By the time of the Peloponnesian War, much of Cretan life was geared towards the military applications of archery - skirmishing as a means of support for increasingly large and unwieldy phalanx formations. From a young age, in a situation not totally dissimilar to the Spartan agoge, Cretan youths were put through their paces until they became expert archers. Physical fitness was an essential part of the training, along with hunting for food; if a student couldn't kill his dinner, he went hungry. Such privations focused young minds somewhat, producing versatile fighters who had cunning and guile in spades, as well as speed and agility.
