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Sparta was very much a farming state, the Spartan family home was simple and basic, and represented the similarly fashioned Greek farming housing of the time. It was typical for a Spartan home to be made of sun dried mud bricks, with red clay roof tiles.

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Sparta was a state that believed in skills and knowledge over the high life and fancy architecture, the Spartan lifestyle was about preservation rather than celebration. This was reflected in the buildings and architecture of Sparta, simple and functional the Spartan buildings were that of farmers, and this is what Sparta was a collection of the toughest, strongest and most battle ready farmers in ancient Greece.

While Sparta was a state, and indeed the most independent Greek state, it was not a city. Unlike larger city states like Athens where the city was a walled city, Sparta was much more free flowing and unconstrained. This open nature of early Sparta was due in part to many factors, the fact that Spartan were just that, Spartans, they had the respect of many, and no army would enter Sparta without careful consideration. Another factor was the geographical location of Sparta, which sat in the Laconia region of Ancient Greece, and afforded the Spartans some level of natural defence from invaders into their state.

The Spartan family home

Sparta was very much a farming state, the Spartan family home was simple and basic, and represented the similarly fashioned Greek farming housing of the time. It was typical for a Spartan home to be made of sun dried mud bricks, with red clay roof tiles. Homes would typically be single storey, but could have been two storeys, as we are aware they were in ancient Greece. The Sparta homes would often have a courtyard in the middle of the property, and the homes were often painted white to reflect the heat and keep the property as cool as possible in the hot Greek sunshine.

The Spartan barracks

While pursuing their training, the Spartan warrior would live in public barracks. While there are no remains of the barracks themselves we can presume they were very similar to the Spartan homes in construction, but with a more sparse interior.

It's highly likely they were similar in fashion to the Greek barracks of the time, where they would be either square with a courtyard, or a U shaped barrack with an open ended courtyard. The courtyard would be flanked with a roofed walkway around the edges providing much needed shade for anyone not participating in the activities at the time.

The Spartan Helot property

Spartan Helots were afforded much more freedom than many serfs across ancient Greece, and in Sparta they were allowed to have their own property and homes, although the Helots property would never be as impressive as the Spartans.

The ancient theatre of Sparta

One of the remaining sites in Sparta is the ancient theatre. The theatre in its time would have been one the largest in ancient Greece, capable of seating over 15,000 Spartans. The theatre itself has the beautiful backdrop of Mount Taygetus and would have been spectacular when fully built.

The architecture and buildings of ancient Sparta in summary

Unfortunately very little remains of what was ancient Sparta, which means our knowledge on their housing, architecture and buildings are limited. We do know they were similarly constructed to the Greek buildings of the time, and that the Spartans were not creatures of extravagance so we can only presume their buildings were indicative of their nature.

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Sparta was a state that believed in skills and knowledge over the high life and fancy architecture, the Spartan lifestyle was about preservation rather than celebration. This was reflected in the buildings and architecture of Sparta, simple and functional the Spartan buildings were that of farmers, and this is what Sparta was a collection of the toughest, strongest and most battle ready farmers in ancient Greece.

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The Spartan army stood at the center of the Spartan state, citizens trained in the disciplines and honor of a warrior society. Subject to military drill from early manhood, the Spartans became one of the most feared military forces in the Greek world. Wikipedia
The Spartans' constant Military drilling and discipline made them skilled at the ancient Greek style of fighting in a phalanx formation. In the phalanx, the Army worked as a unit in a close, deep formation, and made coordinated mass maneuvers. No one soldier was considered superior to another.

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Sparta was a warrior society in ancient Greece that reached the height of its power after defeating rival city-state Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.). Spartan culture was centered on loyalty to the state and military service. At age 7, Spartan boys entered a rigorous state-sponsored education, military training and socialization program. Known as the Agoge, the system emphasized duty, discipline and endurance. Although Spartan women were not active in the military, they were educated and enjoyed more status and freedom than other Greek women. Because Spartan men were professional soldiers, all manual labor was done by a slave class, the Helots. Despite their military prowess, the Spartans' dominance was short-lived: In 371 B.C., they were defeated by Thebes at the Battle of Leuctra, and their empire went into a long period of decline.
WATCH: Spartan Vengeance on HISTORY Vault
Spartan Society

Sparta, also known as Lacedaemon, was an ancient Greek city-state located primarily in the present-day region of southern Greece called Laconia. The population of Sparta consisted of three main groups: the Spartans, or Spartiates, who were full citizens; the Helots, or serfs/slaves; and the Perioeci, who were neither slaves nor citizens. The Perioeci, whose name means "dwellers-around," worked as craftsmen and traders, and built weapons for the Spartans.

Did you know? The word "spartan" means self-restrained, simple, frugal and austere. The word laconic, which means pithy and concise, is derived from the Spartans, who prized brevity of speech.

All healthy male Spartan citizens participated in the compulsory state-sponsored education system, the Agoge, which emphasized obedience, endurance, courage and self-control. Spartan men devoted their lives to military service, and lived communally well into adulthood. A Spartan was taught that loyalty to the state came before everything else, including one's family.

The Helots, whose name means "captives," were fellow Greeks, originally from Laconia and Messenia, who had been conquered by the Spartans and turned into slaves. The Spartans' way of life would not have been possible without the Helots, who handled all the day-to-day tasks and unskilled labor required to keep society functioning: They were farmers, domestic servants, nurses and military attendants.

Spartans, who were outnumbered by the Helots, often treated them brutally and oppressively in an effort to prevent uprisings. Spartans would humiliate the Helots by doing such things as forcing them to get debilitatingly drunk on wine and then make fools of themselves in public. (This practice was also intended to demonstrate to young people how an adult Spartan should never act, as self-control was a prized trait.) Methods of mistreatment could be far more extreme: Spartans were allowed to kill Helots for being too smart or too fit, among other reasons.

The Spartan Military

Unlike such Greek city-states as Athens, a center for the arts, learning and philosophy, Sparta was centered on a warrior culture. Male Spartan citizens were allowed only one occupation: soldier. Indoctrination into this lifestyle began early. Spartan boys started their military training at age 7, when they left home and entered the Agoge. The boys lived communally under austere conditions. They were subjected to continual physical, competitions (which could involve violence), given meager rations and expected to become skilled at stealing food, among other survival skills.
READ MORE: How Ancient Sparta's Harsh Military System Trained Boys Into Fierce Warriors
The teenage boys who demonstrated the most leadership potential were selected for participation in the Crypteia, which acted as a secret police force whose primary goal was to terrorize the general Helot population and murder those who were troublemakers. At age 20, Spartan males became full-time soldiers, and remained on active duty until age 60.

The Spartans' constant military drilling and discipline made them skilled at the ancient Greek style of fighting in a phalanx formation. In the phalanx, the army worked as a unit in a close, deep formation, and made coordinated mass maneuvers. No one soldier was considered superior to another. Going into battle, a Spartan soldier, or hoplite, wore a large bronze helmet, breastplate and ankle guards, and carried a round shield made of bronze and wood, a long spear and sword. Spartan warriors were also known for their long hair and red cloaks.

Spartan Women and Marriage

Spartan women had a reputation for being independent-minded, and enjoyed more freedoms and power than their counterparts throughout ancient Greece. While they played no role in the military, female Spartans often received a formal education, although separate from boys and not at boarding schools. In part to attract mates, females engaged in athletic competitions, including javelin-throwing and wrestling, and also sang and danced competitively. As adults, Spartan women were allowed to own and manage property. Additionally, they were typically unencumbered by domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and making clothing, tasks which were handled by the helots.

Marriage was important to Spartans, as the state put pressure on people to have male children who would grow up to become citizen-warriors, and replace those who died in battle. Men who delayed marriage were publicly shamed, while those who fathered multiple sons could be rewarded.

In preparation for marriage, Spartan women had their heads shaved; they kept their hair short after they wed. Married couples typically lived apart, as men under 30 were required to continue residing in communal barracks. In order to see their wives during this time, husbands had to sneak away at night.
READ MORE: 8 Reasons It Wasn't Easy Being Spartan
Decline of the Spartans

In 371 B.C., Sparta suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Thebans at the Battle of Leuctra. In a further blow, late the following year, Theban general Epaminondas (c.418 B.C.-362B.C.) led an invasion into Spartan territory and oversaw the liberation of the Messenian Helots, who had been enslaved by the Spartans for several centuries. The Spartans would continue to exist, although as a second-rate power in a long period of decline. In 1834,Otto (1815-67), the king of Greece, ordered the founding of the modern-day town of Sparti on the site of ancient Sparta.

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Sparta was a warrior society in ancient Greece that reached the height of its power after defeating rival city-state Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.). Spartan culture was centered on loyalty to the state and military service. At age 7, Spartan boys entered a rigorous state-sponsored education, military training and socialization program.

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Sparta's economy relied on farming and on conquests of other people. Sparta had fertile soil but there was not enough land to provide food. Spartans took land from their neighbors, who were then forced to work for Sparta. Spartan men were expected to serve in the Army until the age of 60.

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A look at differences & similarities of the economies of Ancient Athens & Sparta. These city-states had some things in common. Their approach to economy was very different. Athens encouraged trade to get what they needed. Sparta took what they needed by force Quiz Which city-state encouraged trading with neighbors.

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The purpose of education in Sparta was to produce and maintain a powerful army. Sparta boys entered military school when they were about six or seven years old. They learned how to read and write, but those skills were not considered very important except for messages.

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In all the Greek city-states, except for Sparta, the purpose of education was to produce good citizens. Children were trained in music, art, literature, science, math, and politics. In Athens, for example, boys were taught at home until they were about six years old. Then boys went to school, where they learned to read and write. They learned to play a musical instrument, usually the flute or the lyre. They learned the poetry of Homer. They learned how to debate and how to give a persuasive speech. They studied science and math. After high school, they attended military school, where they learned to be good warriors. Boys did not graduate from all the schooling they were required to take until they were about 20 years old.

Except for the city-state of Sparta, Greek girls did not go to school. They were taught at home by their mothers. If their mother could read and write, they taught their girls how to do the same, as well as teaching them how to cook and sew and run a household.

Education in Sparta was completely different. The purpose of education in Sparta was to produce and maintain a powerful army. Sparta boys entered military school when they were about six years old. They learned how to read and write, but those skills were not considered very important except for messages. Military school was tough, on purpose. The boys were often hungry. They were often beaten. They slept away from home, in the barracks, with the men. If they cried, they were beaten, sometimes by their own parents. They were taught how to steal and lie and get away with it. These skills could save their life someday. Nearly everything in the Spartan educational system was about war and battle.

Spartan girls went to school to learn to be warriors. Their school was not as brutal, but all girls in ancient Sparta could wrestle and fist fight and handle a weapon. They were taught how to kill. The Spartans believed that strong women produced strong babies. Besides, the women might have to defend the city if the men were away at war. No great works of art came out of Sparta. But most of the other Greek city-states wanted Sparta on their side. The Spartans were great friends to have in times of war.

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Education in Ancient Greece - Ancient Greece for Kids

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In all the Greek city-states, except for Sparta, the purpose of education was to produce good citizens. Children were trained in music, art, literature, science, math, and politics. In Athens, for example, boys were taught at home until they were about six years old. Then boys went to school, where they learned to read and write.

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Spartan political system was a combination of monarchy (kings), oligarchy and democracy. Oligarchy– Sparta always had two kings, the state was ruled by two hereditary kings of Agiad Eurypontid families.

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According to the legend, from period of the king Lycurgus all existing Spartan laws were grounded. Lycurgus had conceived also political institutions, established after consulting with the Delphic oracle. Sparta was a city in Greece in which the form of the kingdom in the form of joint authority was preserved. Spartan political system was a combination of monarchy (kings), oligarchy (Gerousia) and democracy (ephoroi, ephors).

Oligarchy- Sparta always had two kings, the state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families (probably the two gens had great merits in the conquest of Laconia). King was succeeded by his the first born son after he came to power. Spartan kings had royal reputation, "first places in all", holding the biggest portion of lands. They were the supreme commanders of the army. In peacetime they were responsible for the cult and to some legal issues. Both Kings had jointly decided.

The Gerousia had the highest authority in the Spartan state. The Gerousia was a council of elders (senate) which consisted of 28 elders (gerontocrats) and both kings who were members of The Gerousia by position. The elders were elected by the Assembly from among the oldest Spartan champions. These were the elders who turned 60 years old elected was for life, and later their mandate reduced to one year. Elders were inviolable and were not responsible for their actions before the law.

The Gerousia had advisory and legislative function, supervised the work of the government and preparing legislative proposals and other decisions which were to be submitted to the general assembly. They mostly made decisions on criminal matters (the death penalty, persecution). The Gerousia was able to start Procedure Code on its own initiative or at the ephors request (then ephores joinedthe gerousia as judges). The Gerousia was later recognized the power to indict and convict king. They vigilantly guarded the aristocratic state constitution.

Apella (National Assembly) in the beginning was a very important social authority. Members of the apella were all Spartiates who have reached the age of serving the army or after they have reached the age of thirtys. The Apella was legislature, that accepted and rejected laws. Apella elected ephores, elders and lower state officials.

Choices and decisions were carried out by acclamation in Sparta (people or Assembly had unanimously adopted a decision). Because one vote could block a voting, soon it was introduced to the system of voting divisions (depending whether the members were for or against a proposal they moved to the agreed position). Apella was held once pro month. Apella was initially summoned and presided by kings, but from the 5th century BC assembly elected 5 ephores in whose hands was executive authority convening the meeting itself and the management of its operations. Apella was held over the slopes of the Taygetus, where was a good acoustics and shelter from the wind.

Ephors were supervisors. There were 5 and they were elected from five tribal communities. In the beginning they had a king and the gerousia supervisory role and prevented strict control of power of the few. The oldest of five ephors was magistrate eponymos. Their mandate lasted a year and each year they elected a new ephors. From the 5th century they had an executive role of their Assembly decision and could call a meeting and the gerousia and made suggestions. They had the right to make the final decision if the two kings could not agree.

They had the legislative power that enabled them to accuse anyone (even kings). Their supervisor role amplified so much during the time that it destroyed the prestige and authority of kings. Ephors were able to control the private life of the monarch and limited their powers in command of the army, because two ephores accompanied the king to war. They started wars and assembled the peace. They were responsible for the upbringing of the youth were at the forefront of the Spartan diplomacy. They had a secret police ( Crypteia- was established in the 5th century. BC in order to control helots), which was monitored by the Lacedaemonian, Spartiates, helots and Perioikoi communities. Ephors had numerous officials under its administration: monitoring of physical activity, supervision Spartan kitchen, market surveillance, control of the private life of women and others.

Peloponnesian alliance - Spartans in 6th century BC organized the powerful Peloponnesian alliance, Simah, in which Corinth, Epidaurus, Megara, Aegina and other cities in the Peloponnese and around it joined. The members of the Peloponnesian League were autonomous. They were committed only in the case of war against a common enemy to give a certain number of soldiers and recognize the Spartans supreme military command. Assemblies allies were held in Sparta.

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According to the legend, from period of the king Lycurgus all existing Spartan laws were grounded. Lycurgus had conceived also political institutions, established after consulting with the Delphic oracle. Sparta was a city in Greece in which the form of the kingdom in the form of joint authority was