For a period of some 200 years Sparta was acknowledged throughout the Greek world as the home of the finest soldiers. Xenophon called them the only true craftsmen in matters of war. Nic Fields explains the reasons for this superiority how their reputation for invincibility was earned (and deliberately manipulated) & how it was ultimately shattered. The Spartan Way examines how Spartan society through its rigid laws & brutal educational system was thoroughly militarized & devoted to producing warriors suited to the intense demands of hoplite warfare
- professional killers inculcated with the values of unwavering obedience & a willingness to fight & die for their city. The role of Spartan women as mothers & wives in shaping the warrior ethic is considered as are the role of uniform & rigorous training in enhancing the small-unit cohesion within the phalanx & the psychological intimidation of the enemy. The final chapters chart the course of Spartas successes through the period of the Persian & Peloponnesian Wars through the Corinthian & Theban wars of the fourth century BC which culminated with the shattering military defeats at Leuctra & 2nd Mantinea & the years of her decline with the Spartans as a source of mercenaries for the wars of other states.