Editing Hoplite (section)

===Sparta===
{{further|Spartan army}}

[[File:Achaemenid king killing a Greek hoplite.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Achaemenid]] king killing a Greek hoplite. Circa 500 BC–475 BC, at the time of [[Xerxes I]] ([[Metropolitan Museum of Art]])]]

[[Sparta]] is one of the most famous city-states, along with Athens, which had a unique position in ancient Greece. Contrary to other city states, the free citizens of Sparta served as hoplites their entire lives, training and exercising in peacetime, which gave Sparta a professional standing army. Often small, numbering around 6000 at its peak to no more than 1000 soldiers at lowest point,<ref>Lane Fox, Robin. The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian. Basic Books. {{ISBN|0-465-02496-3}}.</ref> divided into six [[Mora (military unit)|mora]] or [[battalion]].  The Spartan army was feared for its discipline and ferocity, and was considered the best at the ''[[Hoplite|othismos]]''. Military service was the primary duty of Spartan men, and Spartan society was organized around its army.

Military service for hoplites lasted until the age of 40, and sometimes until 60 years of age, depending on a man's physical ability to perform on the battlefield.