Kind of makes sense. Though Marathon is a place named after a plant. The Marathon race was inspired by a tale of a runner who returned from that battle (running like 40 km maybe in full armor) to announce the victory, then collapsed and died. Some even say it was the famous runner Pheidippides, though likely not, and even more likely a totally fictional propaganda piece on Athenian foolish courage.
Hoplite looks like it means the guys in front duck down on their knees so the guys behind can stab their spears over their heads.
Better strategy seems to be to flee to Italy. I mean, this was in the days when you could be sure of getting a good bottle of Italian olive oil that's not all watered down with seed oils.
Oh historians still bitch over how hoplites really fought. Or the exact length of spears. How widespread was the Phrygian Helmet or Red Figure Pottery in 391 BC. The latest generation even on if Olympias may qualify as a true feminist rolemodel. Ofc the answer is close to yes.
Honest political analysis to learn from the past is absent. Almost tempted to take this seriously, since it's interesting to me, but other things call too.
Those Messenians did the best it seems, at least for a few centuries. Those left in Greece either became Spartan slaves or Athenian puppets against Sparta for a long while.
Not sure who had the best olive oil back then, Messenia is still famous for that (and the only region Sparta fully conquered instead of protectorate). But it now gets pricier and on average worse by the year. I guess same is true for Italy.
I'm enjoying working through this but as for the maps I'm mostly just going to be looking along the edges to see if there was anywhere to run and hide. Maybe have a garden and a few chickens.
I'm noticing the wit part. A mix of mixed-martial arts and standup comedy. From age 7 to 30 you practice wit. You gotta get up and tell jokes and if they don't laugh you look at the audience bulging with muscles and you go "tough crowd. Tough crowd." And you're like "a Macedonian walks into a bar..." Or you're like "they call Alexander great but define 'great', am I right? I mean, isn't he the guy famous for weeping?"
Their wit would be short - even single word - jokes, provocations and show-offs of bravery. Like:
Philip of Macedon: "There's only Sparta left unintegrated to my Greek NATO. If I invade, you're fucked"
Spartans: "If"
Often amusing, but I think mostly an institutional effort at isolationism. They used all male citizens as roughneck military police against perhaps 20 times their number in slaves, and the outer world. Worked for a few centuries.
Battle of Marathon. How to get out of fighting is built right into the name.
Kind of makes sense. Though Marathon is a place named after a plant. The Marathon race was inspired by a tale of a runner who returned from that battle (running like 40 km maybe in full armor) to announce the victory, then collapsed and died. Some even say it was the famous runner Pheidippides, though likely not, and even more likely a totally fictional propaganda piece on Athenian foolish courage.
Hoplite looks like it means the guys in front duck down on their knees so the guys behind can stab their spears over their heads.
Better strategy seems to be to flee to Italy. I mean, this was in the days when you could be sure of getting a good bottle of Italian olive oil that's not all watered down with seed oils.
Oh historians still bitch over how hoplites really fought. Or the exact length of spears. How widespread was the Phrygian Helmet or Red Figure Pottery in 391 BC. The latest generation even on if Olympias may qualify as a true feminist rolemodel. Ofc the answer is close to yes.
Honest political analysis to learn from the past is absent. Almost tempted to take this seriously, since it's interesting to me, but other things call too.
Those Messenians did the best it seems, at least for a few centuries. Those left in Greece either became Spartan slaves or Athenian puppets against Sparta for a long while.
Not sure who had the best olive oil back then, Messenia is still famous for that (and the only region Sparta fully conquered instead of protectorate). But it now gets pricier and on average worse by the year. I guess same is true for Italy.
I'm enjoying working through this but as for the maps I'm mostly just going to be looking along the edges to see if there was anywhere to run and hide. Maybe have a garden and a few chickens.
Greece is full of mountains and half-empty villages. Perhaps central and western parts are the best for such a life.
"austerity, wit, martial prowess and discipline"
I'm noticing the wit part. A mix of mixed-martial arts and standup comedy. From age 7 to 30 you practice wit. You gotta get up and tell jokes and if they don't laugh you look at the audience bulging with muscles and you go "tough crowd. Tough crowd." And you're like "a Macedonian walks into a bar..." Or you're like "they call Alexander great but define 'great', am I right? I mean, isn't he the guy famous for weeping?"
Their wit would be short - even single word - jokes, provocations and show-offs of bravery. Like:
Philip of Macedon: "There's only Sparta left unintegrated to my Greek NATO. If I invade, you're fucked"
Spartans: "If"
Often amusing, but I think mostly an institutional effort at isolationism. They used all male citizens as roughneck military police against perhaps 20 times their number in slaves, and the outer world. Worked for a few centuries.