Spartan Glossary of Terms
Agoge: a·gog·e  noun. The system of state-sponsored military training, compulsory for all Spartan males. A Spartan boy was separated from his mother at age 7, and enrolled in the agoge. There the boys trained till manhood to be soldiers. They were subject to extreme privation and hardship, to make them inured to pain and discomfort. Older boys were given younger boys to command, and by the time a youth graduated at 18 from the agoge, he was used to a military lifestyle.
Aspis (plural: Aspa) noun. The round, distinctly dished shield carried by the Greek hoplite. Constructed of wood, faced with leather and bronze, the size and weight varied; but averaged 36 inches and 13LBS. Sometimes mistakenly called a “hoplon”; and in antiquity referred to as the “Argive Shield”. The Greek aspis was carried by two straps. In the middle of the shield was a bronze band, called a porpax, through which the left arm was passed as far as the elbow. The Spartans were said to remove the porpax’s from their shields when stored at home; to prevent the helots from seizing and using them in case of revolt. The left hand gripped a metal, leather or cord handle called the antilabe which was attached to the rim of the shield. Spartan shields were faced with a thin bronze sheet, and painted with the letter ? (lambda).
Basileis (Baa sill ee es) noun. Greek word for "king". In Sparta, there were two Basileis' (see, Sparta), who served as hereditary war leaders and spiritual heads-of-state. The senior branch of the Heracliadae dual monarchy was the Agiad dynasty; the junior one the Eurypontid. Both lines boasted famous kings who, during their time, dominated the Spartan polis. Among the ASCA Spartans, the Basileis is the political, spiritual, and military leader of the Spartan people (demes) and polis.
Chiton / exomis: noun. The wool or linen tunic worn by Greek males. The right shoulder seam could be loosened, freeing the right arm and shoulder for labor. Spartans wore crimson exomis.
Chlamys: noun. The Greek cloak, worn over a tunic (chiton or exomis), pinned at the right shoulder (see, himation).
Cryptea: A secret body of Spartans, comprised mostly of older teens and answering directly to the Epors; who were charged with rooting out hidden enemies of the state. Their most notorious duty was to spy upon the helots, listening and ferreting out potential troublemakers; whom they were empowered to assassinate at will. Membership in the Cryptea was awarded to the most promising of Spartan youths enrolled in the agoge (see, Agoge); and only Spartans who were so "honored" by membership in the Cryptea could expect to later rise to the highest offices in the Spartan government.
Cuirass: noun. Body armor that covered the torso. The most common was the lineothorax, made of layers of stiffened linen, sometimes reinforced with bronze plates or scales. Another type was the "bell" or "muscled" cuirass, made of bronze. Greek cuirasses were most often equipped with "pteruges", or feathers, additional protection for the hips and upper thighs hanging in a skirt of straps from the lower edge of the cuirass. Occasionally pteruges protected the upper arm, suspended from the arm-hole of the cuirass.
Dioscuri: The "Immortal Twins", Castor and Polydeuces (Castor and Pollux to the Romans). Heroes of Heroic Age Sparta, they were the half-divine brothers of the famous Helen of Troy.
Dori ; or Dory:  noun. The Greek spear. Used single-handed by the Greek warrior, it varied in length depending on period of Hellenic history; but averaged from 7 - 9 feet in length
Dorians: noun. A branch of the Greek speaking peoples who inhabited Greece and the Greek Islands in ancient times. Historically, the Dorians were the last ethnic group of Hellenic migrants to invade the Greek peninsula; doing so around the 12th or 11th century BC. The exact details of their arrival are still debated. But the ancient Greeks themselves believed that the Dorians came as invaders at the close of the Bronze Age, overwhelming the Mycenean citadels one by one; ultimately bringing an end to that civilization and ushering in the Greek Dark Ages. The Dorians were said to have been led by the Heracliadae, the sons (or decendants) of the hero, Heracles. As such, they were said to have come to avenge that heroes abuse by and disinheritance of the throne of Mycenae. Whatever the real facts, the Dorians settled primarily in the Peloponnese. Their greatest cities were Sparta, and its hated rival, Argos. The Dorians spoke their own dialect of Greek; but all such ethnic dialects (Ionic, Aeolic, Boeotian, etc) were fully intelligible to other fellow Hellenes. To a urban Athenian of the 5th century, at the height of his cities promenance, Doric was considered a rustic language, spoken by "southern" (Peloponnesian) yokels ("rednecks"?), and has even been described as a "drawl". The comparisons with 19th century America, between the Northern and Southern dialects and culture, is striking.
Ecclesia / Apella  noun. the Assembly of the Demes (people) in Sparta, comprised of all male citizens. The Lycurgan Constitution granted the Assembly no power to make or amend laws. They had only the right of a "yea" or "nay" vote on any motion brought before them. All lawmaking was done by the Gerousia, the Spartan Senate (see, Gerousia).
Enomotia: noun. "Sworn Band"; an early Spartan unit of organization, 60 men strong. Later reduced to 32 men in the late 5th century; and then altered yet again to 36 men in the 4th century reorganization (see, Mora).Amongst the ASCA Spartans, an enomotia is the smallest tactical unit of each lochoi; and is commanded by an Enomotarch.
Ephor: e·phor (ee for) plural ephors (e·phor·s) "Overseers". Annually elected council of five magistrates. The important day-to-day decisions were in the hands of the Ephors, and a tension between the Spartan kings and the Ephors was always present. Though one of the two kings commanded the Spartan army on campaign, the ephors had the constitutional authority to impeach a king for misconduct following a campaign. In time, as her power waned, the role of the kings diminished and that of the Ephors grew.
Gerousia:  noun. the Royal Council, or Council of Elders in Sparta. Thirty in number, comprised of the two kings, plus 28 citizen members. With the exception of the kings, its members had to be a minimum of 60 years old, and were elected by the Assembly to life terms. The Gerousia was the lawmaking body of the Spartan government, and could also overturn a vote by the Ecclesia (or Apella), or Assembly (see, Ecclesia); and thus acted also as a Supreme Court.
Heavy infantry: noun. Infantry trained to fight at close quarters, usually equipped with spear, pike, or sword, and wearing body armor. Greek heavy infantry, either hoplites or phalangites were equipped with complete panoply, which included helmet, cuirass, shin protection (greaves), and a large round shield.
Helmets: noun. Protection for the head that came in a variety of shapes, offering various degrees of protection. These were usually made of bronze, though occasionally iron was used. The Greeks used a variety of closed helms that left the face open to various degrees. These commonly sported a crest of dyed horsehair, to give the warrior a more imposing air. The three most common helmet types in ancient Greece were the Corinthian, Chalcidian, Attic, and Thracian types. (Note: These names are modern constructs, derived from archeological finds. No record has been found indicating what the Greeks themselves called each of these helmet styles.)
Helots: noun. Agrarian serfs who worked in bondage for their Spartan masters. Originally from Greek communities around the Peloponnese that were defeated and enslaved by the Spartans, they grew in subsequent generations to be fairly devoted bondsmen to their Spartan overlords. Even so, the Spartans kept a close eye on their helot serfs; with the secret police (see, Cryptea) stalking potential troublemakers in the night, killing any they suspected of disloyalty. Helots accompanied their masters on campaign, as servants and fighting in battle as psiloi. Occasionally, the Spartans used helots in the role of heavy-armed hoplites; giving some their freedom as payment for service. Such freed helot-hoplites were known as neodamodeis, "new man"; or "new citizens". (See, neodamodeis)
Hetairae, or: Hetaera  noun. Professional courtesans, prized as much for their intellects and charm as for their beauty and sexual favors. The name translates as "Companions", and they were indeed companions who joined the men at supper parties. As no "right thinking" Greek would ever allow the "respectable" women of his household to appear in public at a supper party (though wives and daughters could, under his proper supervision, meet male guests on select occasions!), for feminine companionship they resorted to the services of these paid hetairae. A good hetairae was well-schooled in music, poetry, philosophy, and current events. As such, they were perhaps the only women in the Greek world with whom a man could have an intellectually satisfying conversation. For in a world where "upright" women were uneducated in anything save household duties, only the courtesans could hold their own in the company of men. It was in fact not unheard of for men of substance to marry a hetairae, as was the case of the great Athenian, Pericles, who wed the hetairae, Aspasia. It should be noted that a hetaera's companionship at party did not imply sexual favors later in the evening. Such intimacies could be arranged at the discretion of both parties, but one did not purchase a hetairae's favors through a crass monetary transaction. They were not prostitutes in the overt sense; rather more geishas. One had to court the favor of the hetairae, whose company was often in great demand.
Himation: noun. The large, wrap-around robe worn as either a cloak or in place of a tunic. The Spartans favored a crimson himation in place of the more common chition-and-chlamys combination worn by most Greeks. The Spartan version of this robe was called a tribon.
Hippeis: hipp·eis  noun. Variously translated as "horsemen", or "Knights". In Sparta, the 300-man bodyguard which guarded the two kings was called "The Hippeis. The term implies that they were mounted, likely mounted infantry; though the term might date back to the Greek Dark Ages, when such warriors might well have fought on horseback or from chariot.Among the ASCA Spartans, an elite rank of warrior, awarded to Spartans for exceptional service.
Hoplite: hop·lite (hòp¹lìt´)  noun. "Man-at-arms". A heavily armed foot soldier of ancient Greece.
Hypomeiones: noun. "Inferiors"; a sub-class within Sparta, thought to be Spartiates who, for whatever reason, had lost full citizenship. Poverty was the most common reason for such demotion.
Kothon: noun. Distinct Spartan drinking mug. Much admired on campaign, as its color (mud brown?) hid the disagreeable color of the water within; and its inward-curving lip captured sentiment and debris, allowing only clean(er) water to reach the lips.
Laconia; Lacedaemon: noun. Alternate names for the region of the southern Peloponnese around the city of Sparta. Primarily the valley of the Eurotas River; "Hollow Lacedaemon" to the ancient poets. It is bounded on the east by Mount Parnon; and on the west by lofty Mount Taygetos.
Lochoi: noun. Basic tactical regiment of the 5th century Spartan army, numbering 1000. The Spartan army at Plataea numbered 5000, divided into five lochoi. By the end of the 5th century, as Sparta's population waned, the lochoi was reduced to half it former strength. In the 4th century, its strength was reduced again to a mere 144 men.Among the ASCA Spartan Army, the lochoi is the base sub-unit of the Mora; three Lochoi comprising a Mora. A lochoi is commanded by a Polemarch.
Mora: noun. In the 4th century, manpower shortages forced the Spartans to radically reorganized their army. The mora was their response to changing times. It was a combined-arms regiment of 576 mixed Spartan and perioikoi ("dwellers around", the non-Spartan dwellers of the towns and villages around Lakonia) infantry with 100 horse attached; and commanded by a polemarch. It was tactically divided into 4 lochoi, each comprised of a pair of pentekostes, which in turn were comprised of a pair of enomotiai (each of 36 men). Among the ASCA Spartan Army, the Mora is the larges tactical unit, comprised of three lochoi, and is commanded by a Strategos.
Neodamodies<:/b> noun. "New Man", or "New Citizen". In ancient Sparta, the term denoted a class of former helots who were given their freedom in return for service in the Spartan Army as hoplites. In the ASCA Spartans, term denotes warrior-candidates who fight with and attempt to earn admission to the ranks of the Spartans.
Paean: (pay ann) noun. Battle hymn, sung by Greek warriors before charging the enemy.
Panoply: noun. The warrior's offensive and defensive ensemble; including shield, cuirass, helmet, greaves, spear, and sword.
Peltast: noun. Light-armed, loosely ordered skirmish infantry of the Greek world (see, psiloi). Originating in Thrace, they were typically armed with javelins, spear, or a combination of the two. They used smaller, lighter shields than hoplites (originally the crescent-shaped pelte, hence their name), and as such were vulnerable at close quarters, andmore effective against hoplites when operating in rough terrain and at range. However, under the Athenian mercenary general, Iphicrates, well-handled peltasts proved their worth by destroying a Spartan Mora near Corinth. During the 3rd century BC, the traditional peltast was more routinely armed with a larger, oval shield called a thereos; and thus this type of infantry became increasingly known as thereophoroi. In Antigonid Macedonia, the elite guard phalanx regiment of the army was called the Peltasts; likely because they were armed with a small aspis called a pelta.
Phalangite: (fal an gite) noun. Literally, a warrior who fights within the phalanx. Specifically, though, the term is used to describe the pike-armed heavy infantry that comprised the Macedonian and Hellenistic phalanxes.
Phalanx: pha·lanx (fâ¹làngks´, fàl¹àngks´) noun. plural pha·lanx·es or pha·lan·ges (fe-làn¹jêz, fâ-) A formation of infantry drawn up in close-order and in depth; often carrying overlapping shields and long spears or pikes. The standard battle formation of the ancient Greek hoplite, and the later Hellenistic phalanxes of the Macedonians and Successor Kingdoms.
Phratra: (Latin: Frater) noun. "Fraternity", or "Brotherhood". Every Spartan, upon graduating the agoge (see, Agoge) had to be accepted into a mess, or Phratra. He remained in the same brotherhood for the rest of his life. The institution changed with time, and the term eventually disappeared; though enrollment in a military mess remained till the end of the Spartan state.Amongst the ASCA Spartans, the "Brotherhoods" are organized around age groups and totem animals (such as the lion, ram, centaur, etc), forming the basic social units of the Spartan polis.
Polemarch: pol·em·arch (pole em ark) noun. Titl. Spartan general officer. In ancient Sparta, a polemarch commanded each of the Spartan moras (brigades). Among the ASCA Spartans, a Polemarch commands a lochoi (see, Lochoi).
Polis: noun. Often referred to as a city state, the term refers to an autonomous Greek political community; comprised of an urban center surrounded by farms and grazing land. Each had its own constitutional government (exception: tyranny), and was made up of free citizens who took up arms in its defense. In the ASCA, a polis is any collection of households that band together under a common theme, identity, and purpose. All polis' are chartered by the ASCA with a distinct identity.
Promachoi: noun. Greek for "fighters in the front". Referred to the prestigious warrior in the front-rank of the phalanx.
Psiloi: (sy loy) noun. The general term for lightly armed skirmishers, armed with javelin, sling, or bow. They were usually deployed in front of the phalanx, to open the battle by skirmishing with their counterparts between the opposing phalanxes; after which they were expected to withdraw to allow their betters to contest the field! On rare occasion, when one side succeeded in defeating the other's psiloi; or when one side lacked such troops, psiloi had the opportunity to harass the heavy armed enemy hoplites. However, the Greek panoply was mostly proof against the rather feeble weapons of classic psiloi.
Sarissa: sa·ris·sa (sah riss ah) noun. A two-handed spear or pike of Macedonian origin used by the Macedonian phalanx.
Shield:  noun. The ancient Greeks used several different shield designs during the long years of their history. The most common one associated with the Classical Greek warrior is the large, dised-out round shield know today as either (incorrectly) a hoplon or an aspis (See, Aspis). The Ancient Greeks called this design the Argive shield; because of its likely place of origin amongst the warriors of the Argolid. This shield type became popular in the 7th century BC, and remained the shield of the Greek hoplite till the 3rd century. Earlier in their history, the Greeks used an large oval shield, which narrowed at the waist of the shield to resemble a figure eight. This design was called the diplon shield. It was replaced by the Argive Shield in the 7th century, though the Boeotians may have modified their own Argive Shields with similar cut-out portions to resemble the archaic diplon. Greek light infantry used lighter, smaller shields better suited to their role as skirmishers. The most famous was the crescent shaped pelte (see, Peltasts). Later, by the 3rd century BC, a large, light oval shield called a thereos came into use throughout the Hellenistic world, replacing all other shields among light infantry.
Skiritae:  noun. Light-armed skirmishers from the Laconian-Arcadian border, employed by the Spartans as specialty troops.
Sparta: noun. Sparta lies in the valley of the Eurotas River, in the geographical region of the Peloponese known as Laconia, or Lacedaemon (see, Laconia). Originally a federation of several Dorian villages in close proximity which shared common religious centers, by the end of the 8th cent BC she had subdued most of the surrounding Lakedaimonians (which were known to them as perioikoi, or "dwellers around"). This supremacy resulted from a culture and a constitution that turned every male Spartan into a trained soldier, and Sparta into a military camp. According to tradition, the Spartan constitution was instituted by one Lycurgus, though in fact it likely developed incrementally. Sparta was ruled by two kings, from two families: the Agiadae and the Erypontidae, both Heracleadae (descendants of Heracles). Each king took turns commanding the army abroad and ruling at home. But while at home, the power of the kings was curtailed by the Ephors (see, Ephors). The kings were aided in policy decisions by a council or 28 elders, known as the Gerousia (senate). Finally, all male citizens over 30 were members of the Assembly, or apella. Its main function was to ratify policies put before it by either the kings or the Ephors, which it did by acclamation. Every Spartan male was taken from his mother at age seven, and enrolled in state-directed military education (see, Agoge). At 20, he graduated and was enrolled in a military club, or brotherhood. There he lived most of his life, even after marriage (see, Spartiates). All Spartans were soldiers, and all non-military labor, such as farming, was done by slaves (called helots). Even Spartan women were trained, in athletics and dance; the belief being that athletic women would produce more fit children. Only the finest physical specimens were fit to be Spartans, and all babies had to be examined by an ephor for imperfections. A child found wanting was taken by its father and exposed on the slopes of Mount Taygetos.. While not particularly imaginative, the Spartan military system was solid. It relied on the superbly conditioned and fiercely disciplined Spartan hoplites, augmented by the hoplite soldiers of their subjects and allies. Never very many in number, at her height (during the Persian invasion) Sparta could field a force of some five thousand true Spartiates. However, with the addition of their allies and subjects, the Spartans could field armies of four times that amount. By the Peloponnesian War, the army of the Spartan Alliance was the largest and without doubt best trained in Hellas. However, the number of Spartans had diminished, to only 2,400 Spartiates. This shrinking manpower problem was to continue to plague Sparta. By the time of Agesilaus, in the early 4th cent. BC, that number had dropped to only 1,200 true Spartiates (though on paper, her army was 3,600 strong organized into 6 brigades, or morai. However, these morai were fleshed out with non-Spartiates from surrounding Laconian villages). With so scanty a population, she could not sustain the losses inflicted at the twin losses of Leuctra and Mantinea.
Spartiates: noun. Fully enfranchised Spartans, born of Spartan couples and raised in the agoge to be Spartan warriors. Known also as the "Similars"; the "Equals"; or the "Peers".
Triremes: tri·reme (trì¹rêm´) noun. Nautical. An ancient galley or warship, having three tiers of oars on each side. The fastest ship in antiquity, it was the standard battleship of the ancient Greeks and Persians.
Xyston: noun. The 9' to 12' lance used by Hellenistic cavalry. Amongst the ASCA Spartans, the term denotes the 9' spear used by Skiritai and second-rank hoplites.