running, jumping, throwing of spears and discus were all skills the boys had to master. They were also taught to endure pain and hardship, hunger, thirst, cold, fatigue and lack of sleep. The military training they received during agoge shaped all the boys into extremely knowledgeable and skilled warriors, called hoplites, who were unmatched by the combatants of Athens or Persia. Each hoplite in the army was virtually as knowledgeable in warfare as any officer, allowing him to understand everything that transpired on the battlefield. The purpose of agoge was to create individuals like this who, theoretically, were perfect soldiers for any army. The men in the army were incredible fighters who could make decisions on their own. The problem with this system was that, in key moments during battles, debateable orders from a commanding officer were ignored, causing a breakdown in the structure, and therein the defence, of the entire army. An example of this was in the Battle of Leuktra in 371 B.C, where the Spartan army met the Boeotian Alliance for the second time. The Spartans had the obvious advantage in the battle, having superior numbers, skills and equipment, yet the Spartans lost because of their pride and education. The Spartan general called for an organized temporary retreat, which could have been a decisive factor allowing victory, but some Spartan soldiers refused. Their training had seared it into their consciousness that to retreat was dishonourable; therefore the Spartan army was split in two. The Boeotians took this opportunity to easily overcome the split army. This defeat was the last factor contributing to the downfa
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