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The Classical Phalanx Drums beat in the distance, keeping the rhythm of the advance. The hot Greek sun beats down on you under your heavy armor and equipment. The overlapping shields of you and your fellow soldiers keeps you locked into formation, steadily advancing towards your enemy. Several yards out from the enemy line, the order is given to charge. You crash into your opponents shield with a sickening crunch; the pushing match has begun. Fri...

The Political System of Sparta The Spartan political mindset was war. Law forbade all Spartan males from any occupation other than that of being a soldier. Because of this, Sparta had the only full time army in all of Greece. Other Greek city states had an almost all militia army. They conducted war in a narrow season that was constructed around the planting and harvesting of crops as most men were farmers. Because of this, Sparta was able to ha...

Taking place during the Persian-Greek Wars around 480 BC, there is probably no better known battle from the era. Thanks to fanciful re-tellings, especially lately from many sources including books like Steven Pressfield's Gates of Fire and Frank Miller's 300 it seems any student of militaria knows Leonidas and Xerxes very well indeed. As usual, the gruesome reality was not romantic at all. That said, it was just as heroic. Thermopylae was a geog...