Hoplite clip 10

[@jackferris4584]

This shows the bravery of the Persians they don’t often get as they where so outmatched in equipment but they still fought well. Herodotus gives them some credit when talking about Plataea but most people seem to overlook that even though they where fighting against half of the Spartans professional soldiers and their 35000 helots they brought with them(7 helots per Spartan)

[@gamalcastile]

I would agree to a point. Remember that the bulk of the Persian army was conscripts and really didn't want to be there in the first place. They were meaningless to the Great King and merely fodder for his war effort. They are really the unspoken victims here as they were forced from their families and villages to cross into other lands and fight people they didn't know and who had never harmed them. But they had to fight as refusing to fight meant death, and the destruction or enslavement of your community. Your sons turned into eunuchs and your women and daughters sent off. So fight they must for no glory of their own. There are stories in Herodotus where whole populations are enslaved and removed from their homes because they refused to fight for or actually rebelled against the Persian overlord.

[@jackferris4584]

Gamal Castile the Persian army was run on fear sadly but it’s incredible how well they did at Plataea. Imagine what they could have done if all of the Persians attack in unison against the Spartans instead in small groups as history could have been changed forever. If the Spartans fell that likely would have shattered all but the Athenians if the right flank fell as the Persians where told to have fought just as hard as the Spartans but just didn’t have the strategy or the equipment to be effective. But I do see what you mean about them being forced as as soon as the Spartan killed Mardonius by throwing a rock and the immortals where finished off(so basically all of the authority in the army died) the Persians instantly routed where many where round up at cities who had rejoined the Hellenic League after plataea and where executed while the others made a long journey home

[@gamalcastile]

So many interesting "what ifs?" are possible, but fortunately we had the situation we had. But even with that said, who's to say they 2500 years later a different, but better world would not have existed because everything would've basically been different. The ripples in history would've been different regarding Alexander, the Romans, Christianity, European history, the Raniassance....all different if not for that allied victory at Plataea....but better or worse we can never truly say. History is just Game of Thrones without the dragons as I tell students.

[@jackferris4584]

Gamal Castile the history is like GoT is a good way of saying it

[@jackferris4584]

Konstantinos Palaiologos there were Greek hoplites in the army anyway as some of the states medized so they were an official part of the army