Was the Spartan agoge real?

The agoge was the ancient Spartan education program, which trained male youths in the art of war. The word means “raising” in the sense of raising livestock from youth toward a specific purpose. Spartan girls were not allowed to join but were educated at home by their mothers or trainers.

How brutal was Spartan training?

5. Spartan youths were ritualistically beaten and flogged. One of Sparta’s most brutal practices involved a so-called “contest of endurance” in which adolescents were flogged—sometimes to the death—in front of an altar at the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia.

How long did Spartan train in the agoge?

11 years
Agoge is all about personal transformation and is loaded with heart-pounding action, exotic culture, and high adventure. While Ancient Spartans took 11 years to complete their Agoge, we do ours in a matter of days.

How long did the agoge last?

It tests not only mental and physical strength but also courage, integrity, teamwork, and morals. For up to 60 hours, participants persevere together in a common struggle, plunge into deeper self-understanding and forge new bonds of friendship that last a lifetime.

What does the word Agoge mean?

: rate of speed : tempo.

Did Leonidas do the Agoge?

Leonidas was the second son of King Anaxandridas and his first wife. As Leonidas was not expected to inherit the throne he was one of the few Spartan kings to receive agoge training, which included combat, tolerance of pain, stealth, communications and loyalty to Sparta.

What did the Spartans learn in the agoge?

The agoge taught Spartan boys the values of conformity and unity, courage, patriotism, martial prowess, guile, and brutality. Once Spartan boys completed their training in the agoge, they had to serve the state in all military campaigns but were also free to marry, start families, and own land.

How did the Spartans deal with their children?

The strict parental approach of the Spartans was renowned far and wide, and Spartan women were often asked to become caretakers or nannies of children of the elite outside Sparta. The agoge system began at age 7, when Spartan boys had to leave their parents’ homes and enroll into the regime, thus coming directly under the control of the State.

What was the secret behind the Spartans’ martial success?

The secret behind the Spartans’ martial success was their unique form of education known as the agoge . The agoge was the extreme form of education that all Spartan boys embarked on at the age of seven and continued until they reached thirty or died.

Why were Spartan soldiers so dominant?

Most, if not all, of the reasons for Spartan dominance on the battlefield can be attributed to their incredibly strenuous and brutal training regiment, the agoge. Even before beginning the agoge, newborn Spartan boys underwent a highly in-depth physical scrutiny to make sure the newborn was without flaws.