300

If you were a Spartan soldier, you were trained from the age of seven to prefer death to defeat.

The 300 Spartans who held the pass at Thermopylae against the huge Persian army must surely  have known that they were going to die. According to a Persian scout, they combed their hair in preparation for the battle.

For days they stood against Xerxes’ army of 250,000 men and held the narrow pass against them. Realising that they must ultimately be defeated, the Spartan King Leonidas sent the Athenian army home. The heroic stand of the Spartan 300, however, allowed the Athenian army to return to Athens and evacuate the city before the Persians arrived.

The Athenians, as the beneficiaries of the Spartans’ courage, managed to regroup and defeat the Persians at sea.

The grateful Athenians commissioned Simonides to write an epitaph for the Spartans who had sacrificed their lives. He wrote: “Go tell the Spartans, passing stranger, that we lie here obedient to their laws.” In other words, these three hundred men had preferred death to defeat and a courageous last stand to a retreat; they had died honourably. In doing so, they had done their part in protecting Greek civilisation from the seemingly all-conquering Persian Empire.

Sources on the life of the Spartans and the Battle of Thermopylae:

Spartans: http://www.ancientgreece.co.uk/sparta/home_set.html

Thermoplyae: http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/weaponswar/p/blpwtherm.htm

Themophlyae: http://www.factbehindfiction.com/index_files/300TheBattleatThermopylae.htm

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Why it wasn’t easy being Spartan… – Read the details of Spartan training: built-in, state-sponsored bullying, public shaming rituals, intentional malnutrition and the like…
Last of all, leave a comment in response to some or all of the following questions:
•What, if anything, do you find admirable about the Spartan way of life?
•What, if anything, would you criticise about the Spartan way of life?
•What were your reactions to the story of the Battle of Thermopylae?
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22 Replies to “300”

  1. The thing that I admire most about Spartan life is the way they went on with their lives when they know they were going to die in the battle of Thermopylae. They oiled their body, combed their hair and did exercises. The thing that I would criticise about the Spartan life would have to be the way they let the Spartans be bullied and be violent towards each other, it was cruel and unnecessary in many ways. The Battle of Thermopylae was harsh and very well thought out, for example, the way the Spartans stood in rows and had their shields pressed up against the person in front’s back, so it was like a wall.

  2. I believe the Spartans were a strong, confident society, who created an elite fighting force. After birth, children were inspected by elders and highly important officials for faults or problems. If a defect was found, the newborn child was left to die on a distant hillside. If these children were found, they were often adopted. At the young age of 7, the young boys were taken from their families and taken to the army barracks for cruel training. The children were never given enough food, so they were encouraged to steal, as long as they were not caught. Bullying was often encouraged in the barracks. At the age of 30, they were then allowed to go back to see their families, and get married. When the soldiers were called to battle, they were prepared to give their lives for the Spartan society. I find the Spartan way of life cruel and harsh.

  3. I know that Spartans were strong, cold and daring and had no fear of death. The other city-states were afraid of the Spartans and their war-like behaviour. I personally would rather be in a military position than stay home and care for the children. I like or cherish the way they taught their children with cold care. Those methods gave them courage. I know the Persians feared death while the Spartans were seemingly nonchalant about dying. I agree with the Spartans; shooting from a distance proves the Persians were cowards.

  4. I think that the training of the Spartans was cruel. They would hurt children just to make them strong and when they were born they were left alone on a mountain if they were weak. If they were strong, they would live with their family.
    I was surprised that a Greek told Xerxes about the passage behind the valley during the Battle of Thermopylae. I was also surprised that the Spartans just did the normal things that anyone would do before the Battle, like comb their hair, even though they were about to die!

  5. I would criticise the age that the boys left home for army. Seven years old is very young to start military training. I also think it was unfair that that they didn’t let them choose a trade. But I like how the girls didn’t have to be in the battle and could do other things.
    The Battle of Thermopylae was a very violent story and the way they trained the boys/men was unthinkable. It might have led to brave soldiers but having to fight to the death to show how brave you are is cruel.
    The way they lived was probably very difficult, because they had to live in such a harsh environment.

  6. No doubt Sparta was one of the greatest and strongest civilisations. I admire their willingness to die and their dedication. They stared death straight in the face, and they never cowered. Instead of cowering they would brush their hair and oil their bodies; they were courageous soldiers.
    At birth the child would be inspected. If the child was weak, he or she would be left by itself on a hillside to die. This harshness is narrow-minded and extremely cruel. This is something that I hate about the Spartans. They were quite narrow-minded people, very rigid and not open to new ideas, not allowing men and women to achieve their dreams. Instead, the men would have to be soldiers and the women mothers. No question asked. Also their training methods were extremely harsh.

  7. I admire the Spartans very much, I like how they were an elite force of soldiers and did not need to worry about education but focused on being soldiers for community. I admire this system, although the Spartans were very rough and if you were a boy you would have to be sent to military training at the age of 7. You could only retire at the age 60 (that is if you survived all the battles). The training was hard for the Spartans and teenagers were sent into the wild to prove that they could survive. The Spartans also had an honour code: “Better to face death than to come home defeated”. They were very serious and were ready to fight against enemies. The Battle of Thermopylae is a great example of the Spartans’ courage and wit; it was an intense battle. The Spartans had only 300 men, the Greeks 700 and the Persians perhaps 250000 men. The Persians ultimately won against the Spartans but during the battle, when it became clear that defeat was certain, Leonidas sent the Greeks home to alert the Athenians to the danger of the invading Persian army and to evacuate Athens. After the loss at the gates of Thermopylae the Greeks struck back to finish the Persians off in a sea battle. If it weren’t for the Spartans, the Greeks and Athenian Citizens would not have made it out alive. The Spartans were very strong-minded, much stronger than we are today. and I still admire the Spartans’ bravery but I would not become a Spartan if I had a choice.

  8. I admire the Spartan courage, bravery. I think that the Spartans Hoplites could have been the best soldier in the ancient classical world. I like anything about the Spartans even their harsh training and how they ignore their crying babies. I don’t dislike anything about the Spartans. Before the battle at Thermopylae the Spartans combed their heir and oiled their limbs, as though they didn’t even care about dying. The Phalanx position was very useful in the ancient world. It consisted of rows of 18 by 64, the first three rows had their spears down, the soldiers had shields pressed against the soldier into the back of the soldier front of them.

  9. The thing I admire about Spartan life is that their lives were unique and very different to our modern day society. All of the children at the age of seven had to leave their families behind and they were trained in skills like stealing food, dance moves, etc. What I would criticise about Spartan life is that even though it was compulsory to become a Spartan soldier if you were a male citizen, when they went into a battle, there was a high probability of Spartans dying and I don’t see what was the whole point of every child training to become a Spartan, especially those who are afraid to enter the battle. I can’t believe how few Spartans fought in the Battle of Thermopylae, despite having to defend themselves against the massive Persian army. Death was almost certain, but I think the battle was well thought out. I liked how they were lined up in rows so that when someone had died, there was a new column of Spartans fighting instead of everyone crowded in a random position.

  10. SPARTA
    I know Sparta is the best city state for war. They have the strongest soldiers out of any other city state in Greece. The Spartans tried to stop the Persians but knew they were never going to win. They were fearless of death, brave and strong. They fought till their deaths. They had war tactics that helped them survive longer in the war for example the phalanx. The phalanx was to have 18 rows and 64 columns of soldiers with their shields up against the person in fronts back so the Persians couldn’t push anyone back. Spartan children were taken to be trained at a barracks at the age of 7. At the age of 30 they were citizens.

  11. SPARTA
    I think Sparta’s idea of a phalanx was quite intelligent because they held the shields together to make a wall so that the enemy would not be able to go past. Even if the person in the front row did fall the person in the row behind would take their place. There were 18 rows with 64 people across.
    They started to train at the age of 7 and they were taught to prefer death to defeat. I also find it is a bit cruel that if the children weren’t strong enough they would be killed and if you were divorced then the husband would get to take the child/children. Children weren’t given enough food and were encouraged to steal food. Although if the children were caught stealing they would get whipped or worse.

  12. The thing I admire about the Spartans is that they were brave and would stop at nothing. They would die before they gave up on what they did. When they were young (7) they might give up because they were too weak but the strong ones never gave up. In this case they could be people to look up to.
    One of the things that interested me about the Spartans was that they would be taught to fight each other and hurt the people they walk around day-by-day which is the complete opposite of what we do today. If we do this we get sent out of school or get massive punishments but the Spartans might give them a higher social status.

  13. Sparta
    I think Sparta was a difficult place to live in, first when you were born you had to be checked if you had any problems or not, if they found some problems you would be left to die on a hillside unless someone adopted you. Children did not have much food to eat and were taught to steal as long as they didn’t get caught. At the age of seven boys had to leave their homes to train for war at a camp and girls had to give babies at the age of fourteen.
    Spartans had to go through so many tests which checked their strength, toughness, courage and resourcefulness. If I was to live in Sparta I would probably not survive.

  14. I admire the way the Spartans were courageous and brave. They were taught to die rather than come home defeated. The Spartans seemed be so positive and optimistic even though they knew it was very hard for them to take on 250,000 Persians. But that didn’t stop them from trying.

    The Spartan life was a bit rough and intense. Spartan boys left their families at the age of 7 to do rigorous training courses to become Spartan soldiers. They trained roughly and were taught from a young age to come back from war with their shield in front of them or to lie on top of it – that is, die in battle. They preferred to die rather than come home defeated. The military trainers didn’t give the Spartan boys enough food and made them fight for and steal their food. Around the age of 30 the men were finally ready to fight in war without being the tiniest bit nervous of going to death. To prove their fearlessness of the war, they oiled their bodies and combed their hair just before they fought. Unfortunately, the Spartans lost against the Persians but they died honourably.

  15. SPARTA
    I believe that the Spartans were a strong, confident city-state. I admire the way they trained hard, even if it was brutal, and I also admire how they had no fear of death. However, I think that if a baby is born who is not very strong, they shouldn’t be killed. I don’t like how they sent boys to military camp at the age of 7. They would have to train really hard; the girls also had to work hard, preparing to become a mother and marry a man at the age of 14-15 to a man who is 20-25. The Battle of Thermopylae was very interesting and tactical even though they didn’t win. Their formation was clever, especially the way they pressed their shields against each other’s backs. King Leonidas was very smart by sending some soldiers home to evacuate Athens.

  16. The Spartans were moulded into an army that did not know fear.
    They were trained from the age of seven to be perfect soldiers, stronger than any normal man, sculpted to be greater than virtually any army opposing them. Their lives were hard and they were treated cruelly, with limited food and clothing. But they were they were taught to be tough, enduring and sneaky. They had to steal food from storage to overcome their hunger. They were superior in strength and arms (weapons and armour, not your limbs) to almost any opponent.

  17. The Spartans were amazing. They got male children at the age of 7 to train to be soldiers. It was really odd how the males got married at the age of 30 and to girls much younger. There was a really cool game that they played which was where you see who can be whipped for the longest. The battle of Thermopylae was a fascinating story. The only Spartans who fought there had a son so their legacy would live on. They made a wall called a phalanx which was 18 soldiers down and 64 across. The women had to practise how to be a mother; that’s why they get married so young.

  18. I like the way the Spartans were brave and fearless. From the age of seven, they were taught that it is better to die in battle than come home defeated. I admire the way that they went into battle when they knew they were going to die anyway. When a child was born, they were inspected by important people or elders. If a fault was found, the child would be left on a mountain-side to die. I believe that this is a harsh thing to do to an innocent child. I believe that it would take a lot of courage to face 250,000 Persians and I am amazed that they did not give up.

  19. An average Spartan boy started his life at the barracks at the age of 7. He was encouraged to steal but not to be caught stealing. Bullying was also encouraged as a means of toughening the boys and preparing them for life as soldiers. The Spartans were taught to prefer death to defeat.
    I admire the way the Spartans had the drive to try to beat every civilised city-state in Greece. I also admire their war tactics and weaponry.

  20. Spartans were a strong city-state and were really smart. I think that it would also be difficult to live in Sparta. In battle they lined up in 18 rows and there were 64 Spartans in each row. How they started to train to be a soldier at the age of 7 and if they weren’t strong when born they would put down – I think that is kind of sad. The point that the wife and husband are 10 years apart is awkward. Sparta is different but a great part of history.

  21. I admire how the Spartans had to train as seven-year-olds and you were allowed to steal if you didn’t get caught. This was a good Idea because they got heaps of training and test for their skill. They also had to be resourceful to live and learn when they were teens. I think as well they went into the Battle of Thermopylae with all the odds against them, knowing that they were going to die. It was really brave as well to let the Athenians go because they knew that they were eventually going to lose, so that it was essential to evacuate Athens. The Spartans had competitions such as whipping and hurting the Spartan boys to see how many lashes a boy could take before the child gave up. I think that way of training was a stupid idea because it hurt the child and did nothing good! It might even have injured or killed the boys. It wasn’t a bright idea. When I heard the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, I thought that the Spartans were brave as ever. Going into battle in the knowledge of certain death was a really brave thing to do. And Leonidas letting the Athenians retreat to evacuate Athens was a brave decision. But the Spartans trained all their lives for battle and fought fiercely and hard. I wouldn’t know any one braver than the Spartans!

  22. A tyrant is a person that doesn’t usually follow rules or laws. They are people that have a lot of power and they are very similar to dictators. They do not let many people have a say in what happens to the country or state. They are obsessed with power and they only care about themselves.
    Qin Shi Huang was a tyrant. He was a fierce leader but he was feared by his people. He believed that knowledge of the past was dangerous, so he banned the teachings of Confucius. Books that did not support his ideas completely were burned. If you were found reading one of these banned books, you would be buried alive. Roughly 460 people were buried alive because of this. He forced people to work for him and increased taxes. As his rules got more and more absurd, people started to become angry. Because of this, Qin Shi Huang thought he would be killed. He drank liquids such as mercury because he thought it would make him live forever. In case he died, he built a decorative tomb, guarded be 7000 life-size terracotta warriors, horses and chariots. Qin Shi Huang died during a hot summer in 210 BCE.

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