"The same goes for the Spartans. One-against-one, they are as good as anyone in the world. But when they fight in a body, they are the best of all. For though they are free men, they are not entirely free. They accept Law as their master. And they respect this master more than your subjects respect you. Whatever he commands, they do. And his command never changes: It forbids them to flee in battle, whatever the number of their foes. He requires them to stand firm -- to conquer or die." - From Herodotus' dialogue between Demaratos and Xerxes

在公元前八世纪，斯巴达需要更多肥沃的土地来支持日益增长的人口，因此它决定接管并使用其邻国梅塞尼亚人的肥沃土地。不可避免地，结果是战争。第一次梅塞尼亚战争发生在公元前700-680年或690-670年之间。在二十年的战争结束后，梅塞尼亚人失去了自由，成为胜利的斯巴达人的农业劳动者。从那时起，梅塞尼亚人被称为希洛人。

斯巴达：过时的城邦

从珀尔修斯的托马斯·R·马丁（Thomas R.Martin）看《梅塞尼亚的海洛特》（Helot of Messenia）——从荷马到亚历山大的古希腊历史概述

斯巴达人占领了他们邻居们的富饶土地，让他们成为奴隶，强迫劳工。希洛人一直在寻找起义的机会，并及时进行了起义，但斯巴达人在人口极度短缺的情况下取得了胜利。

最终，像农奴一样的希洛人反抗斯巴达统治者，但到那时斯巴达的人口问题已经扭转。当斯巴达赢得第二次梅塞尼亚战争（约公元前640年）时，希洛人的数量可能比斯巴达人高出10:1。由于斯巴达人仍然希望直升机为他们工作，斯巴达的领主不得不想出一种方法来控制他们。

军事国家

教育

在斯巴达，男孩们在7岁时离开母亲，与其他斯巴达男孩一起住在兵营里，在接下来的13年里。他们经常受到监视：

"In order that the boys might never lack a ruler even when the Warden was away, he gave authority to any citizen who chanced to be present to require them to do anything that he thought right, and to punish them for any misconduct. This had the effect of making the boys more respectful; in fact boys and men alike respect their rulers above everything. [2.11] And that a ruler might not be lacking to the boys even when no grown man happened to be present, he selected the keenest of the prefects, and gave to each the command of a division. And so at Sparta the boys are never without a ruler." - From Xenophon Constitution of the Lacedaimonians 2.1

斯巴达国家控制的教育（agoge）不是为了灌输识字，而是为了健康、服从和勇气。男孩们被教授生存技能，被鼓励偷取他们需要的东西而不被抓住，在某些情况下，还可以谋杀希洛特。出生时，不健康的男孩会被杀死。弱者继续被淘汰，幸存下来的人将知道如何应对食物和衣服不足：

"After they were twelve years old, they were no longer allowed to wear any undergarments, they had one coat to serve them a year; their bodies were hard and dry, with but little acquaintance of baths and unguents; these human indulgences they were allowed only on some few particular days in the year. They lodged together in little bands upon beds made of the rushes which grew by the banks of the river Eurotas, which they were to break off with their hands with a knife; if it were winter, they mingled some thistle-down with their rushes, which it was thought had the property of giving warmth." - Plutarch

与家人的分离贯穿了他们的一生。成年后，男人们并没有和妻子住在一起，而是和西斯提亚的其他男人一起在公共食堂吃饭。婚姻只意味着秘密的调情。即使是女性也没有被要求忠诚。斯巴达人被要求提供规定份额的给养。如果失败，他们将被驱逐出西斯提亚，并失去一些斯巴达公民权。

利库格斯：服从

From Xenophon Constitution of the Lacedaimonians 2.1 "[2.2] Lycurgus, on the contrary, instead of leaving each father to appoint a slave to act as tutor, gave the duty of controlling the boys to a member of the class from which the highest offices are filled, in fact to the "Warden" as he is called. He gave this person authority to gather the boys together, to take charge of them and to punish them severely in case of misconduct. He also assigned to him a staff of youths provided with whips to chastise them when necessary; and the result is that modesty and obedience are inseparable companions at Sparta."

第11届布里塔尼卡-斯巴达

斯巴达人基本上是从7岁开始接受国家体育锻炼的士兵，包括舞蹈、体操和球类运动。年轻人由一名警察监督。20岁时，年轻的斯巴达人可以加入军队和社交或餐饮俱乐部syssitia。30岁时，如果他出生时是一名斯巴达人，接受过培训，并且是俱乐部的成员，他就可以享有完全的公民权。

斯巴达体系的社会功能

来自《古代历史公报》。

作者塞萨尔·福尼斯（César Fornis）和胡安·米格尔·卡西利亚斯（Juan Miguel Casillas）怀疑是否允许希洛特人和外国人在斯巴达人中参加这个餐饮俱乐部机构，因为用餐过程中发生的事情是为了保密的。然而，随着时间的推移，海洛特可能已经被承认，可能是以奴隶身份，来说明过量饮酒的愚蠢。

更富有的斯巴达人可以贡献比他们所需要的更多的东西，特别是一种甜点，届时将公布赞助人的名字。那些连自己需要的东西都负担不起的人将失去威望，变成二等公民[hypomeia]，与那些因怯懦或不服从[tresantes]而失去身份的其他丢脸公民相比，他们的境况并没有显著改善。