Mora (military unit)
A mora was Sparta’s largest military unit, about a tenth of the army. Modern estimates put it at roughly 600 men, though some sources cite as many as 6,000. It was often the main force Sparta sent on campaign and a key part of its fighting power. A mora was made up mainly of hoplites—heavy infantry armed with spears, swords, a large shield, and armor that varied over time. Around 227 BC, Cleomenes III re-equipped some morai with the Macedonian sarissa and trained them to fight in the Macedonian phalanx. The unit was usually led by a Polemarch, a high Spartan official; at times a Strategos commanded them, as Lysander did. In pure phalanx warfare, the mora was a formidable obstacle for enemies, though Iphicrates later used lighter peltasts to defeat one.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:50 (CET).