Entry #6 Legendary Spartans

Have you heard of the Spartans? Throughout the world, the stories of the legendary Spartans and their culture continue to be told from generation to generation. Their legacy is well known and respected throughout the world. Men of war look up to their military strategies. Others look down upon their way of living. Either way, the Spartans are famous across the land for many reasons.

Here is an image of a Spartan warrior from a movie called 300. This is how Spartans looked as warriors.

Spartans at Their Finest

Spartans are famous for their way of living. They had one of the strongest armies found in Europe. They challenged the Persians who outnumbered them 10-1 and yet they managed to live out numerous days. The way the Spartans fought was with a shield wall that couldn't be easily penetrated. Every warrior was whole with the entire unit. No matter how many Persians came at the Spartan army, the wall would not collapse. The warriors were taught to move as one and fight as one, that way no army could take them down. The only reason why the Spartans lost to the Persians is because they got surrounded. If they hadn't gotten surrounded, the Spartans would have won that war.

Here is a visual of how the shield wall looked. This tactic was efficient and was proven when the Spartans took on the enormous Persian Army.

With a superior army comes with great costs. In the Spartan lifestyle, only the strongest of men and women were allowed to live. If a boy or girl didn't meet the requirements of being a Spartan, then they were killed. Boys were separated from their mothers at an early age for military training. Only strong and capable boys made it through training. The others died within the process of training. It was survival of the fittest in the Spartans' eyes. In order to create a strong society, only strong and capable people were allowed in it.

This Spartan boy is in the process of being separated from his mother and on his way to military training. While this is a harsh lifestyle for our age, back then it was for war and city defense preparations.

The Judgement of Spartans

People in our current society believe the Spartans to be cruel and evil. The idea of killing off unwilling children is bad in today's world. This is true, but some of their lifestyle can be seen used today. Military leaders still use tactics that were created from Spartans to help win certain battles. Regular people are sometimes influenced by the Spartans. For instance, athletes today try to do their best potential just like the Spartans did for military training. The Spartans were strong and athletic, which is what some people today try to become. In general, while the Spartans lived a cruel lifestyle, people still look up to them in numerous ways, whether they be for physical or mental strength.