Ancient TW2: SPARTAN FACTION (RoP)

"Who are the Spartans?" - (Cyrus the Great)

The Spartans were a truly militaristic people, with every male citizen having no profession but to bear arms. Their training was legendary - all boys being sent to their military training from the age of 7. Spartan hoplites were justifiably feared by all the other Greeks, and it was their good fortune that Spartan society was so conservative and inward-looking that they were rarely moved to venture abroad. This is not so say they didn't fight wars with other Greeks, but largely the Spartans were content to occupy Laconia, and just keep the subjugated Messenians under their control.

Unusually, the Spartans had two kings at any one time, although their power was circumscribed by law - and often by each other! The Spartan kings were expected to lead their armies in battle, but the state was really run by the gerousia (council of elders) and ephors. A deeply religious - some would say superstitious - people, the Spartans were afraid of nothing but the disfavour of the gods or bad omens, which they saw everywhere.

Their communal way of life - the men lived together in barracks (siskinies) until the age of 30 - created the perfect hoplites, for in society as in the phalanx, security lay solely in the trust between neighbours. Breaking ranks - whether socially or in battle - was the most unpardonable sin for a Spartan. No wonder then, that Spartan hoplites formed the most powerful infantry force of the time.

In the Rise of Persia scenario, King Anaxandridas II sits on the one throne the MTW engine allows... The faction occupies the single province of Laconia with a single land border to Achaea - the territory of their greatest rivals for control of the Peloponnese, the Argives. War with the Argives seems inevitable, unless Athens crushes Argos first, in which case the inevitable war with Athens begins closer to home.

UNITS:

- early

Spartan hoplites (Royal)
Enomotia hopliton
Archaic archers
Polemiste
Akondiste
Rhodean slingers
Cretan archers
Hippeis
Heavy slingers

- high (changes)

Classical Enomotia hopliton
Skiritess (replace akondiste)
Toxotes (replace Archaic archers)
Hippeis akontistes (replace Hippeis)
Enomotia ekdromon
Gastraphetes

- late (changes)

Xistophoroi hippeis
Oxivolos
Euthitonon