![]() ![]() Later traditions ascribed the reforms to the possibly mythical figure of Lycurgus, who created new institutions and established the Spartan state's military nature. ![]() However, in the early 8th century BC, Spartan society transformed. Like much of Greece, Mycenaean Sparta was engulfed in the Dorian invasions, which ended the Mycenaean civilization and ushered in the so-called "Greek Dark Ages." During this time, Sparta (or Lacedaemon) was merely a Doric village on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia. ![]() Marble statue of a helmed hoplite (5th century BC), possibly Leonidas ( Archaeological Museum of Sparta, Greece) However, some accounts show warriors throwing their spear from the chariot before dismounting. War chariots were used by the elite, but unlike their counterparts in the Middle East, they appear to have been used for transport, with the warrior dismounting to fight on foot and then remounting to withdraw from combat. It wasn't until after the Peloponnesus War that battles countenanced indiscriminate slaughter, enslavement and depredations among the Greeks. In the Golden Age of War, defeated armies were not massacred they fled back to their city and conceded the victors' superiority. ![]() The outcome of this one battle would determine the outcome of a particular issue. The fleeing enemy was put to the sword only as far as the field of the battle extended. When this happened, as a rule, it would cause the army to be routed. In a battle, each opposing army would try to fight through the other line on the right (strong or deep) side and then turn left wherefore they would be able to attack the vulnerable flank. This period was the Golden Age of Warfare. Like the rest of the Mycenaean-era armies, it was depicted as composed mainly of infantry, equipped with short swords, spears, and Dipylon-type shields ("8"-shaped simple round bronze shields). The first reference to the Spartans at war is in the Iliad, in which they featured among the other Greek contingents. From this derives the already ancient term " laconic," and is related to expressions such as " laconic phrase" or " laconophilia." During classical times, "Lacedaemonian" or "Laconian" was used for attribution, referring to the region of the polis instead of one of the decentralized settlements called Sparta. The term "Spartan" became in modern times synonymous with simplicity by design. #HOPLITE SHIELD GAY FULL#Those who passed the agoge by the age of 30 achieved full Spartan citizenship. Their education focused primarily on fostering cunningness, practicing sports and war tactics, and also included learning about poetry, music, academics, and sometimes politics. Spartan boys deemed strong enough entered the agoge regime at the age of seven, undergoing intense and rigorous military training. Referring to Sparta as having a "wall of men, instead of bricks," he proposed reforming the Spartan society to develop a military-focused lifestyle following "proper virtues" such as equality for the male citizens, austerity, strength, and fitness. Tradition states that the semi-mythical Spartan legislator Lycurgus first founded the iconic army. At the height of Sparta's power – between the 6th and 4th centuries BC – other Greeks commonly accepted that "one Spartan was worth several men of any other state." Subjected to military drills since early manhood, the Spartans became one of the most feared and formidable military forces in the Greek world, attaining legendary status in their wars against Persia. The Spartan army stood at the center of the Spartan state, citizens trained in the disciplines and honor of a warrior society. ![]()
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