The Spartan Army

The classic and comprehensive military history of the Spartan army and how it became the most formidable war machine in Greece for at least two centuries.   Professor Lazenby begins The Spartan Army by looking at the composition, training, and organization of the army, tracing its roots back to the eighth century BC. The second part analyses some of the main campaigns—Thermopylae, Plataea, Sphakteria, Mantineia, The Nemea, Koroneia, Lechaion, and Leuktra. The final part continues the story to the end of Greek independence. Since this book was first written over twenty-five years ago, novels, computer games, and films such as 300 have raised interest in the Spartan military to new heights. The return to print of this excellent study is sure to interest academics and more general readers alike.   "[Lazenby] has performed a valuable service in . . . focusing instead on the organization and role of this central institution of Spartan life . . . it is this kind of re-examination of the precise working of its social institutions, and the debate it engenders, which is necessary to achieve a deeper understanding of the character of the Spartan state." —Stephen Hodkinson, The Classical Review