Abstract
In ancient times, states were known for their military power. As a result many nation invested a lot in the military in terms of funds and time. The military was considered to be something powerful to an extent that it was incorporated into the cultures of their respective nations. This paper looks at the comparison of two such militaries, that is, the Spartan and the roman militaries. It achieves this by looking at several aspects that depicts how the set-up of the armies were organized. These two cities were considered to be stable during their time and they had different cultures. Because of this, their militaries were also different and were greatly influenced by the culture itself. The way their armies fought was quite different based on strategy as well as the equipment that they used. These differences are what made the armies be distinct from each other but still remain a force to be reckoned with.
Introduction
In the ancient world, Militaries were known to be fierce in battle and used several techniques to achieve this. Among these armies were the roman and the Spartan army. The Roman military is said to be the most powerful as well as the most dominating in history. The strength, organization and size that they had in their force will not be marched for several centuries. On the other hand, the Spartan military was among the powerful militaries. This was because it was the core of the ancient Greek state. The warriors who took part in battle for the state were among the impressive that had ever been seen. This was because of the military fashion in which children in the region were raised in order to join the military later in life. The warriors go through some training from childhood to adulthood and they would be assigned some job as they progress.
Similarities of the militaries
The navy
The main focus of the Spartan military was land, however, they had a small naval base whose activity was very visible in the Persian wars. They would later lay more focus on the navy and even construct a strong navy that was skilled. This navy would later crumble due to pressures from the Athenians and Persians. The roman army too had a navy but this was considered an inferior part of the army which controlled it. However, during the First Punic war, Rome proved that it had the capability of launching a fleet that could check a power that was established such as Carthage.
Differences in militaries
Military culture
The Spartan army had some code of honor that they lived by these codes were considered important as well as valuable if success it to be achieved and if anyone broke those codes, they risked dishonor. This code of conduct covered a lot of topics that included tactics for battles as well as personal behavior. For instance, a hoplite was expected to have few words, move in a quiet manner and never let go of their shield. These codes had to be adhered to because if they were broken, one would be dishonored something that could be the end of their position, see them excluded from the society or even have their citizenship revoked. In short, the Spartan focused more on individual bravery.
Unlike the Spartan army, the roman army was fierce and it had harsh training. All this activities were intended to instill some cohesion in the group that could bind the soldiers together so they could be organized into effective units. They were not like their opponent such as the Gauls, they laid a focus on instilling teamwork and maintain level head in their troops as opposed to individual bravery. This means that they were expected to maintain formations while in battle. The loyalty of the army was to the state. However, their pride was only at the soldier unit which had a military standard.
Military campaign
Sparta had several military campaigns during the period of Sparta city state. The Spartan army did not like traveling far from where they live but battles always demanded this of them. They did not take part in some wars due to the long marches that was needed of them. The biggest weakness that they had was homesickness. The Spartan Hoplites seldom did anything that was revolutionary in the ancient Greece in terms of combat. However, since they had constant training, they focused on perfection and their athletic prowess meant that they carried out everything very well.
On the other hand, Rome’s military was made up of an yearly citizen levy carrying out military service as a part of their role to their state. In this time, the roman army would carry out some season campaign against some of its tribal neighbors as well as Etruscan towns that were within Italy. Later, as the boundary of their territory increased, the size of the forces in the city also expanded thus their army became professional as well as salaried. The Rome forces dominated most of the Mediterranean and it continued further to places such as Asia and Britannia during its height.
Equipment
The roman military did not have its own arms or armor that it came up with originally, it mostly adopted the ones it gathered from their enemies. Initially the roman troops were armed in a manner similar to the Etruscan and the Greek models that involved the use of long spikes and large shields that were oval in shape. After an encounter with the Celts they took up their equipment and they later adopted gladius from the Iberians. Spartans on the other hand used weapons that included their spear, a shield and two swords. Their main weapon was the spear, however, spears could break and that is where the two swords could be needed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we can see that both these armies were fierce and the population that they were protecting took pride in them. Being in the military was something that was honorable and its success depend on the organization of the military, an attribute that made the roman army be successful for several decades.
References
Crystalinks. n.d. Ancient Roman Military. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.crystalinks.com/romemilitary.html.
Legend and Chronicles. n.d. Spartan Military. Accessed May 23, 2016. http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/ancient-sparta/spartan-military/.
