The reputation of ancient Sparta’s military is revered. Dr Stephen Hodgkinson, Emeritus Professor, Department of Classics & Archaeology, University of Nottingham, joins the show to discuss its past military practices, and to what degree the evidence matches the reputation.
Emeritus Professor Hodkinson is also a member of the Centre for Spartan and Peloponnesian Studies.
Some topics explored
- Sparta as a city-state in ancient Greece
- The demarcation of Sparta in ancient Greece
- The term Laconia
- Spartiates (Spartans that were citizens)
- Perioeci or Perioikoi (free but non-Spartans)
- Helots (people that were enslaved)
- Hoplites (part-time soldiers)
- The composition of their military: Exploring infantry (foot soldiers), cavalry, and navy
- Conscription and age of people in the military
- To what degree women were involved in military efforts
- The weapons, equipment and garments that were used
- Discipline and training of the military
- Various military tactics and strategies including the Hoplite phalanx
- Different battles including the Battle of Thermopylae
- The Athenian philosopher, military leader and historian Xenophon
- To what degree Sparta was marshal-oriented versus other prominent Greek city-states
- How well its military did in wars and battles
Listen to the episode
The episode can be streamed below and is also available on major podcast apps: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Show Notes
- Emeritus Professor Hodkinson is author of many publications including authoring the book Property and Wealth in Classical Studies (Classical Press of Wales) and co-editing the book Sparta and War (Classical Press of Wales)
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