Final answer:
The Spartan phrase reflects their cultural emphasis on honor and bravery, where soldiers were expected to return victorious with their shield or to be carried back upon it in death, symbolizing a life dedicated to military service and the community.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Spartan saying "Come back with your shield - or on it" encapsulates the extreme militarism of Spartan society and their values surrounding honor, bravery, and duty.
For a Spartan soldier, the shield carried an importance beyond mere physical protection; it represented his commitment to fight for his city-state and to come home victorious or not at all. To return without one's shield implied that the soldier had thrown it away to flee more quickly, considered an act of cowardice.
Whereas being carried on one's shield indicated that the soldier died bravely on the battlefield and was brought back home with honor. This sentiment reflects the ethos of a culture that trained its citizens from a young age to prioritize martial excellence and community over individual life.