The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy

Summary

The Spartan hoplite enjoys unquestioned currency as history’s greatest fighting man. The last stand at Thermopylae made the Spartans legends in their own time, famous for their toughness, stoicism and martial prowess, and for their refusal to surrender in the face of impossible odds, even when it meant certain death. Was this reputation earned? Or was it simply the success of a propaganda machine that had begun working long before the battle at the Hot Gates.

Covering Sparta’s full classical history from the foundation of the city-state through to its final overthrow by Rome in the 1st century BC, The Bronze Lie examines the myth of Spartan warrior supremacy and paints a very different picture of Spartan warfare—one punctuated by frequent and heavy losses. It looks at the major battles, with a special focus on previously under-publicized Spartan reverses that have been left largely unexamined. It reveals why Spartan society became dedicated to militarism, and examines the men who lived under its brutal rule.

The result is a refreshingly honest and accurate account of Spartan warfare that challenges long-held myths about this ancient Greek society and culture, myths that still inspire warrior creeds today.