The Spartan way of life also instilled in its warriors a powerful mentality of “fighting to the limit of their capability”[9] that contributed greatly to the success of the Spartan army. They were taught “never to retreat in battle, however great the odds”[10] and many fought with the belief that a “noble death was preferable to a dishonorable life”.[11]This encouraged a fearless approach to the battle field as warriors fought “close against their enemy and with their hands”[12]”for a Spartan foot-soldier does not even know what flight means”[13]. The fact that Spartans did “not think of lengthening [their] own [lives]”[14] but placed Sparta before themselves contributed greatly to the success of their city as their commitment to the battle created an image of fear that fueled the Spartan supremacy for many years.
Though this belief in “to conquer or die” [15] created a fearful image of Spartans it also led to imminent defeat as they entered battle with few well-trained Spartiates and consequently suffered heavy causalities and loss. The Spartan battle ethos of never retreat became a great weakness as Spartiate numbers depleted to the point that in the battle of Leuctra, Spartans formed only one fifth of the army.[16] Sparta “was destroyed because of the shortage of men”[17] as lack of training and battle skills leaked into army lines in the form of fighting allies and helots. Entering this battle with the traditional Spartan mentality to “always stand firm”[18] was detrimental and a clear signifier of Sparta’s fall “for the city could not withstand a single blow”[19]. Due to the fact that Sparta entered the battle of Leuctra with knowledge of their inability to recover from defeat the Spartan mentality of fighting to the death[20] weakened the army and contributed not only to Sparta’s loss of the battle, but to the general downfall of Spartan supremacy.
The Spartan army acted as the only protection for Sparta as they became “a wall of men, instead of bricks”[21], acting as the replacement of fortified walls to surround the city. The army was built upon a foundation of rigorous education schemes that instilled in its students infallible courage and knowledge as well as a mindset of dedication and commitment in the battle field. Hoplites were undoubtedly strong and titled “the best fighters in the world”[22] and although their flaws were few, when discovered and attacked they were detrimental. The traditional nature of their strategic battle plans led to predictability and an inability to adapt to tactical changes and their conviction to war led to heavy causalities that left Sparta unable to recover and defeated. The regimented education system also equipped all participants with warfare knowledge equal to that of an official, although this meant a united and comprehensive front line, it also created contention as lower ranked men challenged official rulings. It is un-denied that the Spartan army was extremely strong and well trained and though they had many successes they also had deleterious defeats that came about through the exploitation and attack of Spartan weaknesses.
Bibliography
BOOKS
Cartledge, PC, Ancient Greece
Adkins, LA and RA, Handbook to life in Ancient Greece
Brennan, BB, Spartan Society
Cartledge, PC, Sparta and Lakonia
Cartledge, PC, A history of Greece
Paisman, JP, Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander
Flaceliere, RF, Daily life in Greece
Bradlley, PB, Ancient Greece
Richard, CR, 12 Greeks and Romans
Kagan, dk, The Peloponnesian war
Dillion, MD, Garland, LG, Ancient Greece
Crawkwell, GC, Thucydides and the Peloponnesian war
Montagu, JM, Greek and Roman warfare
Hanson, V H 1988, Epameinondas, the Battle of Leuktra (371 B.C.), 7 edn, University of California, .
INTERNET
Wikipedia, 2012, Sparta , viewed 31 May, 2012, <>.
Classic Archive, 2009, Histories of Herodotus, viewed 3 June, 2012, <rnet >.
Thucydides, 2007, Thucydides and the Peloponnesian war, viewed 3 June, 2012,<http://www.bostonleadershipbuilders.com/thucydides/index.htm>.
Classic Archive, 2009, Pelopidas, viewed 3 June, 2012, <>.
Tyrtaeus of Sparta , viewed 3 June, 2012, <>.
California State University, J A 2010, Xenophon adn the Spartans, viewed 3 June, 2012, <>.
Kevin, K M , K H 2003, Sparta, viewed 4 June, 2012, <>.
Thayer, B T 2008, Diodorus Siculus, viewed 4 June, 2012,<http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/13C*.html>.
Gill, N S G 2012, Sparta- Rise of Power, viewed 5 June, 2012, <>.
Fordham University, 1998, The Peloponnesian war, viewed 5 June, 2012,<http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/asbook07.asp#The Peloponnesian War>.
Classic Archive, 2009, The history of the Peloponnesian war, viewed 5 June, 2012,<http://classics.mit.edu/Thucydides/pelopwar.2.second.html>.
Fordham University, 1998, Xenophon: The Battle of Leuctra, viewed 10 June, 2012,<http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/371leuctra.asp>.
HSC Online, 2012, Spartan society to the battle of Leuctra, viewed 10 June, 2012,<http://hsc.csu.edu.au/ancient_history/societies/greece/spartan_society/sparta_army/ancient_sparta_army.htm>.
Thucydides, 1999, Battle of Mantinea, viewed 10 June, 2012, <>.
Research log
31.05.12
Ancient Greece- Paul Cartledge
Handbook to life in Ancient Green- Lesley Adkins and Roy A Adkins
Spartan Society- Brian Brennan
Sparta and Lakonia- Paul Cartledge
A history of Greece – Paul Cartledge
03.06.12
- notification source
“Ancient writers Sparta”- google search
- Plutarch, Xenophon, Aristotle, Herodotus, Diodorus, Thucydides, Pliny
Writings of Thucydides
Writings of Plutarch
Tyrtaeus poetry
Writings of Xenophon
04.06.12
Diodorus Writings
05.06.12
Peloponnesian War
Thusydides- History of the Peloponnesian War
Greek and Roman Warfare - John Drogo Montagu
07.06.12
Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander- Joseph Paisman
Daily life in Greece- Robert Flaceliere
Ancient Greece- Pamela Bradley
12 Greeks and Romans- Carl J. Richard
The Peloponnesian War- Donald Kagan
Ancient Greece- Mathew Dillion and Lynda Garland
09.06.12
Thucydides and the Peloponnesian war- George Crawkwell
10.06.12
[1] George Crawkwell Thucydides and the Peloponnesian war page 41
[2] Plutarch V. III 237.4
()
[3] Xenophon Constitution of the Spartans 2.3 (Ancient Greece Mathew D. Lynda G.)
[4] Herodotus the histories 7.104.3 (Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander Joseph R.)
[5] Thucydides 12.79.6-7 (The Peloponnesian war Donald K.)
[6] Donald Kagan The Peloponnesian war pg 237
[7] Plutarch, Pelopidas ()
[8] Xenophon 13 (Ancient Greece from Homer to Alexander Joseph R.)
[9] Thucydides (Ancient Greece Mathew D. Lynda G.)
[10]Herodotus the Histories (given source)
[11] Xenophon Lycurgus ()
[12] Tyrtaeus 11, line 29 (Ancient Greece Mathew D. Lynda G.)
[13] Diodorus (Ancient Greece Mathew D. Lynda G.)
[14] Tyrtaeus 11 lines 21-38 ()
[15] Herodotus the Histories (Given source)
[16] Greek and Roman Warfare; Battles, Tactics and Trickery John M.
[17] Aristotle Politics II, ix (Ancient Greece Mathew D. Lynda G.)
[18] Herodotus the Histories (Given source)
[19] Aristotle Politics II, ix (Ancient Greece Mathew D. Lynda G.)
[20] Tyrtaeus “we must fight to the death for our land and children”
[21] Lycurgus ()
[22] Herodotus the Histories (Given source)
by
anonymouz (student)
