Leonidas was born around 530 to 500 BC, and he was one of the sons of the Spartan king, Anaxandridas. Since his early childhood he was training to become a Hoplite Warrior. Hoplite Warriors were soldiers/citizens who were armed with a round shield, a spear, and an iron short sword. And this is what he originally intended upon being. (Leonidas, History, A&E) All children who were born in Sparta were put into military training at the young age of 7. They were taught that they would come home after a battle either with their shield or on it, implying either coming home successful after battle or dead and carried on their shield. Since Leonidas was initially not to become king he anticipated becoming a general in the army. So because he became the king he was not only a military general now but he was the military leader as well as the political leader. (Leonidas, Humanities360.) Anaxandridas died on 520 BC, and Cleomenes ruled from 520 or around 516 BC to 490 BC. In 489 BC he was considered insane by his people, and then deemed unfit as ruler. He was deemed the aforementioned due to the fact that he had been discovered plotting against his co-king. He had done this most likely to get complete power of Sparta. Although his death was ruled a suicide many modern historians dispute against this and say that they can’t be sure about it. (Cleomenes) Not to incredibly much is known about Leonidas’ early life because he was not originally first in line royalty. He was still seen as high up in the chain of command but just not constantly monitored by people. Ten years after the battle of Marathon in 490 BC Xerxes, who was the son of Darius, had assembled a great army of around twenty-five million men completed wit... ... middle of paper ... ...und that Leonidas was not only a great general and king who lead his men to the bitter end. He also proved himself to be honorable by not backing down from certain doom. He’s still remembered today for being not only a strong soldier but a great and tactful leader. Works Cited "Ephialtes of Trachis." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. "King Leonidas of Sparta (reigned C. 490 – 480 B.C.)." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. "Leonidas." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. "Anaxandridas II." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. "Biography King Leonidas I of Ancient Sparta." By The Historian. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. "Leonidas, I." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. World History in Context. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
To look at this epistemologically, there is an understanding that almost every aspect involved in this culture was derived for the good of the polis. This seemed to be a very proud and arrogant people. A city with no walls, and in almost certainty, only natural born were allowed to earn citizenship. To even be called a Spartan meant years of fighting, service and status. Tyrtaeus states this argument best in the last line of his work. “Thus a man should endeavor to reach this high place of courage with all his heart, and, so trying, never be backward in war.” These writings are great resources for Spartan’s war enhanced values and societal customs, but lack in evidence of governmental affairs and religion.
The Greek army’s greatest warrior during the Trojan War, Achilles was born of the goddess Thetis and the mortal Peleus. (Murnaghan, 1997, p.xxv)“Strong, swift and godlike” as Lombardo translating Homer puts it (1997, p.5), his presence on the battlefield reverberated fear through his enemies. Being a general in the Achaean army, his original rationale as to engage...
The battle of Thermopylae was the Greek’s first stand against the massive army of King Xerxes, and was the most influential battle of the entire war. Up to this point, the Persian army was seen as too massive and powerful to be stopped. The once warring city-states of Greece knew they couldn’t stand against the Persians alone, and knew in order to defend their homeland they would have to unite. A unity of command was agreed upon; King Leonidas of Sparta was chosen to lead the Greek forces. He was chosen to lead because of the unsurpassed warring abilities the Spartans were so well known for made him perfect for the objective of stopping the Persians.
Rodney, Sydney. "Pericles." Ancient Greece. University Inc., 11 May 2003. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. .
Wikipedia. The World of the. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Jan. 2014. Web. The Web.
...ee arguably became one the most beloved generals in American history. His troops developed an immense sense of respect for him. Lee was able to win large-scale battles with only sliver of the men that the Union army contained. He served in a Civil War, which caused over six hundred thousand deaths, and where thousands of fellow countrymen fought to their death either attempting to preserve the Union or break away from it. He served as a great motivator for the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee eventually fell to overwhelming numbers, lack of resources, but never lost pride in his men. Although Lee fought for the defeated Confederacy, he was admirable during the period of reconstruction. He became the epitome of the quote his father extolled,” First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.
Sparta was a strict military city-state. The people were Dorians who conquered Laconia. This region lies in the Peloponnesus, which lied in southern Greece. The invaders turned the conquered people into state owned slaves, called helots. Since the helots greatly outnumbered their rulers, Spartans established a strict and brutal system of control. The Spartan government had two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs. An assembly made up of all citizens approved all major decisions. From child-hood, a Spartan prepared to be part of the military. All newborn were examined and the healthy lived and the sickly were left to die. Spartans wanted future soldiers or mothers of soldiers to be healthy. At the age of seven, boys trained for a lifetime in the Spartan military. They moved to the barracks and endured brutal and extensive training.
The Battle of Thermopylae began in 480 BC and was a product of the Greeks attempt help defend the Ionians from the Persians. This irritated the Persian Emperor, Xerxes, because he thought of Greece as a small kingdom that had no place revolting against the Persian Empire. The Athenians sympathized with the Ionians because the Persians had also tried to invade Greece on multiple occasions. The Athenians provided feeble help to the Ionians and in retaliation the Persians struck at athens (23B). Xerxes was known to be irrational with his temper, and may have thought of his invasion as retaliation for the fact that his father, Darius the Great, was defeated at the Battle of Marathon against the Greeks. His temper was so great that at Hellas Point he had the water whipped because it would not obey him (E49). One of several Greek war leaders in the Battle of Thermopylae was Leonidas, the second born son of King Anaxandridas. It was not until his half brother was killed under controversial circumstances that Leonidas rose to power (G72). Apart from misconceptions spread by the popular film “300,” the three hundred Spartans did not go into battle alone, and were accompanied by over eight hundred allies. Nevertheless, the Persians still outnumbered the Greeks ten to one, which is why it is incredible that the Greeks were able to hold them for three days before eventually losing that specific battle. Despite losing the battle in terms of soldiers and defending greece, the battle of thermopylae was somewhat successful in that it was a demonstration of the courage of greek soldiers, impressive battle tactics,
... 371 B.C. Sparta faced a critically wounding loss against Thebes. Eventually, all of Sparta’s empire would be destroyed when Philip II of Macedon conquered all of Greece, due to its instability, which “made them vulnerable to a takeover by Macedonia several decades later” (C.S “The Peloponnesian War”.)
Pyrrhus’s skill as a general and his books on the art of war influenced many generals who came after him, including Hannibal. Plutarch wrote that “the other kings… represented Alexander with their purple robes, their body-guards, the inclination of their necks, and their louder tones in conversation; but Pyrrhus alone, in arms and action.” (3) What Pyrrhus lacked as a king he made up for on the battlefield. He will always be remembered for his bravery as a soldier and his brilliance as a commander.
Farris, Dale. "Shutt, Timothy B.: A History of Ancient Sparta." Library Journal 15 May 2009: 45.
"The Flow of History." FC25: Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Era (336 BCE-31 BCE). n.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.
Alexander is considered one of the greatest leaders of all time. He was tutored by Aristotle, A student of Plato who was a student of Socrates. Alexander discovered the Phalanx that was once undefeated and took land from Macedonia to the coastline of India. Alexander’s mother was Olympia and his father was Philip the second of Macedonia. Philip ii was Macedonia's commander in chief and led them to many battles. Philip the second of Macedonia was held hostage for several years until his brother (at the time the king of Macedonia) freed him. The time was spent productively, in which he learned most of his military skills. Philip was chosen to lead the territory of Macedonia and starting using his Military skills to rule. Biography.com Editors.
In the year approximately 500 B.C., the Greek civilization came upon a time of peace. Because of the tranquil times, the civilization’s society had more time to focus on writing, math, astronomy, and artistic fields, as well as trade and metallurgy. Out of all the city-states of Greece, two excelled over all the rest, Sparta and Athens. Even though they were the most advanced and strong civilizations, they were bitter enemies. While Athens focused mainly on the people’s democracy and citizen rights, Sparta were ferocious and enslaved its original inhabitants, making them unable to leave
Web. The Web. The Web. 14 May 2014. Stanley, Jay.