Essay On Spartan Life

The Life of a Spartan Spartans were a people of war who thrived on fighting, so naturally physical might was a much needed and wanted attribute. The children who were strong excelled to high levels in society while the weak either became farmers or scholars. The deformed or mentally handicapped were either shunned or exterminated. When a boy reached manhood, he would undergo a series of tests that involved surviving on his own and not returning to his home until he had brought home a trophy (usually an animal hide or etc.) that proved his worth as a warrior. At the age of seven, Spartan boys were taken from their mothers to military barracks for twenty-three years and were taught skills such as athleticism, discipline, hunting, survival, weapons training, and how to endure pain. At the age of twenty, Spartans became

Spartan soldiers lived and trained with their fellow soldiers almost all their lives. Soldiers were allowed to marry, but could not live with their wives, at least not until they became an equal (soldiers that reached thirty years of age). A Spartan if discharged dishonorably would lose his eligibility to become an equal. The minimum number of years a Spartan had to serve in the military was sixty, after that he could retire if he chose. Sparta was the most liberal of all ancient culture. Although women didn’t serve in the military, they were educated along the same lines as the males. Sparta was the only nation in Greece to take women’s education seriously. Women were taught academics as well as gymnastic and strength training. Spartan women also had unusual amounts of domestic freedom because their husbands