10 Incredible Ways People Faced Up To Their Own Death

5. King Agis III (331 BC)... Ordered His Own Spartan Soldiers To Escape As He Fought Off An Entire Army By Himself

Often we think of monarchs as selfish beings, but King Agis III of Sparta proved he was anything but that by dying in battle in order to save his own men.

With Agis' forces besieging the Spartan city of Megalopolis, a Macedonian battalion led by Antipater came to rescue the populous - and in the process they inflicted huge losses on the Spartan army. Knowing that defeat and certain death for his entire army was close, Agis attempted to gain time for his surviving soldiers to withdraw by bravely fighting until the bitter end.

The chronicler Diodorus recollected Agis' death as follows:

"He had fought gloriously and fell with many frontal wounds. As he was being carried by his soldiers back to Sparta, he found himself surrounded by the enemy.

"Despairing of his own life, he ordered the rest to make their escape with all speed and to save themselves for the service of their country, but he himself armed and rising to his knees defended himself, killed some of the enemy and was himself slain by a javelin cast."

Quite the noble act from a King - dying in order to save his own men.