In Greece during the eighth century while the polis emerged as an important foundation to the Greek world, it established a new way of enhancing governmental form. At that time the two most famous and powerful city-states were Sparta and Athens. Sparta and Athens had many similarities and differences; they both spoke different dialects and developed different political systems but what they had in common or shared was their background heritage. Their differences grew so large that they began to struggle with their separate realities. When it did happen the entire Greek nation became a failure.
Sparta the oldest city-state was located in the southeastern Peloponnesus, in an area known as Laconia. The Spartans favored durability and obedience. Sparta's governmental system was an oligarchy. The Sparta governmental structure was made up of Ephors- five magistrates by executive and judicial privileges, Two kings- army leaders and chief priests, Gerousia- Council of 30 elders comprised of men 28 elected by the Assembly and the two kings and the Assembly of Citizens- men over 30 yrs old. They do not vote but shout acclamations supporting the decisions of the oligarchy above. Many people viewed it as a totalitarian state. According to document two (2) Plutarch describes the Sparta government, he says "A father did not have the right to bring up his children as he chosen, but had to carry them to a place called Lesche, where the elders officially examined the infant, and if it was well built and sturdy, they ordered the father to bring it up and assigned it one of the nine thousand lots of land; but if it was ill-born and deformed, they were sent it to the so called Apothetae where it was left to die. No man was allowed to live as he pleased, but lived in the city as if in military camp, with definite duties, considering that they belonged to their country and not to themselves." The Spartans were a prisoner in their own land.
