Sparta

Out of the city states of Greece, Sparta happens to be my favorite...and not because Lena Headey was a striking Spartan lady in 300



What I found appealing was their dedicated nature, and militant lifestyle.

The life of a Spartan boy began training at age 7. He was taken away frmo his mother and trained in combat. A boy wuold learn to resist pain and would exhaust himself to beat odds. Training consisted of martial training as well as athletics. At age 20 the young man would be enrolled in the army. For ten years he would serve the Spartan army, and then be considered an equal man under Spartan law at age 30. Service was required until age 60.

A Spartan could marry but had to sneak away from the army to be with his wife. If caught, he was punished for deserting. Women were also given the same training (minus military) and were held to expectations as high as the men. This type of isolated training defined the Spartan mindset to be one of glory, and that nothing could get in the way of achieving that glory.

The government was headed by two kings, ruling equally with a backgroud of military and religion. The army would never leve home without a king, so in a way that covered bases at home and in the field. There was a council of elders that checked on the kingships so there was a checks and balance system. A special council was called the board of ephors who were 5 specially selected men who checked on the kings's powers and controlled foreign policies, presided at assemblies, among other important functions.

Many saw Sparta as a set up for a utopian society. Men and women were both trained in body, and their minds belonged to the government. Their army was feared because a Spartan would never give up. There's a story that the Spartans before the eve of battle would brush their long hair in preparation to die. Whether we see them as battle hard warriors or men who brush their hair before dying, one thing is for certain...They were some of the badass warriors that Ancient Greece had to fear.

Their dedication and loyalty to the state is one to be reckon with, and they were able to merge education, military strategies, and civic service to perfection.