ἦσαν δὲ οὐδὲ ἀδύνατοι, ὡς Λακεδαιμόνιοι, πολιορκεῖν. Gli Spartani e l’assedio di Platea

Abstract

It is the aim of this essay to offer a thorough account of the siege of Plataea, as it is presented by Thucydides. After a concise report regarding the relationship between the Plataeans and the Thebans from 431 to 429, we analyse each stage of the siege from a technical outlook beginning from the ramp, moving on to the battering-rams and the use of the highly flammable mixture, finishing off with the double circumvallation. Despite the fact that the siege was managed by the Spartans (notoriously inept and amateurish in this field), they appeared really skilled: we advance some hypothesis about the origin of this proficiency.