[Glorantha] Sartar army

In message <177dc5fd0609161744t22920d34j2af7e1a3e259e733@mail.gmail.com> "John Machin" writes:
>On 9/16/06, Donald R. Oddy <donald@grove.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>> Well trained hoplites can move and attack in formation although I wonder
>> how common such hoplites were. Sparta certainly, Athens probably
>> but the other city states are more doubtful.
>
>I don't think there is any reason to greatly underestimate the
>abilities of the citizen soldiers, although the discrepancies in terms
>of order and drill between Spartiates and the citizen hoplites of
>other cities certainly must contribute to the now-legendary status of
>the former.

I just don't see any evidence to support the idea that the typical citizen hoplite was much different from any other armoured spearman. They were the top military formation for a period of a few hundred years in small part of the world. At the time they were opposed almost exclusively by lightly or unarmoured soldiers who in many cases had little formal drill.

-- 
Donald Oddy
http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/