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Essay / Sparta Cultural Essay - 1604
In Sparta you learned to be a warrior. The most important things a person learned were self-control, courage, endurance, and obedience. This is what the Spartans believed would make the best warriors. When Spartan boys were seven years old, they were removed from their parents' house and taken to a dormitory. This is called the Agoge. This is where they were to live until the age of 30; However, they usually stayed until they were around 60 years old. A Spartan boy was state property and a warrior. Some kids would be lucky to make it this far in their spartan careers. Infants should be tested to see if they were strong enough. This test consisted of remaining alone on the top of a mountain for 24 hours. If they survived, they were considered strong enough to be Spartans. If the child was considered unfit to become a Spartan at birth, the elders threw him from the top of a mountain into a chasm. The most important thing a Spartan learned in school was that his loyalty to the state came first, including his family. It was said that the soldiers returned either with their shield or on it. The idea of dying in combat, while protecting your country, was not scary. This concept was something men were taught from a young age. The reason Sparta placed so much emphasis on military ideals in education was that it was preparing for