Agoge Program

The Agoge Training and Education Program (ATEP) is the rigorous training and education program ran by the Hellenic government to train young Hellenes to join the Hellenic Army as Spartiates. All male Hellenes between the ages of 9-10 of good health and physical fitness may apply to join the program. The training involves cultivating loyalty to Hellas, military training (e.g., pain tolerance), hunting, dancing, singing, and social (communicating) preparation.

The aim of the system is to produce strong and capable soldiers to serve in the Hellenic Army. It encourages conformity and the importance of the Hellenic state over one's personal interest and generates the future elites of Hellas The men who graduate popularly become known as the "walls of Hellas" in reference to the fact that Sparta was the only Greek city with no defensive walls after they had been demolished at the order of Lycurgus. Discipline is strict and the males are encouraged to fight amongst themselves to determine the strongest member of the group and ensure only the best graduate.

The program is based on the ancient Spartan agoge program that was mandatory for all Spartan males in the city. The agōgē was prestigious throughout the Greek world, and many aristocratic families from other cities vied to send their sons to Sparta to participate in the agōgē for varying periods of time. The Spartans were very selective in which young men they would permit to enroll. Such honors were usually awarded to the próxenoi (πρόξενοι) of Sparta in other cities and to a few other families of supreme ancestry and importance.

Structure

Application

Applications for the agoge program must be submitted by the applicant's parents or legal guardians by December 31st of each year. Applications include a brief essay as to why the parent believes their child is fit for admission to the program. Applicants must have already completed grades 1-10, be aged 9-10, and be in good physical and mental health. No deformities, injuries, or mental disorders of any kind are permitted. Applicants are rejected for everything from minor mental defects like dyslexia to Down syndrome and physical ones from cleft palate to severe scoliosis. Defects are discovered through a screening by an approved medical practitioner Applicants must also possess a letter of recommendation from a current or former Spartiate homoios. Applications are reviewed and either accepted or rejected by a panel of five Spartiate homoioi with at least 30 years of service, either retired or still serving.

Phase 1

Accepted applicants are enrolled in the Agoge program and are ordered to report to their assigned Agoge academy no later than 1200 on March 31st of their year. In 2048, about 14,500 cadets report to ATEP. There are 6 ATEP academies in Hellas: Athens, Sparti, Byzantion, Syracuse, Thessaloniki, and Izmir. Once there, they will be assigned rooms and ATEP pentēkostyai. They will be given the remainder of the day to say their goodbyes to their families and move into their rooms. During the cadet half of ATEP, cadets are only permitted to leave the academy for winter and summer holidays to go home and visit their families. Cadets are, however, permitted to communicate with their families through written and electronic mail.

Phase 1 is largely composed of introducing cadets to a military lifestyle, likely far more structured and controlled than what they had previously experienced. It largely contains those cadets aged 10-14, roughly corresponding to grades 6-9 in the conventional school system. They will be in school for 241 days of the year and each day contains 11.2 hours of training. During Phase 1, the education side of ATEP is more heavily emphasized with 7.7 hours of the training day being dedicated to academics while 3.5 is dedicated towards physical fitness and military training and indoctrination. During Phase 1, a cadet's daily schedule is as follows:

Time	Activity	Description
0430-0500	Reveille	Wake up to perform personal morning tasks and conduct hygiene. Cadets are expected to be prepared to have their rooms and personal appearance inspected by 0500.
0500-0630	Physical training	Cadets form up for first formation and perform physical training composed of running and/or calisthenics.
0630-0700	Breakfast	Cadet pentēkostyai are given a half hour for the entirety of their pentēkostys to eat and leave the DFAC. Talking is strictly forbidden and cadets must sit with their backs straight and feet planted firmly on the ground at a 45 degree angle as if they were standing at the position of attention.
0710-0840	Period 1	The first class of the day.
0850-1020	Period 2	The second class of the day.
1030-1200	Period 3	The third class of the day.
1210-1250	Lunch	Cadet pentēkostyai are given 40 minutes for the entirety of their pentēkostys to eat and leave the DFAC. Talking is permitted in hushed whispers but cadets must still sit with their backs straight and feet planted firmly on the ground at a 45 degree angle as if they were standing at the position of attention.
1300-1430	Period 4	The fourth class of the day.
1440-1610	Period 5	The fifth class of the day.
1630-1830	Martial Education	The block of daily instruction dedicated to purely military subjects. Topics of instruction range daily from marksmanship to small unit tactics to drill and ceremony. This is also the only class that is taught by the cadets' drill masters.
1830-2000	Rest and Recreation	An evening block dedicated to cadet free time. This block of time is allowed for cadets to consume their evening meal, socialize, shower, exercise, do laundry, write letters home, or otherwise relax and perform recreation.
2000-2030	Drill Masters' Time	Time for drill masters to speak with the recruits about any subject they may think requires attention. Mail call is also performed during this time.
Lights-out	2030-0430	The only period of time when cadets are officially authorized to sleep. It allows for cadets to receive an optimum 8 hours of sleep. They will be periodically checked on throughout the night by the drillmaster on duty to ensure that they are sleeping and that they remain safe.

With each ATEP Phase 1 lochos being composed of 5 pentēkostyai, they rotate between their five daily classes. These classes differ depending on the degree of Phase 1 the lochos is in. The five subjects and their sub-disciplines that cadets will learn in their daily schedule (depending on their degree) are:

• Science - Earth science (1st Degree), Chemistry (2nd Degree), Biology (3rd Degree), Physics (4th Degree)

• Mathematics - Arithmetic/Introduction to Algebra (1st Degree), Algebra I (2nd Degree), Algebra II (3rd Degree), Geometry (4th Degree)

• Hellenic - Hellenic I (1st Degree), Hellenic II (2nd Degree), Hellenic III (3rd Degree), Rhetoric and Hellenic Literature (4th Degree)

• History and geography - Ancient Hellenic History (1st Degree), Post-Roman Hellenic History (2nd Degree), World History (3rd Degree), World Geography (4th Degree)

• Ethics and Philosophy - Civics (1st Degree), Economics (2nd Degree), Hellenic and Roman Philosophy (3rd Degree), Contemporary Hellenic Ethics and Philosophy (4th Degree)

At the end of their 4th Degree of Phase 1, cadets are required to pass a series of examinations on things they learned during Phase 1 in order to be permitted to progress to Phase 2. Each subject has an examination that tests cadets on all of its sub-disciplines. Cadets will also be tested on basic military knowledge, drill and ceremony, physical fitness, and marksmanship. Those who pass are permitted to pass onto Phase 2. Those who fail any individual exam are permitted to retest one time. Those who fail twice are said to have "double tapped" and are removed from ATEP. Double-tapped cadets return to the conventional education system and are never permitted to return. On average, 7% of Phase 1 cadets will double-tap their Phase 1 exams or otherwise be removed/quit and wash out.

Phase 2

Those cadets who pass their Phase 1 exams and their parents/guardians wish for them to continue, matriculate to Phase 2. In Phase 2, training becomes stricter than Phase 2 and with more focus on military education and training and lasts for 241 days of the year, just like Phase 1. Phase 2 is made up of those cadets aged from 15-17 and is often described as the "initiation phase". Drill masters are permitted to yell at the cadets and employ disciplinary measures like physical training and labor. Push-ups and janitorial duties are commonly used to punish infractions. During Phase 2, a cadet's daily schedule is as follows:

Time	Activity	Description
0430-0500	Reveille	Wake up to perform personal morning tasks and conduct hygiene. Cadets are expected to be prepared to have their rooms and personal appearance inspected by 0500.
0500-0630	Physical training	Cadets form up for first formation and perform physical training composed of running and/or calisthenics.
0630-0650	Breakfast	Cadet pentēkostyai are given a half-hour for the entirety of their pentēkostys to eat and leave the DFAC. Talking is strictly forbidden and cadets must sit with their backs straight and feet planted firmly on the ground at a 45-degree angle as if they were standing at the position of attention.
0655-0755	Period 1	The first class of the day.
0800-0900	Period 2	The second class of the day.
0905-1005	Period 3	The third class of the day.
1010-1110	Period 4	The fourth class of the day.
1115-1135	Lunch	Cadet pentēkostyai are given 40 minutes for the entirety of their pentēkostys to eat and leave the DFAC. Unlike Phase 1, talking is strictly forbidden during lunch and cadets must still sit with their backs straight and feet planted firmly on the ground at a 45 degree angle as if they were standing at the position of attention.
1140-1730	Martial Education	The block of daily instruction dedicated to purely military subjects. Topics of instruction range daily from marksmanship to small unit tactics to drill and ceremony. This is also the only class that is taught by the cadets' drill masters.
1730-1830	Proximity Combat	A block of instruction in close quarters combat, specifically with hands and melee weapons. Training focuses on the Hellenic martial art Pankration, a form of combat focused on disabling an opponent as quickly as possible using any means possible. It is generally considered a mix of ancient pankration, Krav Maga, and Defendu. Cadets will train in unarmed combat, bayonets, and pugil sticks, among other improvised weapons.
1830-2030	Rest and Recreation	An evening block dedicated to cadet free time. This block of time is allowed for cadets to consume their evening meal, socialize, shower, exercise, do laundry, write letters home, or otherwise relax and perform recreation.
2030-2100	Drill Masters' Time	Time for drill masters to speak with the recruits about any subject they may think requires attention. Mail call is also performed during this time.
Lights-out	2100-0430	The only period of time when cadets are officially authorized to sleep. It allows for cadets to receive 7.5 hours of sleep. They will be periodically checked on throughout the night by the drillmaster on duty to ensure that they are sleeping and that they remain safe.

With each ATEP Phase 2 lochos being composed of 4 pentēkostyai, they rotate between their four daily classes. These classes differ depending on the degree of Phase 2 the lochos is in. The four subjects and their sub-disciplines that cadets will learn in their daily schedule (depending on their degree) are:

• Science - Astronomy and Planetary Science (1st Degree), Anatomy (2nd Degree), Advanced Physics (3rd Degree)

• Mathematics - Statistics and Probability (1st Degree), Trigonometry (2nd Degree), Pre-Calculus (3rd Degree)

• Foreign Language* - Foreign Language I (1st Degree), Foreign Language II (2nd Degree), Foreign Language III (3rd Degree)

• Ethics and Philosophy - Civics (1st Degree), Civil Leadership Skills and Decisionmaking (2nd Degree), Contemporary Hellenic Ethics and Philosophy (3rd Degree)

Note (*): Foreign Language is the only class that cadets are given an option in picking what they learn. It is mostly done on a small group basis with those students who pick the same language are assigned an instructor. Cadets may pick from Turkish, Arabic, Swahili, or Russian.

Phase 2 is also when cadets will begin to receive augmentation to improve their physical abilities. They will receive a variety of treatments and modifications to increase their strength, speed, and endurance. These modifications include myostatin-inhibitors to increase muscle growth, the introduction of a gene encouraging ACTN3 R577X polymorphism to increase speed, and the introduction of increased levels of endogenous erythropoietin to encourage erythrocyte production and lead to increased stamina and endurance. These treatments must be routinely administered over the next 10 years in order to take permanent effect.

At the end of their 3rd Degree of Phase 2, cadets are required to pass a series of examinations on things they learned during Phase 1 in order to be permitted to progress to Phase 3. Each subject has an examination that tests cadets on all of its sub-disciplines. Cadets will also be tested on advanced military knowledge, drill and ceremony, physical fitness, and marksmanship. Cadets must also demonstrate proficiency in their chosen language at an ILR Level 2 proficiency. Those who pass are permitted to pass onto Phase 3. Those who fail any individual exam are permitted to retest one time. Those who fail twice are said to have "double tapped" and are removed from ATEP. Double-tapped cadets return to the conventional education system and are never permitted to return. On average, 4% of Phase 2 cadets will double-tap their Phase 1 exams and wash out.

Phase 3

Those who pass their Phase 2 exams advance to Phase 3. When cadets enter Phase 3, they are officially considered to be members of the Hellenic Armed Forces and subject to the Hellenic Uniform Code of Military Justice. They take their Oath of Enlistment as a group and begin receiving a base pay of 450 drachmae. In addition, they cease to be considered a "cadet" and are now called "trainees". Education will also cease to be favored towards academics and will instead become more martial. Their training will now be primarily conducted by drill masters with training cadre in a support capacity providing subject matter expertise. Phase 3 is composed of trainees of the age of 18. Just like the first two phases, trainees are in training for at least 241 days of the year. Unlike phases 1 or 2, however, on weeks when they are not otherwise conducting training, trainees are permitted to leave their pentēkostys areas on the weekends from 0800-2000 and go to any number of the on-post recreation facilities like post exchanges or theaters. They are also permitted to use the provided public telephones to call their family and permitted to purchase and wear civilian clothes (while still retaining their identifying belt) on their off time.

A Phase 3 trainee's daily schedule is as follows:

Time	Activity	Description
0430-0500	Reveille	Wake up to perform personal morning tasks and conduct hygiene. Trainees are expected to be prepared to have their rooms and personal appearance inspected by 0500.
0500-0630	Physical training	Trainees form up for first formation and perform physical training composed of running and/or calisthenics.
0630-0700	Breakfast	Trainee pentēkostyai are given a half-hour for the entirety of their pentēkostys to eat and leave the DFAC. Talking is strictly forbidden and trainees must sit with their backs straight and feet planted firmly on the ground at a 45-degree angle as if they were standing at the position of attention.
0710-1200	Training	Begin the day's scheduled training exercises.
1200-1230	Lunch	Trainee pentēkostyai are given 30 minutes for the entirety of their pentēkostys to eat and leave the DFAC. Talking is strictly forbidden during lunch and cadets must still sit with their backs straight and feet planted firmly on the ground at a 45-degree angle as if they were standing at the position of attention. However, lunch in Phase 3 tends to be composed of field rations due to units being out in the field training.
1240-1700	Training	Continue the day's scheduled training exercises.
1700-1800	Foreign Language and Culture	Trainees will continue their studies of the language they became proficient in in Phase 2. FLC further develops this by educating them in the culture(s) and customs associated with their language. This allows them to act more efficiently in the future when interacting with the local populace during operations in those regions.
2000-2030	Drill Masters' Time	Time for drill masters to speak with the trainees about any subject they may think requires attention. Mail call is also performed during this time.
1830-2130	Rest and Recreation	An evening block dedicated to trainee free time. This block of time is allowed for trainees to consume their evening meal, socialize, shower, exercise, do laundry, call their families, write letters home, or otherwise relax and perform recreation.
Lights-out	2130-0430	The only period of time when trainees are officially authorized to sleep. It allows for trainees to receive 7 hours of sleep. They will be periodically checked on throughout the night by the drillmaster on duty to ensure that they are sleeping and that they remain safe. In addition, trainees are now required to maintain hour-long guard shifts. Each night will have 7 shifts and will rotate through the pentēkostys.

During Phase 3 training, drill masters and training cadre will expand upon the martial education that the trainees received in the cadet half. Generally, Phase 3 is unofficially divided into 5 stages of instruction:

• Basic - this section covers the fundamentals of combat effectiveness, largely refresher of things already learned in cadet half. Tasks covered include land navigation (day and night), ruck marches, digging fighting positions, setting up patrol bases, individual movement techniques, marksmanship (prone, sitting, kneeling, standing), hand grenades, and swimming.

• Advanced - this section covers more advanced fundamentals that Spartiates will regularly employ. These include the driving of military vehicles (ranging from the Kopis LSV to the Hoplite APC. They will be tested on and certified in the operation of these vehicles, both during the day and at night with and without night-vision optics), utilization of the M770 underslung grenade launcher and M110 underslung shotgun, and utilization of night-vision devices in combat operations.

• Specialized - this section covers more specialized areas that all Spartiates are still expected to be proficient in. This includes urban operations, amphibious operations, forest operations, and mounted operations. Trainees will be trained in extensive training facilities and areas dedicated to these areas of expertise, staffed by some of the foremost experts in the world. For instance, ATEP Syracuse uses the MOUT facilities of Fort Hephaestus that contain 68 buildings, ranging from single-story to five stories tall with many also containing subterranean sections or even tunnel systems.

• Application - Trainees will utilize the various skills they have learned over the previous stages and apply them in a practical setting at a variety of levels, ranging from tria-level to entire lochos operations. Competent trainees will be selected by their drill masters to act in the leadership positions up to enomotia level, under the supervision of their drill masters.

• Travel - During this stage, trainees will have to travel to various training centers around the world in order to become proficient in a variety of battle spaces. In this stage, trainees will attend and graduate from helicopter assault school in Fort Hermes, airborne school at Fort Hermes, mountain warfare school at Camp Papadapolous, jungle school in Brunei, and desert warfare school at Camp Gregorios in southern Libya. Trainees will be trained in and certified in these fields and then apply the fundamentals they previously learned in the new battle spaces. This includes attacking bunkers on a steep mountain face, parachuting onto and securing airfields, and conducting ambushes in jungle terrain, among many other training scenarios.

Upon completion of their final school and validation in their skills, the trainees are officially given the title of Spartiate and permitted to progress onto Phase 4. Phase 3 is often considered the most challenging phase and about 6% of trainees wash out by the end of it.

The graduation ceremony from Phase IV is also the new Spartiatae's official induction into the Spartiate Corps. The ceremony is held each year on the autumnal equinox at midnight. The new Spartiatae will swear their formal oath of enlistment and be presented with the red plume that they may wear on their dress helmet which designates them as a Spartiatis and a ceremonial xiphos short sword which they wear with their dress uniform. Each inductee will cut their hand with their xiphos, allowing their blood to spill upon the flagstones of their Agoge academy to join that of the thousands of Spartiatae who had done the same before. In addition, they will let a drop spill onto their page of record in the academy's Book of Cubs (Biblio Skymnoi) next to their name. This page will stand as their record of service, to contain every accomplishment and failure of their career.

Phase 4

Upon entry to Phase 3, Spartiates will be assigned a Military Occupational Speciality (MOS) based on the needs of the Spartiate Corps, their preferences, and their results on an aptitude test to best determine their placement. Jobs available to Spartiates are: infantryman, artilleryman, scout, sapper, aviator, tanker, signal, and combat medic. All other jobs in a Spartiate unit are filled by personnel attached from the Support Corps and Special Operations and Intelligence Command who do not necessarily have to be Spartiates. Truly exceptional Spartiates are chosen to be trained to become officers in their field, trusted to lead their fellow Spartiates into battle.

Phase 4 is largely job training for the Spartiates' assigned jobs and the length differs depending on their job. Spartiates will become masters in their field, amongst the best in the world and comparable to, or even superior to, many other countries' most elite special forces.

MOS (MOS code)	Length of training (enlisted/officer)	Location of training	Brief description of training
Infantryman (01C)	20 weeks/32 weeks	Fort Zeus	Spartiates will
Artilleryman (02C	26 weeks/32 weeks	Hesperine Proving Grounds	Brief description of training
Scout (03C	24 weeks/36 weeks	Fort Zeus	Brief description of training
Sapper (04C)	28 weeks/36 weeks	Fort Hephaestus	Brief description of training
Aviator (05C)	40 weeks/46 weeks	Fort Hermes	Brief description of training
Tanker (06C)	26 weeks/40 weeks	Hesperine Proving Grounds	Brief description of training
Signal (07C*)	28 weeks	Fort Zeus	Brief description of training
Combat Medic (08C)	50 weeks/128 weeks	Fort Asclepius	Brief description of training

Note (*): signal Spartiates do not have officer-level positions and, as such, they do not have an A-level. Their officer positions are staffed by Support Corps personnel)