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Spartan Surfers

7th century BC

Tyrtaeus

The war poet of Sparta. His elegies taught young Spartans to plant their feet, stand beside each other and hold the front line.

6 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. Feet planted. Bite your lip. Stand.

    Tyrtaeus, the war poet of Sparta, tells each man to take a wide stance, both feet planted on the ground, biting his lip with his teeth, and hold. Fear is expected; the answer is a set jaw and a set stance. Plant your feet where it counts.

    Fragment 10.31-32 West, our translation from the Greek

  2. Don't fear their numbers. Shield straight at the front line.

    Tyrtaeus tells the young Spartans not to fear the mass of men facing them but to hold the shield straight toward the front ranks. A crowd looks bigger than it fights. Face it squarely.

    Fragment 11.3-4 West, our translation from the Greek

  3. Stand together and fewer fall.

    Those who dare to stay beside one another and advance to close combat, Tyrtaeus says, die in fewer numbers and protect the people behind them. Running scatters the line and gets more people killed. Courage is also the safest strategy.

    Fragment 11.11-13 West, our translation from the Greek

  4. When men run, all courage is lost.

    When men tremble and flee, Tyrtaeus says, all excellence is gone. Panic spreads faster than courage. The moment one person breaks, the rest find it easier to break too, so hold your place.

    Fragment 11.14 West, our translation from the Greek

  5. Foot beside foot. Shield against shield.

    Tyrtaeus pictures the phalanx at the moment of contact: foot set beside foot, shield pressed on shield. The Spartan way was shoulder to shoulder, each man's shield covering his neighbor. Nobody wins those fights alone.

    Fragment 11.31 West, our translation from the Greek

  6. The man who holds the front line is a gift to all his people.

    Tyrtaeus ranks courage above speed, strength, beauty and wealth, and calls the man who stands firm in the front line a common good for the whole city. Your steadiness is not just yours. Everyone behind you leans on it.

    Fragment 12.15-16 West, our translation from the Greek