The Ancient Greeks were not a united people. They lived in numerous separate city-states,which were often bitter rivals. Warfare between the cities was very common. The greatest hatred was amongst the most powerful two city-states, Athens and Sparta. In the last year of the fifth century BC, the Athenians and Spartans fought each other, on and off, for 27 years. The Spartans, who had the best trained soldiers were the strongest on land. The Athenians had a powerful war fleat, which they used to control the seas. It was not until the Spartans built a fleet that they were finally able to beat the Athenians.

Greeks wanted their armor not only to offer protection but to be beautiful as well. There is a vase painting showing a youth man engraving patterns on a bronze Corinthian helmet. There was many different helmet styles. The young man would completed with a tall crest, made from horsehair and dyed in different colors and patterns, to make himself look tall and imposing.

Unlike other Greeks Spartam man were full time soldiers. They lived in barracks and spend all their time training for war. Spartan warriors grew their hair long, and carefully arranged it into locks. They said that long hair made a handsome man better looking and an ugly man more frightening.

The Greek city states would unite when faced with a threat of a foreign enemy. Early in the fifth century BC, the mighty Persian Empire made three attempts to conquer Greece. Fighting as allies, the Athenians and Spartans defeated the Persian invaders. Once the Persian threat was taking care of, the Greeks went to fighting each other again.

Greeks believed that warriors who died in battle gained great glory.Those who met death defending their homeland were honored with public funerals and praised for their bravery.

The most succesful types of greeks foot soldiers were the hoplites. They were named after the hoplon, the large heavy shield they carried. Hoplites charged toward the enemy in tight ranks, holding their shields closely together for protection. The hoplite's shield was the most important piece of their armor. The shield defended his neighbor as well as himself.

To defeat Athens, the Spartans had to built a war fleet and learn to fight sea battles. At the battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, the Spartans made a surprise attack on the Athenians, capturing their whole fleet. Facing starvation, Athens was forced to surrender.

In 406 BC, warships from Athens ans Sparta gathered for their greatest naval battle yet, at Arginusae in the Mediterranian. These ships were triremes with three tiers of oars, the fastest, deadliest ship of ancient world. Soldiers stood on deck;rowers strained on their oars below. The battle lastd all day, ships ramming each other with massive bronze-plated prows. By the end, 73 Spartan and 25 Athenian ships were smashed or sunk. The sea was full of wreckage and 20,000 dead or dying men. The Athenians won the Battle of Arginusae, but they would later lose the 27 year war.

1. Trierarch:the captain, a wealthy Athenian who paid the ships cost.
2. Crew:10 sailors, a helmsamn to steer the ship, and 5 officers, the state paid the crew's wages.
3. Marines:10 hoplites trained to defend the ship and fight the enemy.
4. Oarsmen:170, rowing in time to a piper's music and at a top speed of 10 nots(10 mph/16km/h)
5. Eye:painted on the prow for luck, and still seen on Greek fishing boats.
6. Mast:a square linen sail was used on long journeys, but not in battle.
7. Archers:4 mercenaries(hired soldiers) from Scythia, north of the Black Sea.
8. Spartan Marines:armed with javelins, ready to attack the Athenian ship.
9. Ram:wooden prow coated in bronze, for smashing into the enemy's ship.
10. Man overhead:thousands were left to die. 5 Athenian generals were executed for leaving them behind.

The ancient Greeks left us many epic tales about fighting. One of the best known is the story of Troy, a city captured by the Greeks with a clever trick. They built a wooden horse, which they left outside the city. The Trojans then beleived that the horse was a sign of peace offering from a surrendering enemy. They dragged it inside the city and began to celebrate. The trick about this horse was that hidden inside the horse was a group of Greek warriors. That night while the Trojans slept drunkenly, the warriors crept out of the horse. They killed the guards and threw open the city gates to let in the Greek army. Soon the great city was in flames, and the 10 year was over.

• Pine:the wooden horse was built from plentiful pine.
• Epeius:skilled crafstman and chief builder of the horse
• Wheels:for moving the huge horse when it was finished.
• Guards:to ensure no Trojans saw what was inside the horse.
• Garland of Flowers:to show that the horse was an offering.
• Odysseus:cleverest of the Greeks-the horse was his idea.
• City Gates:finally opened to let in the Greek army.
• Walls of Troy:the city was surrounded by high ramparts that had kept out the Greeks for 10 years.
• Wine vessels:from the Trojan's celebration.
• Trojan Soldiers:drunk, asleep, and easily overpowered.