Download SPARTA

By. Trifon Valencia III
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Ever since I learned
about them in the 6th
grade, the story of the
several thousands of
Greeks against the
millions Persian army,
has always inspired
me
Also their advanced
weaponry and tactical
excellence on the
battlefield
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Classical greece, which
flourished during the
5th to 4th centuries BC,
at first under Athenian
leadership successfully
repelling the military
threat of Persian
Invasion.
The Athenian Golden
Age ends with the
defeat of Athens at the
hands of Sparta in the
Peloponnesian War in
404 BC.
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Sparta is located in the
region of Laconia, in the
south-eastern Peloponnese
Ancient Sparta was built on
the banks of the Evrotas
river, the main river of
Laconia, which provided it
with a source of fresh water
These natural defenses
worked to Sparta's
advantage and contributed
to Sparta never having been
sacked. Though landlocked,
Sparta had a harbor,
Gytheio, on the Laconian
Gulf.
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Weaponry
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Shield
 Shields were usually
round and large enough
to cover the soldier’s
entire upper body. It is
fair to say that it may
have been the most
important part of the
overall equipment
because it was the
primary defence.
 It was usually made of
wood with a bronze
frame and later on an
entire bronze coating.
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Spear
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This is a 2-3m long,
heavy stick with a
thick iron point that
was used to either
throw at enemies or
in a duel. However,
the spear was often
too heavy to be used
successfully in close
combat.
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Sword

Due to the fact that
spears were of
limited use on the
battlefield, swords
were the primary
weapon used in all
Spartan wars. While
there are many
different types, all of
them were of rather
short nature and a
crucial weapon
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Like the other Greek states, the
Spartan army was an infantrybased army fighting in the
phalanx formation
The Spartans themselves did not
introduce any significant
changes or tactical innovations
in hoplite warfare, but their
constant drill and superb
discipline made their phalanx
much more cohesive and
effective.
Phalanx formation

is a rectangular mass military
formation, usually composed
entirely of heavy infantry
armed with spears, pikes,
sarissas, or similar weapons.
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Modern Sparta, founded by the
government in 1834, occupies
part of the site of ancient Sparta
and is the capital of the
department of Laconia.
Excavations of the ancient city
have uncovered ruins of
temples and public buildings as
well as a theatre dating from the
Roman period, but the sparse
remains are insignificant for a
city of such renown in antiquity.
The city of sparta was much
more than a breeding ground
for advance military soldiers.
Spartans respected the art of
theatre and their love for their
gods
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When babies were born in ancient
Sparta, Spartan soldiers would come
by the house and check the baby
If the baby did not appear healthy
and strong, he infant was taken
away, and left to die on a hillside or
trained to be a slave
Training was brutal testing the mind
and physical strenght of the spartan
It may seem inhumane, but texts
and drawings show how much
pride the spartans had in becoming
the perfect soldier
We may never understand the true
meaning or experience of their
training, but can only hope to
imagine somewhat what they went
through
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Post processual
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Because we try to
understand why the
spartans were so superior
in military ranks
To reveal their secret to
their outstanding success
on the battle field
The Spartans wanted to
prove that they were the
superior and perfect
soldier.
They wanted to show that
they were their own kings
and nothing above them
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http://www.knowledgegalaxy.net/spartan_w
eapons/spartan_weapons.html
http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Geography
/