The Spartans are remembered for their fierce battle tactics, weapons, and blood thirsty warriors. Many don't think about the amount of design and technology it took to develop these ideas. The main weapons and battle formations of the ancient Spartans were as follows.
Spears gave the Spartans a great advantage in battle. The length of it was varied, but believed to have been between 6-10 feet in length. Traditionally the spear was held with one hand either over the Spartan's head, or underhand beneath the shield. At the tip of the spear, there was either an iron or bronze leafed spearhead. The shaft was made of a sturdy wood so as not to break easily.
These deadly swords of weaponry were typically only about 10-12 inches in length. Although short, these swords were favored by the Spartans for their ability to thrust through enemy's phalanxes and into the enemies throat or head. However, their small length did make them only useful for breaking into an enemy's phalanx.
One of the most iconic things for Sparta is the battle formation phalanx. The phalanx formation was a close-rank, dense grouping of warriors armed with long spears and interlocking shields. The Spartan soldier provided his own weapon (most commonly a spear) and shield as well as breast plate, helmet and greaves. This provided an extreme amount of protection to the men inside, as each man was lined up next to his brother's shield and very little space was in between shields.
The Spartan shield was mainly used for defensive purposes, however it was common for the Spartans to bash thier shield into enemies, causing them to become disoriented and confused. This tactic was mainly used to knock down an enemy warrior to make room for another weapon, such as the short sword. These shields were very study, made out of woods and had an outer covering of bronze, this did cause the shields to become very heavy though, commonly weighing 30 pounds.
The Spartans were a great military-focused city-states and many remember them for it. From dominance as a military force to a technologically advanced people, Sparta is one of the most remembered civilizations to this day. However, all of the fame and glory wouldn't be possible to achieve without the technological military advantages the Spartans had over their opponents.
- The spear
- The short sword
- Shield
- Phalanx (Battle formation)
Spears gave the Spartans a great advantage in battle. The length of it was varied, but believed to have been between 6-10 feet in length. Traditionally the spear was held with one hand either over the Spartan's head, or underhand beneath the shield. At the tip of the spear, there was either an iron or bronze leafed spearhead. The shaft was made of a sturdy wood so as not to break easily.
These deadly swords of weaponry were typically only about 10-12 inches in length. Although short, these swords were favored by the Spartans for their ability to thrust through enemy's phalanxes and into the enemies throat or head. However, their small length did make them only useful for breaking into an enemy's phalanx.
One of the most iconic things for Sparta is the battle formation phalanx. The phalanx formation was a close-rank, dense grouping of warriors armed with long spears and interlocking shields. The Spartan soldier provided his own weapon (most commonly a spear) and shield as well as breast plate, helmet and greaves. This provided an extreme amount of protection to the men inside, as each man was lined up next to his brother's shield and very little space was in between shields.
The Spartan shield was mainly used for defensive purposes, however it was common for the Spartans to bash thier shield into enemies, causing them to become disoriented and confused. This tactic was mainly used to knock down an enemy warrior to make room for another weapon, such as the short sword. These shields were very study, made out of woods and had an outer covering of bronze, this did cause the shields to become very heavy though, commonly weighing 30 pounds.
The Spartans were a great military-focused city-states and many remember them for it. From dominance as a military force to a technologically advanced people, Sparta is one of the most remembered civilizations to this day. However, all of the fame and glory wouldn't be possible to achieve without the technological military advantages the Spartans had over their opponents.