Was Sparta’s society as strong as their military? Sparta was a city-state in Ancient Greece. They were known for their strong military and highly valued strength but dismissed education.They had more Helots (slaves) than citizens and made them do everything but fight. Even with their strong military they only lasted 300 years. Because of this, their weakness in society outweighed their strengths in the military. They lacked education, beat young boys to the point of death, and abused the Helots.

First off, the Spartans lacked a formal education. In document D it says, “[The Spartans] learned to read and write for purely practical reasons.” They focused almost entirely on obedience, bodily fitness, and courage. Spartans weren’t allowed to leave the city-state for reasons other than war. Back then, that was one of the few ways to get an …show more content…
This was called ‘The Flagellation’. In document D it explains that ‘The Flagellation’, “as to which one of them could endure being beaten for the longer time and the greater number of blows. And the one who was victorious was held in the special repute.” The first to collapse disgraced his family. Sometimes the boy would die during ‘The Flagellation’. Though they endured it bravely, cheerful, and proud. But that’s not all Spartan boys had to endure. Instead of softening their feet with sandals they forced them to go barefoot to harden their feet so they could endure rough terrain. Doing would cut up their feet and probably get them infected and sick. Instead of getting multiple garments they were allowed one garment per year so they could more easily face the heat and cold. This also spreads germs getting everyone sick more easily. They starved them, encouraged them to steal, and beat them if they were caught so they learn how to steal from the enemy and work on an empty stomach. Even so, starving them caused them to heal more slowly and they beat them