70 MOST ICONIC SPARTAN QUOTES OF ALL-TIME

The Spartans arose from the city-state of Sparta of ancient Greece around 900 BC. They were a warrior society that paid homage to the values of honor, duty, discipline, and endurance. Values that have helped them solidify a legacy of being the fiercest warriors history has ever known.

To help you gain a better insight into the mindset responsible for creating the Spartan’s iconic reputation, we decided to publish these epic spartan quotes.

“The Spartans Didn’t Just Conquer Their Enemies, They Conquered Themselves First.”

– ryan holiday –

We hope these quotes give you a better understanding of the values and ethos that led to the Spartan’s enduring legacy. But most importantly, we hope these Spartan Quotes guide, motivate, and equip you to effectively take on life’s battles with the spirit of a Spartan.

BEST SPARTAN QUOTES

1. “Son, remember your courage with each step.” – Spartan Mother

2. “Come and take the them.” – Leonidas, Spartan King

3. “The daughters of Sparta are never at home! They mingle with the young men in wrestling matches.” – Euripides

4. “Feel no fear before the multitude of men, do not run in panic, but let each man bear his shield straight toward the fore-fighters, regarding his own life as hateful and holding the dark spirits of death as dear as the radiance of the sun.” – Spartan Proverb

5. “He who sweats more in training bleeds less in war.” – Spartan Creed

6. “A city is well-fortified which has a wall of men instead of brick” – Lycurgus of Sparta

7. “Rise up, warriors, take your stand at one another’s sides, our feet set wide and rooted like oaks in the ground. ‘‘…learn to love death’s ink-black shadow as much as you love the light of dawn. ‘Here is courage, mankind’s finest possession, here is the noblest prize that a young man can endeavor to win.” – Tyrtaeus, Spartan Poet

8. “Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by, that here, obedient to their laws, we lie.” – Simonides, Greek Poet

9. “Either quit your thieving or quit breathing.” – Spartan Mother

10. “The Spartans do not ask how many are the enemy but where are they.” – Plutarch

11. “There is no use for bravery unless justice is present, and no need for bravery if all men are just.” – Agesilaus, Spartan King

12. “Now eat a good breakfast, men. For we’ll all be sharing dinner in hell.” – Leonidas, Spartan King

13. “If you confer a benefit, never remember it; if you receive one, never forget it.” – Chilon of Sparta

14. “The Spartans are the equal of any men when they fight as individuals; fighting together as a collective, they surpass all other men.” – Demaratus, Spartan King

15. “Come back with your shield, or upon it.”  – Spartan Mother

16. “King Phillip II: If I invade Lakonia you will be destroyed, never to rise again. Spartan Reply: IF” – Spartan Quote

17. “There is no use for bravery unless justice is present, and no need for bravery if all men are just.” – Agesilaus

18. “The walls of Sparta were its young men, and its borders the points of their spears.” – Agesilaus, Spartan King

19. “Molon labe” – Spartan Motto

20. “You should reach the limits of virtue before you cross the border of death.” – Aristodemus, Spartan Warrior

Inspiring Spartan Quotes From 300

The following collection of Spartan quotes stems from the famous Spartan inspired movie ‘300’. And while the quotes stem from key lines within a movie, many are historically accurate, considering the movie was meant to capture the spirit of the Spartan ethos along with their most famous battle; the Battle of Thermopylae.

21. “From the time he could stand, he was baptized in the fire of combat. Taught never to retreat, never to surrender, but death on the battlefield in service to Sparta was the greatest glory he could achieve in his life.” – Dilios, 300

22. “I am here for all those voices which cannot be heard: mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, three hundred families that bleed for our rights. We must send the entire Spartan army to aid our king in the preservation of not just ourselves, but of our children. Send the army for the preservation of liberty. Send it for justice. Send it for law and order. Send it for reason. But most importantly, send our army for hope. Hope that a king and his men have not been wasted to the pages of history and that their courage bonds us together, that we are made stronger by their actions, and that your choices today reflect their bravery.” – Queen Gorgo, 300

23. “Spartans! Prepare for glory!” – King Leonidas, 300

24. “It is not a question of what a Spartan citizen should do, nor a husband, nor a king. Instead, ask yourself what should a free man do?” – Queen Gorgo, 300

25. “You have many slaves, but few warriors. It won’t be long before they fear my spears more than your whips.” – King Leonidas, 300

26. “Xerxes: It isn’t wise to stand against me. Imagine what horrible fate awaits my enemies when I would gladly kill any of my own men for victory. King Leonidas: And I would die for any one of mine.” – 300 Quote

27. “King Leonidas: A Spartan’s true strength is the warrior next to him. So give respect and honor to him, and it will be returned to you. First, you fight with your head…. Queen Gorgo: Then you fight with your heart.” – 300 Quote

28. “This is where we hold them! This is where we fight! This is where they die! Remember this day, for it will be yours for all time.” – King Leonidas, 300

29. “Spartans never retreat! Spartans never surrender! Go spread the word. Let every Greek assembled know the truth of this. Let each among them search his own soul. And while you’re at it, search your own.” – King Leonidas, 300

30. “There’s no room for softness… not in Sparta. No place for weakness. Only the hard and strong may call themselves Spartans. Only the hard, only the strong.” –  Dillios, 300

Related: The Warrior Mindset

31. “Persian Warrior: Spartans, lay down your weapons. King Leonidas: Persians, come and get them.” – 300 Quote

32. “The enemy outnumber us a paltry three to one, good odds for any Greek. This day we rescue a world from mysticism and tyranny and usher in a future brighter than anything we can imagine.” – Dilios, 300

33. “Freedom isn’t free at all, that it comes with the highest of costs. The cost of blood.” – Queen Gorgo, 300

Halfway There

Alright, you are more than halfway there. We hope you have found some inspiration from the medley of Spartan Quotes above. To provide you with a bit more motivation, we are publishing the most moving quotes from the popular Spartan movie known as three hundred. Enjoy!

Fun Fact: The word Spartan has come to mean self-restrained, simple, frugal, and austere, all of which are key traits of the self-disciplined.

Related: 100 Badass Quotes on Discipline

34. “Queen Gorgo: Do not be coy or stupid, Persian. You can afford neither in Sparta! Messenger: What makes this woman thinks she can speak among men? Queen Gorgo: Because only Spartan women give birth to real men!” – 300 Quote

35. “Give them nothing, but take from them, everything.” – King Leonidas, 300

36. “This is where we hold them! This is where we fight! This is where they die! Remember this day, for it will be yours for all time.” – King Leonidas, 300

37. “Spartans, Ready Your Breakfast And Eat Hardy, For Tonight We Dine In Hell!” – Leonidas, 300

38. “For he did not wish tribute, nor song, nor monuments nor poems of war and valor. His wish was simple “Remember us. Remember why we died.” – Dilios, 300

39. “The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many. And before this battle is over, that even a god king can bleed.” – King Leonidas, 300

40. “No retreat, no surrender; that is Spartan law. And by Spartan law, we will stand and fight, and die.” – Leonidas, 300

Insightful Quotes About Spartans

This final section of our spartan quotes collection is related to quotes about Spartans from notable people, academics, or stated in a memorable way. They aren’t from Spartans, but rather about them.

We hope they inform and inspire you as much as the previous quotes. Enjoy!

41. “Mental toughness is spartanism with qualities of sacrifice, self-denial, dedication. It is fearlessness, and it is love.” – Vince Lombardi

42. “A Spartan entered the army at eighteen and remained in service till he was sixty; he regarded al other occupations as unfitting for a man.” – Steven Pressfield

43. “The Spartans were the ultimate warriors because they embodied the warrior ethos: discipline, self-control, and honor.” – Jocko Willink

44. “To cry out was considered a sign of cowardice. It was not unheard of for a Spartan boy to die of a beating without uttering a word.” – Steven Pressfield

45. “Sparta was the original utopia.” – Paul Cartledge

46. “‘Spartan’ today remains a descriptor synonymous with simplicity, austerity, and frugality — a comfort with discomfort and a disdain for luxury.” – Brett and Kate McKay

47. “A messenger returned to Sparta from battle. The women clustered around. To one, the messenger said, ‘Mother, I bring sad news: your son was killed facing the enemy.’ The mother said, ‘He is my son.’ ‘Your other son is alive and unhurt,’ said the messenger. ‘He fled from the enemy.’ The mother said, ‘He is not my son.'” – Steven Pressfield

48. “The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” It was true in Spartan times. It was true in Johnson’s time, eighteenth-century England. It’s true today.” – Joe De Sena, Founder of Spartan Race

49. “If you talk to any ordinary Spartan, he seems to be stupid, but eventually, like an expert marksman, he shoots in some brief remark that proves you to be only a child.” – Plato

50. “Philip II, king of Macedon and father of Alexander the Great, had just conquered all of Northern Greece when he turned his armies south to Sparta. In a message to the city elders, the king warned: “You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city.” The Spartans replied with a single word: “If.”” – Brandon Specktor

51. “Every time I trained, it made me feel more like a Spartan, more like a king, more like I was impressing my men and more like they would be willing to follow me.” – Gerard Butler

52. “The Spartans were a race of giants, strong and terrible in battle.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

53. “We may find inspiration in the story of the Spartans, who, when asked what number of troops they would send to fight the Persians, replied with the single word, ‘All.'” – General George S. Patton

54. “If I had been born in ancient Greece, I would have wanted to be a Spartan.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

55. “The Spartans didn’t just conquer their enemies, they conquered themselves first.” – Ryan Holiday

56. “The Spartans saw discipline as a way of life, not just something you did when it was convenient.” – Ryan Holiday

57. “The Spartans trained with a purpose, they had a vision. They had a very clear idea of what they wanted to achieve and they went after it with everything they had. That’s the kind of mentality you need to be successful in anything.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

58. “The Spartans were masters of pain. They knew how to embrace it and push through it. They didn’t just endure pain, they welcomed it. That’s what made them so powerful.” – David Goggins

59. “The Spartans didn’t just train for battle, they trained for life. They lived every moment as if it was their last and were always ready for whatever came their way.” – Jocko Willink

60. “In Sparta, the word ‘I’ did not exist. The only word was ‘we’.” – King Leonidas

61. “The Spartans were masters of military strategy. They knew how to use their terrain to their advantage and were experts at deception and surprise attacks. They were fearless on the battlefield and always kept their enemies guessing.” – General Collin Powell

62. “The Spartans knew that the price of freedom was eternal vigilance, and they were willing to pay that price with their lives. Their unwavering dedication to their cause and their willingness to sacrifice everything for it should serve as an inspiration to us all.” – General Douglas MacArthur

63. “Courage, particularly in the face of death, was the foundation stone of Spartan culture.” – Donald J. Robertson

64. “Sparta had many faults, but it produced men.” – Plutarch

65. “The Spartans taught that excellence is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

66. “For theSpartans, it wasn’t walls or magnificent public buildings that made a city; it was their own ideals. In essence, Sparta was a city of the head and the heart. And it existed in its purest form in the disciplined march of a hoplite phalanx on their way to war!” – Bettany Hughes

67. “Spartans, stoics, heroes, saints and gods use short and positive speech.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

68. “The Spartans were the first to give the world an ideal of the gentleman.”  – John Stuart Mill

69. “The Spartans stood out from their fellow Greeks for their professionalism.” – Andrew J. Bayliss

70. “Sparta was a society dedicated to military excellence.” – Herodotus

71. “The Spartans are the equal of any men when they fight as individuals; fighting together as a collective, they surpass all other men.” – Damaratus

Related: No Guts No Glory Quotes

Bonus Spartan Quote

Bonus: Here’s one last bonus spartan quote that we believe will resonate with all modern-day spartans. Enjoy!

“A New Age Has Begun. An Age Of Freedom. And All Will Know That 300 Spartans Gave Their Last Breath To Defend It!”

Final Thoughts

There you have it, some of the most inspiring Spartan quotes available to help you take the battle to your internal enemies and win against vices like weakness, envy, greed, selfishness, laziness, and deceitfulness.

May they inspire you to be victorious over those enemies we find both in our lives and the ones that exist within our own hearts.

Till you achieve your aims,

STRIVE

PS – If you enjoyed these inspiring Spartan Quotes and Sayings, then chance are you’ll love this ultimate list of Inspirational Warrior Quotes.