Today in class we learned about how war-like the Greeks were, even against other city-states.  Spartans were known for their tough, ruthless infantry: people who fought on the ground.  Spartan boys were often taken away for training at the age of seven.  Athens had a great infantry, too, but nothing compared to their navy.  Their most effective weapon was the trireme.  It was a technological marvel, fastest ship in the world at the time,  rowed by up to 170 men, on all three levels.  The ship could be used as a battering ram, and it was agile and fast.  The phalanx was a war strategy that involved a close-rank defense grouping of warriors armeed with long spears and interlocking shields.  Soldiers would advance slowly toward the enemy, until they broke through their ranks.  The Athenians used this strategy first.