The image that the Spartan’s projected of their society painted them as a fearsome, suicidal collective to other Greeks. However, while this image is certainly rooted in truth, I take Spartan society to be more complex, which may have been interpreted as a weakness and perhaps if they were seen as complex by the other Greek poleis they might not have appeared so formidable. Firstly, Jean Ducat notes that the educational system in Sparta held greater significance than any other Greek city-states due to the intense demands bound to the notion of the Spartan citizen. The intensity of the education for young men training to be warriors, named the agoge, immediately makes Sparta appear distinct in their devotion to a military education and identity.
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Cartledge writes that information about the Peloponnesian wars is skewed by an Athenian viewpoint seeing as the major source on the wars come from Thucydides, an Athenian man himself, but nonetheless concedes that he is a vital source on the subject. The Peloponnesian wars are an important turning point for Sparta in their struggle to maintain their impressive appearance to the other Greek poleis. Athens was known for its impressive naval power, whilst Sparta dominated in the land based battles. The Archidamian war, the first in many wars involving Sparta, Athens and their allies, appears to have begun due to the Spartans feeling threatened by Athens' increasing power. As a polis now known for its strength and military prowess, Sparta would naturally feel the need to assert their dominance over Athens to uphold their perceived greatness in Greece. The fact that states were willing to ally with Sparta despite Athens’ newfound power attest to Greece’s belief that Sparta was a powerful polis. Moreover, Sparta encouraged allying cities to the political oligarchy in favour of the widespread democratic model of the time. I believe that it is apparent that the Spartans had strong, positive faith in their ways of life, believing with confidence that convincing their alliances to adapt to an oligarchy and thus become more like the Spartans would result in a favourable political outcome for the Peloponnesian
Cartledge writes that information about the Peloponnesian wars is skewed by an Athenian viewpoint seeing as the major source on the wars come from Thucydides, an Athenian man himself, but nonetheless concedes that he is a vital source on the subject. The Peloponnesian wars are an important turning point for Sparta in their struggle to maintain their impressive appearance to the other Greek poleis. Athens was known for its impressive naval power, whilst Sparta dominated in the land based battles. The Archidamian war, the first in many wars involving Sparta, Athens and their allies, appears to have begun due to the Spartans feeling threatened by Athens' increasing power. As a polis now known for its strength and military prowess, Sparta would naturally feel the need to assert their dominance over Athens to uphold their perceived greatness in Greece. The fact that states were willing to ally with Sparta despite Athens’ newfound power attest to Greece’s belief that Sparta was a powerful polis. Moreover, Sparta encouraged allying cities to the political oligarchy in favour of the widespread democratic model of the time. I believe that it is apparent that the Spartans had strong, positive faith in their ways of life, believing with confidence that convincing their alliances to adapt to an oligarchy and thus become more like the Spartans would result in a favourable political outcome for the Peloponnesian