Osprey Trade Editions : The Spartans

The city of Sparta lies in the valley of the River Eurotas, enclosed by the mountains of Taygetos to the west and Parnon to the east. It was just one of the cities of the ancient Greek state called Lakedaimon. Although Sparta's early history is not clear, by the end of the 8th century most of the other cities of Lakedaimon had been reduced to subject status. The Lakedaimonians were the only full time army in ancient Greece and were thus truly an elite force. The institutions of the state and the system of education were organised with a view to creating superbly trained soldiers. Isocrates compared the Lakedaimonian political community to a military camp and Aristotle criticised the Lakedaimonian constitution because it was organised entirely to promote military virtue. Consequently, he stated, the Lakedaimonians did not know how to live at peace when they had won their empire. Nick Sekunda examines this unique military machine in this book describing the organisational systems of the Spartan army through the Hellenistic period, how they were trained, the battles they fought, and the society that produced them. Illustrations by Richard Hook.