The Spartan Warriors Essay - 2670 Words

OUTLINE I. Introduction. In society today the term â€Å"warrior† is used loosely and sometimes even associated with an athlete training for a specific event. By the fourth century B.C., Sparta designed a culture solely for training soldiers, a warrior culture. The problem with the design of a warrior culture is not in the fighting capabilities of the group, but in the artistic legacy that was lost during the life of a fighting culture. II. Body. 1. Historical Background a. Prior to the Messenian War b. After the Messenian War 2. Training a. Age and Sex b. Way of life 3. Politics a. Women in Sparta b. Constitution c. Lycurgus 4. Significant Battles a. Battle of Marathon b. Battle of Thermopylae†¦show more content†¦Sparta was one of the most powerful city-states in Greece and in order to increase a food supply, the Spartans turned to their bordering country Messenia. In the eighth century B.C. the Spartans conquered the Messenians and set up a new type of social system. The Messenians would work the soil to supply the Spartans with the food supply, which would leave the dominating class available for a life of military training. The Messenians outnumbered the Spartans and without a strong hold the lower-class citizens would eventually overtake them by physical force. The Spartan ruler and soldier class made up about ten percent of the total population and were actually the only citizens with rights in the country. The largest class of people was the helots and these were the forced labored individuals and were not allowed to own land. A third class of people, which were allowed to own land, was the perioiki and they performed business with the citizens of Sparta. The perioiki were responsible for work other than the cultivation of the land and were the carpenters, metal workers, builders, and painters. The Sparta citizens concentrated solely on military training and did not mix socially with the classes of the helots or perioiki. As a warrior and ruler the citizen of the Sparta was responsible to oversee the helots as well as defend the city-state’s borders. In the military community of the rulers and soldiers of Sparta there was a very strictShow MoreRelatedThe Spartans Were A Warrior1461 Words   |  6 PagesThe Spartans were a prominent ancient warrior society in Greek history. They were founded by Lacedaemon, a son of Zeus, in mythology. They named the city Sparta after his wife. There was no possible way for the Spartans to be successful for an extended period of time. The Spartans rose to military power around 650 BC and held power for over three hundred years. Spartan society was complex with the women having most of the freedoms men had. The Spartans were a warrior based society, that was incrediblyRead MoreEssay Roman and Spartan Warriors1265 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Ancient Greece, Sparta especially, and Ancient Rome were best known for their military tactics and strategies. 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