Growing up in Sparta

All babies born of Spartan citizens showed themselves to the council of elders at a meeting point called Lesque, the elders checked the strength of the baby and said whether he deserved to live or die. The deformed or sick baby was taken to a deep cliff to the.

West of Sparta and they were left to die. Healthy babies had to learn to be strong. Spartan mothers taught them to be left alone in the dark and not to cry or make noise when they were hungry

The Spartan state controlled the education and upbringing of children. It was not like that in the other Greek polis. The Spartans wanted to produce hard and disciplined soldiers,

and they needed strong, healthy women who gave birth to more soldiers, to create the most powerful army in Greece. The training started soon. With the exception of the heirs to the throne, all the young people faced brutal challenges to become warriors without fear

Sparta

The great rival of Athens was Sparta, who did not resemble any other polis. The Spartans were full-time soldiers, members of Greece's only professional army. Sparta had two kings, of two royal families, who ruled together
a council of 28 elders. Five ephors (supervisors) limited the powers of kings and could arrest and depose them.

The ephors, which were chosen every year, supervised the daily functioning of the state. Although assemblies were held, the citizens could not speak in them: they accepted or shouted the decisions taken by the ephors, the kings and the council