Pros And Cons Of Sparta

Many of the arguments against Sparta reason that government officials did not grant enough power to the people of the city-state, and therefore favor Athens. This is not the case. The kings, elders, and rulers of the Spartan government knew what was best for the citizens of Sparta, and, as a consequence, created strictly regimented rules that shaped Spartan lives for the better. Although Sparta did not have a significant amount of participation in law by common people, it was able to create and sustain an advanced city-state through discipline and a form of government that placed stress on health and military supremacy. Discipline was a major part of the reason Sparta became such a superior power in the ancient world, and why they …show more content…
This tradition allowed for a city-state with an exceptional army, women with a substantial amount of liberties, and a gene pool that was superior to those around it. The Spartan way of life was one that focused itself on the importance of a physically strong society, and the people of this city-state went to great lengths to ensure that they maintained this tradition. As a result of this mentality, the authoritative figures of Sparta gave women more freedoms, as they were not seen as inadequate versions of men, but more as the mothers of society, whose job was to be the backbone of the strong Spartan army by birthing and raising robust young men. In fact, this lifestyle was so prevalent and noticeable that soldiers and writers from Athens and other outside lands took notice. Many documents from almost all areas around the Mediterranean Sea demonstrate this, especially in Xenophon’s “The Constitution of Sparta”, which describes the importance of physical ability in Sparta, as written by an Athenian soldier. The people of Sparta preserved this physical superiority in many ways. Boys were taken from their homes at the young age of eight to train and become a part of the renowned Spartan army, and mothers abandoned babies with medical issues as soon as possible. This not only ensured that all citizens were …show more content…
Athens might have thought that they were superior to Sparta in all areas, but they only surpassed Sparta in intellect. In the context of survival, Sparta’s army trumped Athens’ superior intellect in many ways. They demonstrated that their army was one of the most powerful forces of the time by using the geographical features of the land to their advantage, training and sustaining healthy soldiers, and, in the end, defeating one of the most respected and supported city-states of ancient Greece. The fact that Sparta was able to use the possibility of attacking Athens by land during the Peloponnesian War to their advantage indicates that they had strong military strategies that were of higher rank than their neighbor. By having a government in which no singular individual was in rule within the city-state of Athens, the leaders of this civilization were not able to put the majority of their work and effort into military strategy, leading to the end of Athenian reign over the Greek world. Athens put their focus more towards education and the sciences, which they did not fully accept due to the religious practices of the region, and therefore wasted time and resources on a cause which they didn’t have complete faith in. One thing that the Spartans believed in wholeheartedly was the application of hard work and dedication. From an early age, soldiers and commanders trained and taught