Military in Ancient Sparta w. Dr Stephen Hodkinson

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 PodcastsSpotify, and Amazon Music.

Show Notes

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