.
The cangue, 139.
The breastplate, 143.
The greaves, 147.
The shield, 148.
The pike, 154.
The sword, 157.
The phalanx of the javelin men, 159.
Around the theme of the camp and the organization of the
expeditions, 161.
The proviso of the Polity, 162.
The road net and the transportations, 164. |
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Chapter five: the organization of the troops
and the role of the infantryman (hoplite) in the phalanx
tactics of battle, 169.
The functional advantages and disadvantages of the
phalanx, 183.
The psiloi, 195.
The peltastes, 200.
The cavalrymen, 204.
The three hundred, 213. |
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Addendum, 217.
Welcome of the critique, 223.
Bibliography, 226.
Index, 233 – 244. |
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