Nic Fields - The Spartan Way

Demosthenes

Thrasymelidas

Demosthenes & Kleon

Epitades

420 Spartan hoplites (and their attendant helots) divided into three bodies:

(a) 30strong picket force, south (Thucydides 4.31.2)
(b) 360strong main force, Grundys Well (loc. cit.)
(c) 30strong holding force, Profitis Elias (loc. cit.)

Phases

(nos. correspond to those on Pylos map 2)

Phase 1. Athenian first-wave landingSanta Rosa Landingwhich consists of the Athenian hoplite marines.

Phase 2. The Athenian hoplites quickly wipe out the Spartan pickets, many of whom are caught sleeping in their beds.

Phase 3. The Athenian second-wave landingPanagia Landingwhich consists of the lightly armed troops and the armed Athenian sailors.

Phase 4. The Athenian skirmishers and sailors, with their hoplites following close behind, torment Epitades main force posted at Grundys Well.

Phase 5. The main force falls back northward in some confusion, eventually joining up with the holding force.

Phase 6. The remaining Spartans decide to make a last stand at Profitis Elias, the location of an old fortification.

Phase 7. Komons Messenians scale Pritchetts Skala, which enables them to attack the Spartan position from above and in the rear. A cease-fire is offered by the Athenian commanders, which finally results in the 292 Spartan survivors (inc. 120 Spartiates) agreeing to laying down their arms and surrendering.

The eastern flank of Profitis Elias in a forbidding cliff facing the sea, while the northern and western flanks are precipitous, the best (and most obvious) approach being from the south, the route in all likelihood taken by Kleon and Demosthenes and the bulk of their command. We are assuming that Komon and his men worked their way along the eastern shoreline of the island (unobserved, of course), and then scaled what is now known in the business as Pritchetts Skala (the Greek skala refers to a stairway) to reach the unguarded high ground just above and to the rear of the Spartan defensive position. As regards to the latter, the rocks here, as elsewhere, are of folded limestone, the poriferous cavities of which support a profusion of ilex, gorse, sage, cistus, brooms and other thorny evergreen shrubs. Vestige of rubble walls, which may well have once served as part of the defences of the Spartans last refuge, can be seen below spot height 168 metres.