Thracian Peltasts at The Battle of Leuctra??

[Happy Wanderer]

Gents,

Whilst reviewing the GMT Games scenario on Leuctra, I noticed the inclusion of Thracian Peltasts on the flank of the Spartan Army.

https://www.gmtgames.com/hoplite/Hoplite_PB_FINAL.pdf


I can't put my finger on the likely type of these troops or if indeed they are Thracian...javelin armed Skirmishers or a 'tougher' peltast type.

Does anyone know if Thracian Peltasts formed par of Cleombrotus' army at Leuctra and what reference is there and their likely type?

Any comments appreciated.

Thank you.

Happy Wanderer

[Mark G]

I would have thought that Thracian mercenaries could have found a lot of employment at that time, wouldn't you?

[Duncan Head]

There were certainly peltasts of some sort in the Spartan army:

Again, when both sides were arming themselves and it was already evident that there would be a battle, in the first place, after those who had provided the market and some baggage-carriers and such as did not wish to fight had set out to withdraw from the Boeotian army, the Lacedaemonian mercenaries under Hieron, the peltasts of the Phocians, and, among the horsemen, the Heracleots and Phliasians made a circuit and fell upon these people as they were departing, and not only turned them about but chased them back to the camp of the Boeotians.

But these are Phokian Greeks. We can't be completely sure who's included under "the mercenaries", but misthophoroi without any indication of nationality are probably more Greeks.

[Happy Wanderer]

I had a closer look at my Landmark Xenophon Duncan and found similar reference to Peltasts throughout. It seems the term peltasts was in vogue when Xenophon wrote it as this term is used often to describe light troops...or perhaps there was just more of them.

That said, Xenophon does describe 'light troops' numerous times and intimates they may have been more militarily capable as on occasion they came to the rescue of light troops such as those equipped as Thrasylus' 5000 seamen who fought the engagement at Pygela.

Interestingly, looking at J. Warry's Warfare in the Classical World, he gives a map and description of forces at Leuctra. He classes all troops as Peltasts who are not either hoplites or cavalry. He indicates there were 300 Spartan, 500 Thracian and 300 Phocian peltasts, roughly equal in number to the Thebans.

...so it would seem reasonable Thracians may well have been there and of the peltast type as that was (obviously) their way of fighting...though this 'loose' terming of light troops of peltasts may be not so indicative of just that type of light troops as opposed to 'true' light infantry Psiloi types.

Cheers

[Erpingham]

In fact, the battle descriptions in boxes weren't by Warry but by Paul McDonnell-Staff, who is credited as "editorial researcher".  Given the amount of the book, much of it quite prominent, he was responsible for I always thought he deserved a bigger credit.

[Happy Wanderer]

"Given the amount of the book, much of it quite prominent, he was responsible for I always thought he deserved a bigger credit."

Yes. The maps and details are substantial. They add significantly to the title's usefulness. Credit where credit due.