Description
As centuries passed, naval tactics and needs changed across the Mediterranean. There was a move towards larger ships, partly as an expression of national or dynastic power: the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt were particularly fond of large ships to show their wealth and influence in a physical way. These 'polyremes', a term meaning many oared, were not suitable for ramming work in battle. In practice many of them had no more oars than smaller ships; what they had were more rowers per oar than smaller ships. A Roman hexareme or Greek hexeres would have a couple of banks of oars with three men per oar, and appear to be an over-sized version of a smaller ship. Even so, thanks to being tremendously heavy and strongly constructed, they were slow moving, and hardly capable of the quick turns needed to take advantage of enemy mistakes. Instead the large ships made use of their wide decks and plentiful carrying capacities and became fighting platforms for infantry and artillery. Boarding or long-range bombardment were the methods to be used to defeat the enemy; naval warfare had come full circle in terms of fighting methods, even if ships had grown significantly.
Conditioned from the age of seven for a life on campaign, and dedicated to full-time military training, the Spartans were exceptionally well drilled and masters of their weaponry and equipment. Anyone who lost their shield in battle was dishonoured: while cuirass and helmet were for protecting the individual, the shield was seen as protection for the entire phalanx. As such, the Spartans were a highly-disciplined and co-ordinated force, largely superior to any other on the battlefield. It was the Spartans who led the defence of the Peloponnese against the Persians in 480BC and, after two full days of battle, fought the famous last stand at Thermopylae. 300 Spartans and their Greek allies blocked the tiny pass between the cliffs and the sea, forcing the Persians to attack their deadly phalanx head on. When a Greek traitor eventually caused the Spartans to be outflanked, they fought to the very last man. The time spent defeating the Spartans was just enough for the remaining Greek allies to prepare a fleet to defeat the Persian navy decisively near the island of Salamis, ending the war.
