Why did the Spartans become militarized? There were many small factors that led to the militarization of the Sparta. However, the major underlying reason resides in the Messenean War. “The Spartan world derived from four small villages that united to form one polis (Duiker p.102).” With the unification of the villages, the Spartans grew in population and strength. “Like all civilizations that face expansion, the Spartans needed more land to feed the people (WSU).” The land that the Messeneans occupied was the perfect fit for what the Spartans were looking for. Thus, “In 725 B.C.E., The Spartans crossed the mountains and seized control over the Messenean peoples. However, like all conquered people, the Messeneans did not appreciate the loss of their independence. With the help of the city-state of Argos, the Messeneans revolted in 640 B.C.E. This was no ordinary revolt. The Messeneans almost destroyed the city

Through these questions we see how and why Sparta became militarized. After almost being defeated by the Messenean’s, the Lycurgan reforms were established, which sparked a new radical government for a military state. The society was strict and disciplined. Men went through rigorous military training, while women enjoyed more freedoms. Government was secretive, but effective. Social classes increased stability. The Spartans were better off than the Athenians, because of strong social structure and government. This is where the Athenians lacked. These factors lead me to believe that Sparta was a successful state.

Though the aspects of the Spartan world seem radical and harsh, the Spartan society was actually very stable. The government was set up in a way where there was democracy, yet there were kings, and still had stability. The practices of the militarized society actually created an environment where each person had a role, and everybody paid loyalty to it. This kind of system proved to work by its long-lasting history, which shows for their success.

The social classes of Sparta were divided into three classes. “The upper class was the spartiate, who were native Spartan’s who had a hereditary footprint from the original inhabitants. The spartiate served in the army and was the only person who enjoyed the full political and legal rights of the state. The middle class was perioeci, literally “dwellers around or about.” These were mostly foreign people who served as a kind of buffer population between and Spartans and helots (WSU).” This was an important position, because they were the majority of the population and was the basis for a lot of the state’s revenues, for this they were granted many freedoms. The lower class, were the helots, the serfs who were slaves to the state, and led miserable lives. They were the grunts of the society. This structure was crucial to the success of Sparta.

were evaluated to determine whether they were strong or weak. “The weak babies were taken to the hill and left to die of exposure. Exposing weak or sickly children was a common practice in the Greek world, but Sparta institutionalized it as a sta

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