Our Name
Simplicity. Strength.
“Zee-fohs”
The armies of Greece dominated the ancient world through the use of heavily armed hoplite soldiers who fought as a single unit known as a phalanx. This tactic was often highly effective, but it had the disadvantage of being inflexible and predictable. Battles were conducted in a certain way and within the framework of a certain set of well-practiced tactics.
The inflexibility of this approach sometimes meant that it failed in the heat of chaotic and unpredictable combat. When their standard spears broke and their formations fractured, hoplites would reach for the small, double-edged sword made famous by Spartan warriors: the xiphos (pronounced “zee-fohs”).
Designed as both an offensive and defensive weapon, the xiphos was a simple tool. In the hands of a skilled warrior, however, it often made the difference between victory and defeat. For this reason, the proficient use of the xiphos was greatly admired in ancient Greece as the mark of a well-trained soldier. The legacy of this simple sword eventually carried far beyond the Aegean, where it rode into battle with Alexander the Great and his famed Companion cavalry.
Today, the xiphos serves as a reminder of two of our company’s core beliefs: Simplicity is strength, and flexibility is critical. We seek to place simple, effective tools into the hands of the right people, then help them use those tools flexibly to accomplish their objectives in the policy arena.
Getting to the point
Arming You for the Future
