The idea that Sparta was highly specialized elite infantry certainly rings true to me. If that holds up (and from my admittedly limited knowledge, it does), that feels like the real core of the Spartan story I’ve been fascinated by since 7th grade history. It’s a big part of what later drew me toward special operations, not because that’s what the whole military is, but because of the difficulty and discipline involved.
That said, I appreciate this reframing, and I’d love to see more direct sources on the agōgē argument, as well as learn more about the author’s background and training. Thanks for the post!
The Spartans were highly specialized in elite infantry combat, at which they excelled. For most of the classical period, they largely relied on their allies for navy, archers, cavalry, and siegecraft. So they were by no means a well rounded military in their own right and, in that regard, relatively limited in terms of their capability.
The agōgē reinterpretation is brillant - Ducat's point about it being 'sensational but not necessarily most important' hits hard. It's like how everyone fixates on Navy SEAL training but ignores that most servicemembers spend careers doing logistics and adminstration. I grew up near West Point and always found it weird how the pop culture version of military life (all combat, no paperwork) dominated despite everyone knowing actual soldiers who did supply chain managment. The kleros system detail is fascinating too, basically means Spartiates were part-time soldiers managing rental properties the rest of the time.
A modern example, perhaps is ice hockey. Is it the stiff body checks into the boards and the fighting on the ice that the audience wants to see, or is it the crisp passing and skilled shot into the net that carries the game? Olympic hockey has changed. I leave the question unanswered.
Likewise, history shows, ironically, that a perpetual state of war produces becoming more like the “enemy”. Athens became more like Sparta and Sparta became more like Athens, in a convoluted way. I have a hard time finding sympathy with a police state, wherever it is found.
If you scratch deep enough, history doesn’t collapse into lies - it collapses into narratives.
The difference between history and mythology is often not truth, but institutional survival.
What we inherit isn’t the past itself, but the stories that were allowed to remain.
The idea that Sparta was highly specialized elite infantry certainly rings true to me. If that holds up (and from my admittedly limited knowledge, it does), that feels like the real core of the Spartan story I’ve been fascinated by since 7th grade history. It’s a big part of what later drew me toward special operations, not because that’s what the whole military is, but because of the difficulty and discipline involved.
That said, I appreciate this reframing, and I’d love to see more direct sources on the agōgē argument, as well as learn more about the author’s background and training. Thanks for the post!
The Spartans were highly specialized in elite infantry combat, at which they excelled. For most of the classical period, they largely relied on their allies for navy, archers, cavalry, and siegecraft. So they were by no means a well rounded military in their own right and, in that regard, relatively limited in terms of their capability.
All well and good. But I feel like a son of classical times and the song
O mio babbino caro rings true, well,
because wisdom is greater than one person.
The agōgē reinterpretation is brillant - Ducat's point about it being 'sensational but not necessarily most important' hits hard. It's like how everyone fixates on Navy SEAL training but ignores that most servicemembers spend careers doing logistics and adminstration. I grew up near West Point and always found it weird how the pop culture version of military life (all combat, no paperwork) dominated despite everyone knowing actual soldiers who did supply chain managment. The kleros system detail is fascinating too, basically means Spartiates were part-time soldiers managing rental properties the rest of the time.
A modern example, perhaps is ice hockey. Is it the stiff body checks into the boards and the fighting on the ice that the audience wants to see, or is it the crisp passing and skilled shot into the net that carries the game? Olympic hockey has changed. I leave the question unanswered.
Likewise, history shows, ironically, that a perpetual state of war produces becoming more like the “enemy”. Athens became more like Sparta and Sparta became more like Athens, in a convoluted way. I have a hard time finding sympathy with a police state, wherever it is found.