Transcript SPARTA
By. Trifon Valencia III Ever since I learned about them in the 6th grade, the story of the several thousands of Greeks against the millions Persian army, has always inspired me Also their advanced weaponry and tactical excellence on the battlefield Classical greece, which flourished during the 5th to 4th centuries BC, at first under Athenian leadership successfully repelling the military threat of Persian Invasion. The Athenian Golden Age ends with the defeat of Athens at the hands of Sparta in the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC. Sparta is located in the region of Laconia, in the south-eastern Peloponnese Ancient Sparta was built on the banks of the Evrotas river, the main river of Laconia, which provided it with a source of fresh water These natural defenses worked to Sparta's advantage and contributed to Sparta never having been sacked. Though landlocked, Sparta had a harbor, Gytheio, on the Laconian Gulf. Weaponry Shield Shields were usually round and large enough to cover the soldier’s entire upper body. It is fair to say that it may have been the most important part of the overall equipment because it was the primary defence. It was usually made of wood with a bronze frame and later on an entire bronze coating. Spear This is a 2-3m long, heavy stick with a thick iron point that was used to either throw at enemies or in a duel. However, the spear was often too heavy to be used successfully in close combat. Sword Due to the fact that spears were of limited use on the battlefield, swords were the primary weapon used in all Spartan wars. While there are many different types, all of them were of rather short nature and a crucial weapon Like the other Greek states, the Spartan army was an infantrybased army fighting in the phalanx formation The Spartans themselves did not introduce any significant changes or tactical innovations in hoplite warfare, but their constant drill and superb discipline made their phalanx much more cohesive and effective. Phalanx formation is a rectangular mass military formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, sarissas, or similar weapons. Modern Sparta, founded by the government in 1834, occupies part of the site of ancient Sparta and is the capital of the department of Laconia. Excavations of the ancient city have uncovered ruins of temples and public buildings as well as a theatre dating from the Roman period, but the sparse remains are insignificant for a city of such renown in antiquity. The city of sparta was much more than a breeding ground for advance military soldiers. Spartans respected the art of theatre and their love for their gods When babies were born in ancient Sparta, Spartan soldiers would come by the house and check the baby If the baby did not appear healthy and strong, he infant was taken away, and left to die on a hillside or trained to be a slave Training was brutal testing the mind and physical strenght of the spartan It may seem inhumane, but texts and drawings show how much pride the spartans had in becoming the perfect soldier We may never understand the true meaning or experience of their training, but can only hope to imagine somewhat what they went through Post processual Because we try to understand why the spartans were so superior in military ranks To reveal their secret to their outstanding success on the battle field The Spartans wanted to prove that they were the superior and perfect soldier. They wanted to show that they were their own kings and nothing above them http://www.knowledgegalaxy.net/spartan_w eapons/spartan_weapons.html http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Geography /