Imagine you are in the dusty, smelly training camps of ancient Sparta. There are children everywhere, being hit and yelled at. Are they crying? No. These nine-year-olds have been toughened, hardened and trained from the age of seven. They were taught to never show fear, anxiety or pain. “Do not give me those, but leave me those who kill in battle” (Spartan Anonymous). Many do not know how true this quote was in ancient times. Sparta. The Spartans dedicated their lives to becoming the greatest warriors on earth. They were shaped from childhood to become masters of weaponry, stealth, and fear. They endured long, painful days of training, with very little food. water and clothes. “Here is courage, the greatest good of humanity, here is the noblest prize that a young man can strive to win” (Tyrtaeus). But the path to courage was much harder and darker. life, with marches, weapons and barracks for the boys to sleep in. What made them feared, hated and, above all, respected by the world? How did they become the fearsome killing machines of ancient Greece? starved and tortured, but they were also strengthened and prepared for war. This is why the training of Spartan children made the Spartans successful in the classical era of ancient Greece. They used harsh but effective training methods, well-trained and educated warriors and trainers, taught successfully developed weapons and tactics, and used the training they received as children in their daily lives. The Spartans used harsh but effective training methods. Young Spartan boys trained to become warriors. From...... middle of paper ......opedia." Sparta. Creative Commons, May 28, 2013. Web. March 27, 2014. http://www.ancient.eu.com/sparta/ . Levi, Peter. "Spartan Education - CSU Pomona - Cal Poly Pomona." .html. Lozides, Antonios "Encyclopedia of Ancient History." /www.ancient.eu.com/. “Sparta.” N Army Training-. OTTI Travel, Inc., April 1, 2014. Web April 16, 2014. “Plutarch Education on Sparta. Reprint. Penguin Print" Spartan Quotes. . Np, nd Web. April 24, 2014. .Waryncia, Lou and Kenneth M. Sheldon. If I Were a Child in Ancient Greece Peterborough, NH: Cricket, 2006..