Like all children in Sparta, Leonidas was trained to be a Hoplite Warrior. A Hoplite Warrior had an iron short sword, spear and a round shield. The Hoplite Warriors used a formation called the Phalanx. The Phalanx was a formation that they used in war. This formation was very dependable. The Hoplite Warriors would stand quite close to each other and they overlapped their shields. When they were in war they were protected by the front but not from the sides or back. Like every king would in Sparta, Leonidas became the leader of the Army.
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