Spartan Military essays

Spartan Military essays I chose to do my final project on the military tactics, techniques, requirements, and lifestyle of the ancient Greek city-state of Sparta. When we discussed this topic in class, I was very interested in how much emphasis the Spartans put on the military. I wanted to learn more about this subject and also answer some of my own questions I had that we may not have covered in class. The word Sparta actually has two separate meanings, which contradict each other. The first meaning of the word is bravery, and the second is barren. I interpret the second meaning in the way that, the Spartan lifestyle was barren in that they focused solely on their military and not on all the other pleasures of life. The city-state of Sparta was located on the Peloponnesus, a peninsula just southwest of its rival state, Athens. Spartans looked at themselves as military powerhouses and all their discipline, from birth to adulthood, was directed toward war. Any child that was born with a deformity, mental illness, or that was physically handicapped was killed. Children first began military training at the age of seven. These boys were organized into small groups and those who were the most courageous were made captains. The boys slept in dormitories on hard beds, and ate black broth and porridge. They wore the simplest clothing and spent very little time learning music or literature. Each day they were drilled in gymnastics and military exercises. These boys were taught that retreat or surrender in battle was disgraceful and dishonorable. They learned to endure pain and hardship without complaint and to obey all orders without question. The boys were allowed to steal food to satisfy th eir hunger, but if they were caught they would be whipped. This was not done to promote dishonesty, but rather to develop slyness among the boys. It is said that a Spartan boy, who had stolen a fox for his dinner, would rather allow the fox to knaw on his f...

Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground

Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground Grounded and Ten Other Idioms with Ground By Maeve Maddox When I was still young enough to be under parental supervision, if I did something ill-considered, I was not â€Å"grounded†; I â€Å"lost privileges.† The use of grounded to mean â€Å"confined to home outside school hours† had not yet penetrated to our neck of the woods. I was familiar with grounded in connection with electricity and flying: grounded adjective: electrically connected with the ground, either directly or through another conductor. grounded adjective: of an airplane or pilot, unable, or not allowed to fly. For example, a pilot might be grounded because of illness. A plane might be grounded by reason of bad weather. In the 1940s, the word grounded acquired the general sense of suspended or disqualified. For example, a truck driver whose license had been revoked was said to be â€Å"grounded,† as was a jockey who had been suspended from riding. It was not a leap to apply the use of grounded to a teenager whose driving privileges had been revoked. Nowadays, even young children are said to be grounded when they have privileges denied as the result of misbehavior unconnected with using a vehicle. The noun ground is from a Germanic source meaning earth. Literally and figuratively, ground represents the basis or bottom of something. A ship in shallow water may strike ground. The plural, grounds, denotes the premise or reason on which something rests. For example, â€Å"grounds for divorce, â€Å"objections on religious grounds.† Ground occurs in numerous idioms. Here are just ten. ground rules: the basic rules or principles. For example, â€Å"Establishing the classroom  ground rules  on the first day can provide year-long benefits for your challenging students.†Ã‚   groundswell: a long, deep rolling of the sea caused by a disturbance, possibly originating at the bottom. Figuratively, a ground swell is strong public opinion that seems to be rising from somewhere and becoming stronger. For example, â€Å"Whether New York businessman Donald Trump is serious about running for president or just serious about getting publicity, his groundswell of support in recent weeks is hard to ignore.† ground zero: This expression stems from nuclear testing. â€Å"Ground zero† was the point on the earth’s surface either at or immediately above or below the center of a nuclear explosion. Now it can mean the center of any cataclysmic blast, such as the site of the World Trade Center that was destroyed in 2001. The expression is also used figuratively, as in this reference: â€Å"The Interview - the Hollywood movie that became ground zero in the extortionate cyber attack that U.S. authorities are now blaming on North Korea.†Ã‚   To break new ground: to do something that has never been done before, like a settler digging a foundation for a home in the wilderness. â€Å"Anomalisa filmmakers break new ground with stop-motion drama.† To cut the ground from under someone’s feet: in a debate, to disprove all possible arguments before they can be made by one’s adversary; to leave someone at a loss as to what to do. â€Å"Depression  cuts the ground from under  ones  feet!†Ã‚   To get in on the ground floor: to be involved at the beginning of an enterprise, especially in anticipation of profiting greatly. â€Å"If you are hoping to get in on the ground floor of Maryland’s medical cannabis program, you should not underestimate the importance of this very short comment period.†Ã‚   To put one’s ear to the ground: be on the alert for possible developments on a topic of interest. â€Å"It is not a secret among those who  keep their ears to the ground  in matters political in Michigan that Commissioner Mershon, of the state tax commission,  intends to resign as soon as the new administration takes office.† To go to ground: to make oneself inaccessible for a time, like an animal holing up in its lair. For example, â€Å"Similarly, a proportion of  fugitives  had  gone to ground  because they knew some of their Francoist neighbours were working in tandem with the authorities.†Ã‚   To get off the ground: to begin a project; begin to show success. This newspaper headline plays on both the literal and figurative meanings of â€Å"to get off the ground†: â€Å"In Chicago, rooftop farming is getting off the ground.† To hold one’s ground: to maintain one’s position in the face of opposition or attack. â€Å"A workplace bully may try to verbally pound you into submission. If he insists on getting his way, hold your ground.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with HeartDoes "Mr" Take a Period?Uses of the Past Participle