Legendary Spartans The Spartans are known for their ferocity on the battlefield. But what made them capable of becoming a society? A Spartan did not simply become a citizen as there were rigorous and often painful tests that Spartans had to undergo to be recognized as citizens. It has been documented in many readings and sources that Spartan boys were taken from their homes and families at the age of seven (Spartan Education). They were sent away to join the public education system training to become warriors. This alone set the standard for Spartan dedication. With most of the male Spartans in battle, it left room for women to play a leading role in governing the city-state. The women of Sparta received a significant amount of rights that allowed them to own land and distribute it as they saw fit. All the training would have been for nothing if the Spartans had not had innovative fighting techniques and major advances in their weapons. Sparta was an ideal society because it had an admirable educational system, made important technological innovations in ancient warfare, offered women considerable rights, and proved crucial to Greece's unification and victory against the Persians. EducationFurther understanding of what it meant to be a Spartan citizen, or “Spartiate,” is essential to understanding Spartan social classes. There had been three main classes that had built Sparta. The Spartiates are obviously at the top of the list, leaving the Perioecians behind and the Helots at the bottom. The so-called Spartiates were the tip of the iceberg in Spartan society. They consisted of a small group of people who were the only true 'citizens' of Spart... middle of paper... dominated by the majority of men in their society and were also kept physically and mentally fit. Sparta had also been a leader in technological advances. creating new types of light and heavy armor and implementing strong military formations that actually worked on the battlefield. Further proving that the Spartans were brave warriors was the Battle of Thermopylae, where King Leonidas and his 300 infantrymen stood against 80,000 Persian soldiers in a stunning last-man-standing defense. These are the reasons why Sparta was an ideal society and why it is still highly valued today.Works Cited1.https://www.csupomona.edu/~plin/ls201/greece4.html2.3.http:/ /www .ancient.eu.com/thermopylae/4.http://www.usistory.org/civ/4e.asp.5.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_I_of_Caria6.http://www .larkin .net.au/ah_hsc/Sparta/009_sparta_perioeci.html