The Bronze Lie: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy

The last stand at Thermopylae made the Spartans legends in their own time, famous for their toughness, stoicism and martial prowess – but was this reputation earned?

The Spartan hoplite enjoys unquestioned currency as history's greatest fighting man. Spartans were known for their refusal to surrender in the face of impossible odds, even when it meant certain death. But was this simply the ...