Ancient Civilizations
The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy
The story of the Spartans is one of the best known in history, from their rigorous training to their dramatic feats of arms–but is that portrait of Spartan supremacy true? Renowned novelist and popular historian Myke Cole goes back to the original sources to set the record straight.
The Spartan hoplite enjoys unquestioned currency as history’s greatest fighting man. Raised from the age of seven in the agoge, a military academy legendary for its harshness, Spartan men were brought up to value loyalty to the polis (the city-state) above all else, and to prize obedience to orders higher than their own lives. […Learn More]