Spartan Warrior Society
The Life of a Spartan Warrior
Can you imagine being taken away from your family and your home when you were just seven years old? And then spending the rest of your life learning how to fight and then fighting your country’s enemies?
In the 5th century B.C., this was the life of a Spartan boy. It was Spartan law that boys must become warriors. And not just good warriors, but they had to be the best in the world!
What was Sparta and where was it?
Ancient Greece, or Hellas as it is called in the Greek language, was divided into many states and city-states. A city-state, or polis in Greek, was actually just a city with such power that it controlled the entire state in which it was located. For example, Sparta was the city-state in the state of
Lakonia, but because Sparta was such a major power in its state, it was common to use the city name to refer to the whole area.
At the time, Sparta had a population of 100,000 citizens and slaves. Because it was located in the center of the Peloponnese peninsula (the southern half of Greece), Spartans knew that any battles would have to be fought on land. Their city-state would need expert warriors on the battlefield.
Why did Sparta need such strong warriors?
Sparta was located on mountainous, rocky terrain that was unsuitable for farming. It was also located too far away from the sea to be able to use the water for fishing or trade. To survive, Sparta needed to control other parts of Hellas and use their land and access to water. They needed to be the strongest and most fearless fighters to win battles against their neighbors and become the most powerful force in Hellas.
Some say the reason that Sparta was so focused on having a powerful military was because of a king named Lycurgus in the 9th century. King Lycurgus created a lot of laws designed to help
Sparta’s people remain peaceful with each other, but grow to be very strong and powerful outside of the city-state. When Lycurgus
Can you imagine being taken away from your family and your home when you were just seven years old? And then spending the rest of your life learning how to fight and then fighting your country’s enemies?
In the 5th century B.C., this was the life of a Spartan boy. It was Spartan law that boys must become warriors. And not just good warriors, but they had to be the best in the world!
What was Sparta and where was it?
Ancient Greece, or Hellas as it is called in the Greek language, was divided into many states and city-states. A city-state, or polis in Greek, was actually just a city with such power that it controlled the entire state in which it was located. For example, Sparta was the city-state in the state of
Lakonia, but because Sparta was such a major power in its state, it was common to use the city name to refer to the whole area.
At the time, Sparta had a population of 100,000 citizens and slaves. Because it was located in the center of the Peloponnese peninsula (the southern half of Greece), Spartans knew that any battles would have to be fought on land. Their city-state would need expert warriors on the battlefield.
Why did Sparta need such strong warriors?
Sparta was located on mountainous, rocky terrain that was unsuitable for farming. It was also located too far away from the sea to be able to use the water for fishing or trade. To survive, Sparta needed to control other parts of Hellas and use their land and access to water. They needed to be the strongest and most fearless fighters to win battles against their neighbors and become the most powerful force in Hellas.
Some say the reason that Sparta was so focused on having a powerful military was because of a king named Lycurgus in the 9th century. King Lycurgus created a lot of laws designed to help
Sparta’s people remain peaceful with each other, but grow to be very strong and powerful outside of the city-state. When Lycurgus