The Graf von Faber-Castell Pen of the Year 2020 draws its inspiration from the Greek heroes of Sparta and their king Leonidas. For centuries, the small city-state of Sparta was the greatest military power of ancient Greece. Discipline and the legendary invincibility of the Spartans were the fruit of strict training from an early age, the agogé. The Spartan society was very militarized and its fate lay in the hands of the gods: alongside Apollo and Artemis, the valiant Athena was one of the most important deities. Goddess of the wisdom of strategy and war, she was considered the "Guardian of the city". The education to which every Spartan man was subjected from his childhood was hard and physically trying. Based on courage, endurance, fearlessness, and self-sacrifice, it trained the best warriors of this era. These infantrymen, heavily armed with shields, cuirass, helmets,s, and leggings, had to acquire their own tailor-made equipment, which was very expensive.
