In his Essais, Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592), father of modern scepticism and fervent supporter of the ‘philosophy of praxis’, seems to be the first modern thinker in the footsteps of Plato to recognize the existence of Spartan philosopher-kings and philosopher-statesmen. But Montaigne goes further: he sees Sparta as a city-state of philosopher-citizens, and he distinguishes between the Spartans’ philosophical virtue and their military valour: true courage is the work of prudence – a moral and an intellectual virtue -, and of wisdom, which is recognized and proved by its ‘practice’ through living examples, experiences in everyday religious, moral, social, and civic life, rational justification and moral standing of interlinked choices on virtue and evil, happiness and sadness, joy and pain, life and death. There is a dialectical relationship between theory and praxis, words and deeds, arts and arms. The same dialectical approach is taken by Montaigne whose ‘valiant philosophy’ has a particular purpose: to teach not to fear death. In these circumstances self-knowledge (or wisdom) takes the double significance of an intellectual investigation, and at the same time a training that brings victory not over enemies in the battlefield but over time and death.