Mycenaean age
The first reference to the Spartans at war is in the Iliad, in which they featured among the other Greek contingents. Like the rest of the Mycenaean-era armies, it was depicted as … See more

At first, in the archaic period of 700–600 BC, education for both sexes was, as in most Greek states, centred on the arts, with the male citizen … See more

The Spartans used the same typical hoplite equipment as their other Greek neighbors; the only distinctive Spartan features were the crimson tunic (chitōn) and cloak (himation), … See more

Throughout their history, the Spartans were a land-based force par excellence. During the Persian Wars, they contributed a small navy of 20 See more

Social structure
The Spartans (the "Lacedaemonians") divided themselves into three classes:
• Full … See more

Tactics
Like the other Greek city-states' armies, the Spartan army was an infantry-based army that fought using the phalanx formation See more

Spartan education
The Spartan public education system, the agoge, trained the mind as well as the body. Spartans … See more