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Made up of a plethora of new citizens, the Spartan phalanx is the definite symbol that Kleomenes III has freed Lakedaimon from the shadows of the past.

Description

Made up of a plethora of new citizens, the Spartan phalanx is the definite symbol that Kleomenes III has freed Lakedaimon from the shadows of the past. Kleomenes equipped the Neodamodeis pikemen with Konos helmets, painted composite linothorakes, double pteryges and greaves. The small pelte shield, measuring 66cm in diameter, is bearing the emblem of the Mora (regiment) of Elos, a raging bull. Though there had been uniform training, the experience of the soldiers greatly varied according to its makeup of former Spartiate Hoplites, mercenary peltasts (Griffith, Hellenistic Mercenaries p. 98), Perioikoi Hoplites, possibly Helots, who had at most fought as light javelinmen, and Hypomeiones, who may not have been a regular part of the army at all. They performed well enough, however, to be retained by Kleomenes' successor, so that we can still find Spartan phalangites in the army of the 'tyrant' Machanidas in 207 BC (Polyb. XI, 15, 6).

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

After the success of Alexander and his successors, to which the Greek city states found no answer, the latter began to consider to retrain their Hoplites to fight as Macedonian style pikemen. However, this formation needed a lot of strength, precision and cohesion and thus longer training than that of the "classical" Hoplites. In Sparta, there were even more obstacles to reforming the infantry, the first of which was the formidable respect the Hoplites and their traditions commanded. Finally, the number of Homoioi had fallen to a mere 700 by the middle of the 3rd century BC, a number so small that it made an effective Macedonian phalanx with its depth of 12 or 16 ranks almost impossible. The Ephors and Gerousia were not ready to break up the ancient order, so that it needed the bold and visionary ideas of the young kings Agis IV (r. 241-244, who was murdered to prevent the reforms) and Kleomenes III (r. 235-222) to introduce the sarissa into the Lakedaimonian army. To solve the lack of manpower, Kleomenes had 2000 members of the lower strata of Spartan society, some of them former citizens (Hypomeiones), enfranchised, along with 2000 or 2500 Peroikoi and mercenaries. They received the social status of Neodamodeis, new citizens (Plutarch, Life of Kleomenes 11, 3) Most of them were equipped as Macedonian phalangites, though Ray (Hellenistic Land Battles 2020, p. 76-78) speculates that some of the Spartiates and other Hoplites retained their traditional equipment; in any case many Arcadians would soon join the side of Sparta and supply Kleomenes with classical Hoplites alongside the reform pikemen.

With its close formation and the length of its sarissa (up to 6m), the Macedonian phalanx could not be overcome by a frontal attack. Hence Kleomenes quickly turned the tide in the conflict with the Achaian League for the domination of the Peloponnese: as the Achaians had not yet adopted the sarissa, they were unable to stop the Spartan new model army in battle and lost town after town during the Kleomenean War (229/228-222 BC). Kleomenes had properly begun the war with victory at the Battle of Mount Lykaion near Elis in 227 BC, which secured the support of the Elians (Plutarch, Life of Kleomenes 5). It was probably only after this triumph, which secured the king’s position in Sparta, that he undertook the reform of the Hoplites, at some point from 226 to 224 BC. From now on, his enemies stood no chance. Yet, Kleomenes was too successful for his own good: the Achaian League eventually grew so desperate that it turned to its archenemy, Antigonid Macedon, and offered king Antigonos Doson (r. 227-221) the greatest asset they had: the wealthy city of Corinth with its impregnable fortress Akrokorinthos, which controlled the access to the Peloponnese. Antigonos duly accepted the offer and led a big army south, eventually forcing Kleomenes to battle at Sellasia in the valley of the Oinus river, about 10km north of Sparta. The new style Spartan army was overcome by superior numbers, a stratagem of Antigonos and the discipline of both the Antigonid phalanx and the first ever attested Achaian pikemen unit (Polyb. II, 65-69).