How Did Athens Build Sparta

The Spartans fought to the last man to defend Thermoplae because they were preventing the Persians from getting through. The Spartans represented everything that Athens was not. The people of Athens were sophisticated, outward looking, and as well as creative. The people of Sparta however were practical, defensive and they were conservative. Sparta became the most militarized polis in Greece. The Spartans were established on a military life for their people within a couple generations. During the time, the society of Athens was becoming increasingly democratic and the people were spending more time in legislation rather than fighting. The society of Sparta was becoming more devoted to a more idea of perpetual fighting. Compared to the people Athens, the Spartans were …show more content…
At age eighteen, the young spartiate who survived the training would try for membership in a brotherhood, and the fellow Spartans would live, eat, and fight together. If a spartiate fails to get into a brotherhood that meant that the young man could not become a full spartiate and lode his rights as a citizen in the city of Sparta. If the young man makes it into a brotherhood, he stays with the brotherhood until he is thirty. Between the ages of twenty and thirty he was expected to mate with another spartiate women. But for this to happen is very low, this also accounts for the low birthrate among spartan citizens. The spartan polity was based on the precarious relationship with the helots. During war time, the helots would accompany the Spartans on campaigns as shield bearers, spear carriers, and baggage handlers. Out of wartime the helots were a constant security concern. The Spartans would ritually declare on the helots as a reminder that they would not allow dissent. The helot slavery made the Spartan system, but the hostile slaves were a serious limitation. (Pg. 91) The Spartans were always under stress of war and conflict. They didn’t worry as much about politics as the people of Athens