Spartan men aged between 20 and 60 would then be called up, starting with the most experienced. Each year the ephors, or magistrates, chose the 300 best hoplites in Sparta to become the hippeis ...

A hoplite had to pay for his armour himself, unless his father was killed in battle. Then he was given his father's equipment ... that won many famous battles. Spartan soldiers wore red cloaks ...