The agoge was the ancient Spartan education program, which trained male youths in the art of war. The word means "raising" in the sense of raising livestock from youth toward a specific purpose. The program was first instituted by the lawgiver Lycurgus (l. 9th century BCE) and was integral to Sparta’s military strength and political power.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/article/342/agoge-the-spartan-education-program/.