Was Sparta Prided Itself In The Art Of War

Sparta prided itself in the art of war and their reputation was that of being the greatest warriors Greece had ever known. Sparta was more important than one’s personal interest and they sought to implement that idea by revolving their citizen’s lives around military service. Spartan boys were property of the state, but not everyone made the cut. If city elders deemed a baby not physically fit then they were sentenced to death. This was carried out by either throwing the baby off a cliff or leaving the baby somewhere to fend for itself. If you survived childhood and were deemed worthy to be a warrior then at age seven you were taken from your parents and placed into Sparta’s military training and education establishments, known as a goge. Spartans had no interest in teaching any other knowledge then that of war. Boys learned extremely harsh military combat and were subject to harsh treatments.

They made their beds from reeds, and slept on the ground. They owned just one garment, worn without underwear. They hardly ever bathed. Otherwise, Spartans believed, they might become too pampered. Spartan boys, in essence, were trained to live and think like animals. They were even organized into groups called herds and flocks, and their overseer was called a boy herd.” Brown shows an insight into the rough living Spartan boys experienced. The purpose of a goge was to turn young boys into physically acute men, who would in turn fight to protect Sparta. At the age of thirteen or fourteen boys started training with weapons, learning different tactics and ways to overcome their