Spartan Military - 1377 Words

Spartan Military From about the time of the Persian invasion until the Battle of Leuctra, Sparta was viewed as the powerhouse of the Greek city-states. There were numerous reasons behind their success, but there are few that stand out as the most prevalent. Spartan boys are born to be warriors, they are sent to the Agoge at the age of seven and forced to abide by the Laws set by Lycurgus the Lawgiver. Spartan men never had to worry about chores or any work that was done in the kleroi, allowing more time and focus to be dedicated towards militaristic training. The Spartan army had the ability to call upon the Perioikoi and Helots if need be as extra warriors, which became a significant advantage at time. These reasons, along with†¦show more content†¦Although the Spartan army was very one-dimensional and relied heavily on the phalanx, the warriors were trained well enough and had the discipline to become an overpowering force. The training and education of Spartan boys, the ability to call u pon reinforcements from the Perioikoi or the Helots, and the manner in which Spartan society was built, allowing the Spartan men to become full-time soldiers and dedicate all of their time to warfare, were the main reasons behind the Spartan success. The Laws that were set by Lycurgus the Lawgiver paved the ground for what would become an extremely renowned and disciplined Spartan military force that experienced great success for many years. BIBLIOGRAPHY * Cartledge, Paul. Spartan reflections. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. Print. * †¨Cartledge, Paul. The Spartans: an epic history. London: Channel Four Books, 2002. Print. * Fowler, Barbara Hughes. Archaic Greek poetry: an anthology. Madison, Wis.: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992. Print. * Lazenby, J. F.. The Spartan army. Warminster, England: Aris amp; Phillips, 1985. Print. * Plutarch. Moralia. London: W. Heinemann;, 1927. Print. * Powell, Anton. 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