In conclusion, based on the available historical evidence concerning ancient Sparta and its culture and the viewpoints of ristotle, the Spartan women obviously played a major role in the downfall of the Spartan empire; however, like related historical events, one cannot place all of the blame on this role, for there is certainly a conglomerate of reasons why Sparta failed to survive as a major Greek polis. In basic terms, ristotle may be trying to persuade us that a society like Sparta cannot survive if it is ruled by women instead of men, for after all, women are "useless" and are second-rate when compared to men. Perhaps ristotle should have considered the possibility that if the Spartan men had not been so militarily aggressive toward their neighbors and instead stayed at home with their wives as proper fathers and guardians, Spartan society might have survived to eventually rival the city…...

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Accessed June 25, 2009 from  http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/aristotle-spartanwomen.html .

Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. New Haven,

CT: Yale University Press, 2005.

Spartan Army by Nick Sekunda attempts to give as in-depth account as possible of the ancient Spartan society's military code of conduct and way of life. Particular detail is given to military dress, weapons, and uniforms, as well as the history and geography of this ancient Greek city-state, and is methods of training its citizen-warriors. Sparta was one of the major powers of ancient Greece, but unlike its ally during the Persian ars and adversary during the Peloponnesian ars, Athens, it did not have a democratic system of government. Rather, it was a military, collective dictatorship where young men were reared from birth to be warriors and servants of a proud and cohesive military state. Spartan women were reared to be mothers of great soldiers, and were famously said to tell their sons leaving for battle to either come back with their shields (victorious) or on their shields (dead) (29).
Analysis

The…...

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Works Cited

Sekunda, Nick. The Spartan Army. Osprey Military Elite Series 6e. New York Osprey Publishing (UK), 1998.

Spartan and Athenian constitutional and political systems. In the first part, an introduction of Athens and Sparta has been given. In the second part, both the forms of governments in Spartan and Athenian lands have been discussed. In the final part, a summary of the differences and similarities between the political systems of the two poleis have been included.
Ancient Greece is well-known as the starting point of western civilization. It was the Greeks who brought in the concept of democracy and ground-breaking ideas in technical and inventive fields. Ancient Greece was not a single country. Instead, independent city-states were present within its regime that possessed their particular administrations and armed forces. Athens and Sparta were the most important and leading states among them. The two ancient Greek rivals clattered for the most part and gave the majority of customs and traditions to the world. egardless of the fact that…...

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References

Brand, P.J. "Athens & Sparta: Democracy vs. Dictatorship ." UM Drive.   (accessed January 17, 2013).https://umdrive.memphis.edu/pbrand/public/Ancient%20World%20Online/Athens%20%26%20Sparta%20dictatorship%20%26%20democracy.pdf 

Durant, W. The Life of Greece - the Story of Civilization. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Print.

Solanki, P. "Sparta vs. Athens." Buzzle.   (accessed January 16, 2013).http://www.buzzle.com/articles/sparta-vs.-athens.html 

Ancient History
What constitutes a Spartan? Indeed, what characteristics are exemplary of a Spartan? According to Steven Pressfied in his work, "Gates of Fire," Spartans are synonymous with the term warrior. So much so in fact, that one is likely to find the word Spartan in the thesaurus when researching the term "warrior." In his book, Pressfield provides the reader with very detailed and accurate descriptions of the ideal Spartan, as portrayed through the eyes of a freedman, a former slave recruited into the service of Spartan warriors, an individual in awe of the intensity and fearlessness of the warriors he has encountered. One can most definitely conclude upon reading this work that Spartans were raised in a society or culture that praised fearlessness, cunning, strength and courage.

The text begins with the account of the leader, referred to as "Majesty" recounting the following of his most recent battle with Spartan warriors:…...

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Later in the novel, the individual telling the story recounts the following words, a true testimony to the spirit of Spartans: "You have never tasted freedom, friend, or you would know it is purchased not with gold, but steel." (51). He was speaking of the trait of true allegiance the Spartan's had for their country and land, that they would not trade for all the money in the world their heritage and culture as a Greek, to become the servant of another army and slay for another cause, in this particular instance for the Egyptian army. From the very mouths of the Spartan trainers, "There is a force beyond fear, more powerful than self preservation" (36). These are words that rang true according to Pressfield, in the hearts and minds of every Spartan warrior and man. One would never betray his countrymen or country out of fear or desire for self-preservation, and would in fact dedicate, and surrender his life defending the same.

It is very apparent in continuing to read the work of Pressfield, that the Spartans were feared and admired, by their enemies and those who would have the Spartans defend them. Many would speak of their strength and ability to defeat great nations even when their numbers were few, and nary an enemy was left with the impression that he should not fear for his life when encountering the fierce and committed, talented and fearless Spartan constitution in battle.

Pressfield, Steven. Gates of Fire. New York: Doubleday, 1998

Leonidas
The Spartans: The World of the Warrior Heroes of Ancient Greece

Paul Cartledge's book known as The Spartans: The World of the Warrior-Heroes of Ancient Greece is by far one of the most intriguing books about one of the most looked at civilizations of ancient Greece. It brings to light new thoughts on the civilization that was known as a pure warrior society (Cartledge, 2004). Cartledge asks the question known as "Who were the Spartans and why should we care?" This book is the answer to that. Cartledge, one of the most leading experts on Sparta, looks at the rise and fall of the Spartan society and he even looks on how the Spartans had a significant influence on their world and even our world as we see it today (Cartledge, 2004). He examines famous figures of Sparta such as the founder Lycurgus and King Leonidas (Cartledge, 2004).

According to Cartledge the…...

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Reference

Cartledge, Paul. The Spartans: The World of the Warrior Heroes of Ancient Greece. Vintage, 2004. Print.

Accuracies in the Snyder's Film
Herodotus and Zac Snyder have at least one thing in common: they both portray the ancient Persians in very unflattering terms. The grim, ghastly, almost monstrously barbaric (yet weirdly effeminate) features of the Persian leader Xerxes is one of the most visually arresting elements of Snyder's film 300 (based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller). How historically accurate is the film? Considering the fact that Snyder shot almost the entirety of the film on a soundstage because the film's "landscapes are different than in real life. They don't exist in the real world, only in Frank Miller's imagination," one might be tempted to say not very. Yet, there are elements of the film that do correspond to the historical attle of Thermopylae -- in a way. This paper will compare and contrast Snyder's film 300 with the real history of the battle between Spartans…...

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Bibliography

Becking, Bob. "We All Returned as One!" In Judah and the Judeans in the Persian

Period. IN: Eisenbrauns, 2006.

Book of Ezra. Old Testament. MN: Lohman Company, 1937.

Daniel, Elton. The History of Iran. CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000.

Bettany Hughes, the Ancient Worlds 5 of 7 the Spartans
Points from the Film:

Unlike the Athenians, Spartans were not known for their philosophical insights or their artistic triumphs. They were known for being frugal and for being fighters. Their society was built on the idea that it could only stand so long as they were physically strong. Thus, Spartans had a strict code of discipline and self-sacrifice: everything was done to protect the State. The weak were viewed as a threat to the State's strength and weak children were killed. While this may seem like a barbaric exercise today, it was a matter of fact practice in ancient Sparta and everyone there accepted it.

Another curious point about Sparta was that male homosexuality was compulsory in Sparta. Women could also take lesbian lovers if they chose. This was because sex between a man and woman was primarily viewed as the lining…...

Dark Age and the Archaic Age
Having watched the lectures for the prior learning unit on video, I was prepared to enjoy the video lecture presentation for this learning unit. I previously found the presentation of lectures in the video format to be very convenient because I could observe at my own pace, rewind if I missed part of the lecture, have flexibility about when I was viewing the lecture, and not be distracted by the behavior or questions of other students. I acknowledged that there were some negatives to the video-learning environment, such as missing out on the organic and natural question and answers that develop in a live classroom setting, but had decided that missing those was an acceptable trade-off given the other benefits that I was receiving from the video lecture environment. Therefore, I was surprised to find that I did not enjoy the video lectures for this…...

Plutarch On SpartaIntroductionPlutarchs On Sparta is a book about the Spartan way of life and what made that way of life better than ways found in other Greek city-states. Plutarch begins by praising the Spartans for their military prowess, their focus on physical fitness, and their simple lifestyles. He goes on to argue that the Spartans political system is superior to that of Athens, as it allows for stability and prevents faction fighting. Plutarch also claims that the Spartan system of education produces citizens who are more virtuous than those of other city-states. Essentially, in Plutarchs On Sparta, the Spartan way of life is held up as an example of a society that values duty, discipline, and obedience above all else. Plutarchs main thesis is that Spartas focus on military training and austerity allowed it to create a strong and unified city-state that was able to withstand any enemy. hile…...

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Works CitedChristesen, P., \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"Athletics and Social Order in Sparta in the Classical Period,\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Classical Antiquity 31, (2012): pp. 193-255.Fantham, H, Foley, H.P. et al., Women in the Classical World, Oxford, 1994.Plato. Apology. Retrieved from   On Sparta. Penguin Classics, 1988. http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/apology.html Plutarch.

great warrior civilizations of antiquity the name "Spartan" invariably arises. Stephen Pressfield in the impressive novel "Gates of Fire" stirringly resurrects these ancient warriors and their society.
Describe the General Storyline of this book.

As the book begins, a captured Spartan squire named Xeones (the sole survivor of the last stand at Thermopylae) is recounting the compelling story of the 300 Spartans who fought to their death at Thermopylae to the Persian King. Xeones's narrative does not restrict itself to just an accounting of the battle but also reflects the trials experienced in his own life, the day-to-day life of Spartan society, and the humanity, compassion, and grief of his fallen brothers in arms.

How does Pressfield present the Spartans and their Society? hat attributes

Characteristics) does he claim that the Spartans exhibited. How did the other Greeks perceive the Spartans?

Pressfield, obvious from the outset of the accounting, justly feels that the Spartans…...

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Works Cited

Pressfield, Steven. Gates of Fire. New York: Double Day, 1998

How do we know about this war?
Thucydides may be counted among the foremost historians of the West to utilize a rigorous chronological standard. He recorded events based on their year of occurrence, and every year was divided into two seasons: a campaign-filled summer and a relatively inactive winter. The historian documented the Peloponnesian War in great detail.

In spite of hailing from Athens and having taken part in the war, Thucydides is commonly believed to have provided an overall neutral narrative of it with regard to the parties involved.

The foremost volume in Thucydides 'History of the Peloponnesian War covers a summary of Greece's early history, a programmatic historiographical note, and an explanation for why the War was waged. With the exception of some brief excursuses (particularly 6.54-58 on Tyrant Slayers), its remaining volumes (2-8) concentrate strictly on the War and nothing else.

Though Thucydides' book focuses on the war's military facets, the…...

In the end, the Spartan/Greek army's superior armor and weapons and clever use of topography to counterbalance the Persian's greater numbers helps to explain their victories on a military level. Unfortunately, Leonidas and his fellow Spartans were massacred after a local Greek revealed to Xerxes a secret route around the narrow pass, allowing the Persians to attack the Spartans from the front and the rear at the same time. At the conclusion of the battle, Leonidas and his 300 brave Spartans were all dead, along with most of the other Greek fighters. Amazingly, Leonidas and his men had managed to kill more than 20,000 Persians which demonstrated the superior fighting skills of the hoplites and their devotion to the ideal of political freedom more than one hundred years before the city of Athens reached its zenith as the foundation of Greek democratic ideals and individualism.

ibliography

Greco-Persian Wars: attle of Thermopylae." HistoryNet.com.…...

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Bibliography

Greco-Persian Wars: Battle of Thermopylae." HistoryNet.com. Internet. June 12, 2006. Retrieved at  http://www.historynet.com/greco-persian-wars-battle-of-thermopylae.htm .

Lendering, Jona. "Phalanx and Hoplites." Livius. Internet. 2005. Retrieved at  http://www.livius.org/pha-phd/phalanx/phalanx.html .

Martin, Thomas R. Ancient Greece: From Prehistoric to Hellenistic Times. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2004.

The Greco-Persian Wars were still in their early stages at this point, but it would be Xerxes, not Darius, that continued and stepped up efforts to invade and conquer the Attic Greeks.
If the Battle of Marathon had turned the other way, as many at the time expected it to and as many historians and tacticians believe it easily could and by all rights should have, the entire course of Western and even world history would have been drastically altered. Europe was built on the ideas and culture of the Greeks, particularly the Athenians. The eventual conquering of the Greek and the establishment of the oman Empire led to the spread of Greek philosophy, art, and science throughout the then known world; if the Persians had been successful in their attempt to conquer the Greeks, this culture would most likely not have existed by the time the omans came around.…...

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References

"Background on the battle of Marathon." (2004). Accessed 3 August 2009. http://www.guilford.k12.ct.us/~rebhunj/documents/DAY6MARATHON.pdf

Foster, J. (2009). "Battle of Marathon: Greeks vs. The Persians." Accessed 3 August 2009.  http://www.historynet.com/battle-of-marathon-greeks-versus-the-persians.htm 

Gill, N.S. (2009). "Persian wars: The battle of Marathon." Accessed 3 August 2009.  http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/persianwararticles/a/MarathonBattle.htm 

Herodotus. "The Persian Wars." Histories. Accessed 3 August 2009.  http://www.thenagain.info/Classes/Sources/Herodotus-Marathon.html

Leadership - Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield
Gates of Fire written by Steven Pressfield is a famous historical novel published in 1998. It tells the story of 480 B.C when Persian King decided to attack Greece. Persia was the biggest power of the world in those times and it used all its supremacy to focus on this singe goal.

Persian King brought with him a huge army of around two million soldiers with a simple message of "surrender or death" for the Greeks. On the other side, Greece put forward their 300 finest Spartan warriors under the commandment of King Leonydas and ordered them to take immediate action.

Spartans knew very well that they will be killed in this battle with Persian invaders but they did not quit and moved forward towards their mission. They bravely resisted against the Persian forces for six days and created an unbalanced fight for them.…...

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References

Bass, B and Riggio, R. (2008). Transformational Leadership. Second edition. Lawrence Erlbaum

Associates.

Cohen, W. (2010). Heroic Leadership. Leading with Integrity and Honor. Chapter 7: Put Duty Before

Self. Published by Jossey Bass.

Personal Statement
It is often said, when discussing the importance of volunteering, that if an individual can only save one person, than he or she has lived a worthwhile life. In my case, I have volunteered for the past two years at UMASS Memorial hospital, a commitment that was preceded by my work at Santa Teresa Hospital, also as a volunteer. Of course, as a high school student, I cannot brag that I have saved many lives, or found the cure for any number of infectious diseases. Someday, I can say, I hope to do such things, but as yet I can only dream. If I have 'saved' even one individual through my current medical efforts, this 'salvation' has only come through my combined efforts with the doctors and nurses whose efforts I serve. But truthfully, I know that my volunteering has saved at least one person -- it has saved…...

1. The impact of the Spartan militaristic society on modern Greek military culture
2. The influence of Spartan political systems on contemporary Greek government structures
3. The legacy of Spartan values such as discipline and austerity in modern Greek society
4. The lasting effects of the Spartan education system on education in Greece today
5. The role of Spartan mythology and cultural practices in shaping modern Greek identity
6. The legacy of the Peloponnesian War and the rivalry between Sparta and Athens on Greek nationalism
7. The impact of the decline of Sparta on Greece's political and social landscape
8. The legacy of Spartan women and their....

Sparta's Enduring Legacy: Impacts on Modern Greece

Introduction:
Sparta, renowned for its formidable military prowess and austere society, has left an enduring legacy that continues to shape modern Greece. This essay will explore the multifaceted impacts of Sparta's heritage on various aspects of Greek society, culture, and thought.

Political and Military Legacy:
Sparta's warrior culture and renowned Spartan hoplites (heavily armed infantrymen) heavily influenced Greek military strategy and tactics. The Spartan oligarchy, based on a dual monarchy and a council of elders, served as a model for some later Greek city-states. Modern Greece's military values and emphasis on discipline can be traced back to....