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Sparta
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Sparta was, above all, a militarist state, and emphasis on military fitness began virtually at birth. Shortly after birth, the mother of the child bathed it in wine to see whether the child was strong. If the child survived it was brought before the elders of the tribe by the child's father. The elders then decided whether it was to be reared or not. If found defective or weak, the baby was left on the wild slopes of Mount Taygetos - ... known as Apothetae, or as the Place of Rejection - to die; but it was also common for these rejected children to be adopted by the helots. In this way the Spartans attempted the maintenance of high physical standards in their population.
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Lying some 30 miles (48.3 km) from the sea, in the lovely valley of the Eurotas, Sparta was a state unique in the ancient world. For a start it had two kings, drawn from separate royal families, one of whom, in normal circumstances, commanded the army. But it ... had some quasi-democratic institutions: an assembly which all citizens were entitled to attend, and an elected council and officials. The most important of the latter, the five annually elected ephors, had exceptionally wide and apparently unchallengeable powers during their year of office, though they could only hold the office once. However, the full rights of citizenship were confined to an increasingly narrow group of landowners, who had to pay dues in kind to their military mess, relying on helots to do the work.
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Sparta had a government with checks and balances. The executive branch was led by two kings. The legislative branch was led by the citizens. and the judicial branch was controlled by the elders. There was ... a committee of five men who were in charge of the education process that young boys and girls went through.
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Around 750 BC, Sparta began expanding slowly but steadily. The subjugated population of Laconia either became helots or perioeci. The helots kept their farmland but were required to deliver half of their output to the Spartan state, while the perioeci were inhabitants of cities that remained autonomous, save in matters of foreign affairs and military actions. The perioeci formed a vital part of Spartan society. As Spartans were forbidden non-military pursuits and occupations, the perioeci worked as traders, craftsmen, and artists. From 650 to 620 BC, Sparta brought Messenia under its control.
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Both Athens and Sparta fought a war of attrition. After Pericles died of the plague, Nicias took over and arranged a truce until the colorful character Alcibiades persuaded the Athenians to attack the Greek city-states in Sicily. The Athenian strength had always resided in her navy, but much of the Athenians' fleet was destroyed in this foolish campaign. Still, the Athenians were able to fight effective naval battles until after the Persians had lent their support to Sparta. Then Athens' entire naval force was destroyed. Athens surrendered to the great (but soon to be disgraced) Spartan general Lysander.
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The city of Sparta was originally founded during and after the Mycenaean War, in which the Dorian Spartans crossed the Taygetus mountains and took the territory of the Messenia. However, the original occupants of Messenia did not easily submit to the Spartans' rule, and ... in 640 BC the Messenians revolted. The revolt nearly defeated the Spartans, but they managed to hold strong and continued their rule over the Messenian region. However, obviously outnumbered by the native population of Messenia, and accompanied by other political stresses, the Spartans responded by enacting a military government, or a military oligarchy, formulated by, according to the Spartans, Lycurgus. In such an oligarchic polis, the native population of Messenia was relegated to the status of agricultural slavery, or helots, which only amounted to a life of meek serfdom. Above the helots in status were the perioeci.
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Sparta