The Myth of Tyrtæus
Once upon a time, the Spartans were at war. Their enemies had overpowered them in a series of battles. The Spartan kings were worried so they sent messengers to the oracle to see what it had to say. When the message came back it was that they would have to get a leader from Athens to win against their enemies: the Messenians.
The kings sent a message to the Athenians to give them a leader and they were given a poor, lame, musician called Tyrtæus. The Spartan kings were furious and wanted to send him back, but Tyrtæus sang such great songs that they decided to keep him. Because of the songs, the soldiers gained supernatural powers and won the battle for Sparta.
