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A famous battle was fought at [[The Battle of Thermopylae|Thermopylae]] where a small band of Spartans and other Greeks held off the [[Iran|Persian]] army led by [[Xerxes]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151011002404/http://www.sikyon.com/sparta/sparta_eg.html ''Sparta''] (October 2015 or bef.) Retrieved from archive of Sikyon.com at Internet Archive.</ref>

A famous battle was fought at [[The Battle of Thermopylae|Thermopylae]] where a small band of Spartans and other Greeks held off the [[Iran|Persian]] army led by [[Xerxes]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151011002404/http://www.sikyon.com/sparta/sparta_eg.html ''Sparta''] (October 2015 or bef.) Retrieved from archive of Sikyon.com at Internet Archive.</ref>

== Role of the Spartan Army ==

== Role of the Spartan army ==

Spartan society was one that was almost entirely geared towards warfare. Sparta’s infatuation with war set it apart from other Greek city-states and indeed any other nation in the ancient world. The military was of utmost importance, and as such, it was inevitable that it would become compulsory to serve in the army, which was no mean feat by any standards. The role of the Spartan army, first and foremost, was to serve the state of Sparta, a role which was not taken lightly by the Spartan soldier elite; this role extended from protecting its borders from neighboring states and countries, to protecting itself from the massive slave population within Sparta. Although the roles of the Spartan military forces may not be any cause for fame, Sparta’s obsession with war made it one of the most influential and feared military forces in the ancient world.

Spartan society was one that was almost entirely geared towards warfare. Sparta’s infatuation with war set it apart from other Greek city-states and indeed any other nation in the ancient world. The military was of utmost importance, and as such, it was inevitable that it would become compulsory to serve in the army, which was no mean feat by any standards. The role of the Spartan army, first and foremost, was to serve the state of Sparta, a role which was not taken lightly by the Spartan soldier elite; this role extended from protecting its borders from neighboring states and countries, to protecting itself from the massive slave population within Sparta. Although the roles of the Spartan military forces may not be any cause for fame, Sparta’s obsession with war made it one of the most influential and feared military forces in the ancient world.