Sayings of the Spartans
The militaristic Spartan culture touched every aspect of the lives of its people – even the use of language and speaking style. A “laconic” person is a man of few words; a characteristic of the Spartans well known to all the Greek people. The word is derived from Laconia, the district where Sparta can be found.
Those of you who saw “300” heard a few Spartan sayings including, “Spartans lay down your arms. Come and get them” and "If the Persian arrows block the sun, then we will fight in the shade.” These are actual historical quotes. Now for some you may not have heard.
A Spartan was asked, “How far do Sparta’s boundaries reach?” The Spartan answered, holding out his spear “As far as this can reach.”
Someone asked why Sparta had no walls or fortifications and the Spartan said pointing to a group of soldiers, “These are our walls.”