Quote Originally Posted by tls5669 View Post
One of their biggest problems was they alienated everyone they conquered, even their allies, everyone hated them. When they fell there was no one there to help them, but I guess they got what they deserved, just like Rome.
wierd then that corinth could drag sparta into a war wich was unwanted

wierd that the spartan armies always had an ephor (magistrate) when going to war to avoid "stupid" mistakes and to remember the soldiers of their duty´s and their merits

the way i see it sparta had a shortage of man for their lands (all of their lands) and since an helot revolt was always present their "assembly" and thus their politics where always mined by the fears they had

they had no true political aim except to protect themselfs and be respected (my personal opinions ofc) and any shift in politics was always hindered by their rethoricians in their assembly since fear is a far better weapon to get votes then reasoning

even their dual kingship made them "weak" politically cause it always made them internally divided

spartan goverment was good to rulle a big village (or small city depending on the concept you prefer to adopt) but not a kingdom or even an empire and when they started expanding and overstreatching they eventually got screwed if not for epaminondas breaking spartan hegemony the spartans would have faded away eventually since every man they lost would be hardly replaced (in terms of military power a dead spartan would have as much effect as for instance 10 soldiers/men of athens)