Sparta in the Peloponnese controlled the fertile Laconian plain. In the 8th century BC, the Spartans conquered Messenia and gained valuable new agricultural land. Spartan society was dominated by the need to prevent rebellion by the Messenians (who were called 'helots' - 'slaves').
The Spartans concentrated heavily on military matters, male citizens ('Spartiates') being full-time professional soldiers, and gradually Sparta became the most powerful city-state in Greece.
The city was organized like a military camp. The men ate together in barracks, messmates forming a bond far closer than any family ties. At birth, babies were assessed by state officials, and weak-seeming individuals exposed. Children of both sexes were trained from an early age to endure pain, hardship and deprivation and to excel in physical activities.
Sparta's soldiers were highly regarded, and were noted particularly for their long hair and scarlet military cloaks; they looked fearsome when going into battle.
After the defeat of the Persians in 479 BC, Sparta vied with Athens for control of the Greek world. Sparta was victorious in the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC, but its success was short-lived. In 371 BC the Spartan army was smashed by the Thebans at Leuctra, and Sparta never regained its position of dominance.
