The Greek city-states came together as one to repel a mass invasion led by King Darius of Persia. However, isolationist Sparta was initially reluctant to play a part in the hostilities and was conspicuously absent from the Battle of Marathon in BC, which saw the Greeks notably defeat the more numerous Persians.
The vast Persian army was soon marching its way southwards through Greece. But along the way the Persians came to the remote and narrow mountain pass at Thermopylae. It was here that the Spartans, led by King Leonidas , played arguably their most famous role. The Greek allies, now joined by Sparta, prepared a well-timed attack and killed many thousands of Persians in the first two days of the battle. However, disaster struck when the Greeks were betrayed by a local who showed the Persians another route through the pass.
Once the Greeks discovered the betrayal, Leonidas dismissed the majority of the Greek troops and retained only his elite force of Spartan hoplites. Amazingly, these men managed to keep the Persian force at bay for two whole days, before succumbing to their fate. Even though the battle ended in defeat for the Greeks, the incredible bravery shown by the Spartans provided a huge boost in morale for the Greek allies.
Less than a month later the Persians were defeated at the battle of Salamis and Xerxes retreated to his palace at Persepolis. Less than 50 years after this historic victory, relations had soured between the former allies, Sparta and Athens. Sparta, xenophobic at the best of times, feared the growing Athenian empire, while Athens grew increasingly suspicious of Spartan military power. In BC, hostilities between the two broke into war, known today as the Peloponnesian War.
The long conflict split Greece in two, with Sparta and her allies, the Peloponnesian League , on one side and Athens and her allies, the Delian League , on the other. Many years of stalemate followed. Athens and her superior fleet of ships gained victories at sea while Sparta and her fearless hoplites gained victories on land.
Much of what we know of these years comes from the account by the Athenian historian and former army general, Thucydides. However, his Athenian heritage means that we must read many of the details he provides with caution. In the latter years of the 5 th century, Sparta sought the help of her former enemy, Persia. Together they laid siege to the city of Athens. With Athens defeated, Sparta became the leader of a vast empire, a position to which she was hugely ill-suited.
Her many years of isolation meant that this sudden interaction with outside influences and cultures had a devastating effect. Gradually Spartan society moved away from its austere life of self-discipline and towards the luxuries of the outside world. At the same time, the city of Thebes was growing in military might and engaged in battle with the Spartans in order to seize control of the Peloponnese.
Within a few short years, without the workforce of slaves supporting the Spartan system, the structure of society and its military excellence crumbled away. From the steep hilltops, stone houses resembling small castles stand with their backs to the colossal Taygetos mountains and look out over the stoic Ionian Sea. This is the land of the Maniots, a clannish community said to be descended from Spartans, the legendary warriors of Ancient Greece.
He had the build of a warrior — sturdy and broad-shouldered — but his wrinkled face was warm and relaxed. He spent his life running a kafeneio a traditional Greek coffee house ; now retired, he no longer serves customers, but rather spends his mornings at the kafeneio exchanging news with friends about family and occasionally politics. Unlike the people of rival city-state Athens, who were artists and philosophers, the Spartans were fighters; boys were said to begin military training at age seven, challenging one another in physical competition before becoming full-time soldiers at the age of Women, on the other hand, played no role in the military, but they often received a formal education and were allowed to own property — rights rarely afforded to women in other Greek polis.
As a result, Spartan women were known for their independence. To the east of the city stands the forested Parnonas mountain range. The origins of modern Sparta date back to October 20, , when King Otto issued a decree on the construction of the new city. Today Sparta maintains its good design, boasting large squares and wide streets lined with trees, while many of the older buildings remain in excellent condition. In part to attract mates, females engaged in athletic competitions, including javelin-throwing and wrestling, and also sang and danced competitively.
As adults, Spartan women were allowed to own and manage property. Additionally, they were typically unencumbered by domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and making clothing, tasks which were handled by the helots.
Marriage was important to Spartans, as the state put pressure on people to have male children who would grow up to become citizen-warriors, and replace those who died in battle. Men who delayed marriage were publicly shamed, while those who fathered multiple sons could be rewarded. In preparation for marriage, Spartan women had their heads shaved; they kept their hair short after they wed.
Married couples typically lived apart, as men under 30 were required to continue residing in communal barracks. In order to see their wives during this time, husbands had to sneak away at night. In B. In a further blow, late the following year, Theban general Epaminondas c. The Spartans would continue to exist, although as a second-rate power in a long period of decline.
In ,Otto , the king of Greece, ordered the founding of the modern-day town of Sparti on the site of ancient Sparta. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present.
How will it end? Who was the first man? Where do souls go after death? The term Ancient, or Archaic, Greece refers to the years B. Archaic Greece saw advances in art, poetry and technology, but is known as the age in which the polis, or city-state, was
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