16. In Sparta, to become one of the city state’s elite men, youths would have to kill slaves silently and ruthlessly
The very best young men in Spartan society would undertake a special rite of passage, one designed to transform them into cold-blooded killers. If a student at the Agoge really shone, he would be selected to attend the Krypteia. This state-run institution was aimed at creating a secret military elite. The graduates of this school were deployed not just as special forces warriors against Sparta’s many external enemies. They were also used as a kind of secret police. Above all, it was their job to keep the helot slave population in check – by any means necessary.
To graduate from the Krypteia, young men would be ordered to go out and kill as many Helots as possible. More specifically, they were ordered to target the strongest male slaves and those who looked the most likely to rebel. Moreover, they were assessed on the ruthlessness of their kills, with extra bonus points for covert actions. Young male students might kill a Helot in his sleep or when he was relaxing with his family. If a student was caught, they could expect severe punishment. However, if they went on a successful killing spree, they would emerge from the Krypteia as adult male citizens and members of the Spartan elite, destined to hold high political office one day.