Why Was Sparta Able To Maintain Such A Strong Military

Sparta was one of the most powerful Greek poleis of its time. Their polis was incredibly developed in multiple categories such as their military, government, and economy. Over the course of the polis' existence, their military was always known as a staple in their power and superiority. Their military made them as feared as they were and essentially as powerful as they were, and separated them from other Greek poleis such as Athens. The question is, how were the Spartans able to maintain such a strong military? The role men played in the polis starting at a very young age, going all the way up until their death was a major factor as to why they were as powerful as they were. Sparta raised children in a very unique way compared to other Greek

Youths had it much worse than any other boys in the Agoge, mainly because this was the time where boys started to physically mature. They were stripped of their shoes and left with just the cloth, just to name one of the harsh training methods. Physical training also began to shift more towards the violent. They were forced and encouraged to fight one another, showing no mercy, and sometimes even beating down one another to the point of serious physical injury. The purpose of these activities went beyond just getting better with combat skills, but also to help the children to build chemistry with one another. Since the children had no biological family to be with anymore, their fellow soldiers became their brothers. Activities such as these fights and battles were meant not to put the kids against each other out of rage, but more to toughen one another up as a brother would. Youths also began to see promotions by some of the older boys to be able to whip the children who miss behave or fall out of

When the soldiers all got out of the Agoge, they were placed into units where they would fight together. These units were often composed of groups of boys who have become close throughout the Agoge process. The Krypteia have arguably the best bonding experiences through their duties as a krypte. When they go out and do there first killing for Sparta, they work together through the stress of serving the polis together. These are skills they could use again in the battlefield, where they will have to defend the polis and make decisions together for the