Sparta

     Sparta was a polis that valued physical courage, strength, and bravery in war. The Spartans expected everyone to give their complete loyalty to the polis. Seven-year-old boys left their homes to train as soldiers in military camps. Spartan men lived and trained together. When a man married, he would continue to live with his fellow soldiers and would not live in his own home until he was about 30 years old. Spartan women participated in athletic contests to make them strong.

     Spartan laws discouraged anything that would take people's attention away from a disciplined military life. Sparta did not welcome visitors from other cities, and most Spartans were not allowed to travel. The leaders of Sparta feared that citizens would become interested in other ways of life, and bring new ideas to their polis.

     The Spartans lived in the southern part of the Greek peninsula on a hilly, rocky area known as the Peloponesus. They had conquered many people in region and forced them to work as slaves. The Spartans developed their disciplined society because they had enslaved many people. The slaves outnumbered the Spartans, and the Spartans lived in fear of a slave revolt.