Sparta was a city in the ancient Greek state of Lakedaimon, the only state in Greece to have a full-time army. The institutions of the state and the system of education were organised with a view to creating superbly trained soldiers. Isocrates compared the Lakedaimonian political community to a military camp and Aristotyle criticised the Lakedaimonian constitution because it was organised entirely to promote military virtue. Nick Sekunda examines this ancient military machine, describing the organisational system of the Spartan army, the battles they fought and the society that produced them.

Illustrated by: Richard Hook