One of the most famed classes of soldiers from antiquity, the Spartan warrior has been immortalised in media today. Characterised as super soldiers, formidable fighters who would rather perish than surrender - their reputation truly did proceed them. But how accurate is this image - and does it correlate with what the ancient sources actually tell us?

In the second episode of our Sparta mini-series, Tristan welcomes Dr Roel Konijnendijk from the University of Oxford, to take a deep dive into the life of a Spartan warrior. Looking at their education, training, and familial expectations - how do you separate fact from fiction when it comes to the Spartans? And is it possible to know what their society was truly like?

Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code ANCIENTS sign up now for your 14-day free trial HERE.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.