The Spartans were known for their fierce army of fighters and Sparta was the most powerful city-state in all of Greece for over 200 years. Part of the reason that Sparta developed the reputation it did was because of its location near to Messenia. Messenia was rich in agriculture and the Spartans agreed to protect Messenia for half of all it's food. When Messenia decided it didn't like this deal, it fought back making the Spartans even more focused on military power. Instead of developing it's own agriculture, Sparta raised soldiers to protect its food source.
Sparta had one of the worst feuds in history with Athens. The Spartans were the complete opposite of citizens from Athens. While Spartans had military training from an early age, they were known for secrecy and run by a small group of rich citizens. In contrast to Sparta, citizens of Athens were thinkers, artists and the founders of modern democracy. They left a long written history of their society. What we know about Sparta is not much and only second hand from enemies or people who visited and wrote down something about it.
It is believed that one Spartan named Lycurgus made all the rules and customs which made Sparta so powerful. The government controlled every part of a Spartan's life. Babies were inspected after they were born and if they looked weak or sick they were left on the mountainsides to die. Young boys were taken from their families at 7 year old to train for the military. The were taught to endure pain and follow orders completely. The were also taught to steal food and go hungry.
Spartan girls had it a bit better. Their main job was to have babies to make more army members, but they were also expected to be healthy and athletic so they were trained in sports and encouraged to be outside and part of society. They were also allowed to own land and have their own business. In Athens, married women were expected to stay inside and only go out on special occasions.
The Spartan men were not always at war, and had plenty of free time on their hands because their only job was to be warriors. The relied on neighbors with no rights or slaves to do the work for them. The slaves, call Helots, did revolt from time to time, but they never succeeded in overthrowing the Spartans. Although Sparta conquered Athens during the Peloponesian war, it's dominance only lasted until 371 BC when it was overthrown by Thebes. Without it's army, it collapsed and by the time the Romans took over "Sparta had become a tourist attraction".
Price, Sean. "The Spartan Way." The Ancient World. 174-79. Print
Sparta had one of the worst feuds in history with Athens. The Spartans were the complete opposite of citizens from Athens. While Spartans had military training from an early age, they were known for secrecy and run by a small group of rich citizens. In contrast to Sparta, citizens of Athens were thinkers, artists and the founders of modern democracy. They left a long written history of their society. What we know about Sparta is not much and only second hand from enemies or people who visited and wrote down something about it.
It is believed that one Spartan named Lycurgus made all the rules and customs which made Sparta so powerful. The government controlled every part of a Spartan's life. Babies were inspected after they were born and if they looked weak or sick they were left on the mountainsides to die. Young boys were taken from their families at 7 year old to train for the military. The were taught to endure pain and follow orders completely. The were also taught to steal food and go hungry.
Spartan girls had it a bit better. Their main job was to have babies to make more army members, but they were also expected to be healthy and athletic so they were trained in sports and encouraged to be outside and part of society. They were also allowed to own land and have their own business. In Athens, married women were expected to stay inside and only go out on special occasions.
The Spartan men were not always at war, and had plenty of free time on their hands because their only job was to be warriors. The relied on neighbors with no rights or slaves to do the work for them. The slaves, call Helots, did revolt from time to time, but they never succeeded in overthrowing the Spartans. Although Sparta conquered Athens during the Peloponesian war, it's dominance only lasted until 371 BC when it was overthrown by Thebes. Without it's army, it collapsed and by the time the Romans took over "Sparta had become a tourist attraction".
Price, Sean. "The Spartan Way." The Ancient World. 174-79. Print
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