The Spartans pretended to flee from the Persian shields only to turn at the right moment and inflict serious losses on the Persian army. The Spartans maintained their supremacy in warfare until the battle of Leuktra in 371 BC, which was a major factor in the decline of Sparta.The Spartans were defeated in the Battle of Lauctra by the great general and strategist Epaminondas of Thebes. His tactic of using and echelon formation with the leading side loaded up with his best troops and in very deep formation allowed him to break the unbreakable, the Spartan hoplite line crumbled. G.L. Cawkwell, a modern historian, argues that Sparta's defeat a Leauctra highlights the failure of its social system - its narrowness and emphasis on
The Spartan King ruled supremacy over his one hundred Spartan bodyguards. In fact, being part of the Kings squad held great honor and meant that they were as what they would call a true Spartan. During a war, only one of the kings went into battle while the other stayed in Sparta. This is evidently told by Herodotus as he states that this ‘conflict between Kings Cleomenes and Demaratus is what finalized this decision in a time around 507 BC. Following on, the King would generalize and plan out military campaigns.
Now just like in the first war Sparta couldn’t do it alone; so they asked the Persians to help conquer Athens. They asked their own enemy for help. This truly was a good example of history repeating itself. Mainly because Spartans defeated the Persians on land and Athenians defeated them in the sea. This time Spartans defeated the Athenians on land and the Persians defeated the Athenians in the sea.
Herodotus accounts of the Corinth assembly speak of Themistocles pursuit of unity. Despite whole unity not achieved, the Greek force was extremely disciplined. Which allowed them to fight and defeat the Persians as a unified force? The Persians did not have unity- Herodotus accounts that in the battle of salamis- “Artemisia was chased by an Athenian trireme…she rammed one of her friends”. Morale The morale of the Greek soldiers in comparison to the Persians contributed to their victory.
Sparta claimed the victory, and the city-states continued their bickering and fighting. Phillip 2 of Macedonia, fully aware of the disunity among the Greeks, took advantage of the constant quarrels and prepared a full scale invasion of
However the Spartan men would start their training at the age of seven and they were thought to be tough and self sufficient. The life in Sparta wasn't simple but others envied them for their straight forwardness and fanatical dedication. The law in Sparta that prohibited all foreign trade and foreign travelling kept ideas from coming in and they had surprises when it came to attacks. Spartan women had the freedom of rights except they could not vote. They were not forced to do the things Athenian women did.
The long kept system unravelled after defeat at the battle of Leuctra in 371 BC. The Composition of the Army The Kings and Leadership Sparta was ruled by two kings, and originally both of them led the army to war. Problems arose and the policy was changed so that only one king went campaigning at a time, the other remaining in Sparta. The general-king held supreme command of the army and had the right to declare war and make all decisions in battle. However, he had to be wise with his power, as authoritative officials called ephors followed him to act as advisors and watch that he behaved responsibly and fairly.
Nonetheless, Sparta was unique in many important ways. No other Greek state ever defined its goals as clearly as Sparta or expended so much effort in trying to attain them. While the intrusion of the state into the lives of individuals was substantial in all Greek states, no state surpassed Sparta in the invasive role it played in the daily lives of its citizens. Spartans took enormous pride in their polis, and other Greeks were impressed by the rigorous patriotism and selflessness the Spartan system entailed. The Spartans' extreme denial of individuality fostered a powerful sense of belonging that other Greeks envied, and Sparta continues to cast an eerie spell over historians, philosophers, and political scientists even in an age that tends to recoil from totalitarianism.
In this way, Cleisthenes moved Athens from an oligarchy to a democracy. | |Athenian democracy was, by nature, a direct democracy, unlike the modern representative democracy of America. In most | |cases, Athenians did not vote for representatives – but voted directly on the decisions of Athens. Go to war with Sparta – | |they voted. Build a navy – they voted.
A Spartan's life was centered on the state, because they lived and died to serve the state. Although the competing city-states of Sparta and Athens were individually different as well as governmentally diverse, they both managed to become dominating powers in Ancient Greece. The political power of Athens is based on economic power. Democracy is based on middle class economic power. In slow evolution towards democracy, as their trade increased, Athenian craftsmen and merchants had enough money to purchase their own weapons.