Spartan System and Training

The Spartan system, believed to benefit Sparta, was implemented after receiving an affirmative response.
Evidence suggests the system was in place either at the end of the seventh or the beginning of the sixth century BCE.

The ideal Spartan man was skilled and courageous in battle.
Expected to never run away or surrender.
Always be willing to stand their ground and give up their lives for the city.
Training was designed to produce men who conformed to this pattern.
Spartan men were liable for military service until the age of 60 and needed to stay fit for that duration.

Began at birth, with the state determining a new baby's viability.
Officials examined all newborns to determine their perceived vitality, which determined whether the baby was raised or abandoned.
Female newborns weren't subjected to the same scrutiny because their physical prowess, was not held to the same level as males.
Education didn't take place in the home, but done by the state.
At seven years old, boys would leave home to be trained in groups based on principles encouraging conformity, obedience, group solidarity, and military skills.
Education for boys didn't emphasize reading or writing, but rather on enduring hardships and fending for themselves.
They would go barefoot, sometimes nude, with short hair.
They never wore a tunic, but were given one cloak a year, no matter the weather.
To develop cunning and self-reliance, they were encouraged to steal to supplement their food rations.
By the age of 20, they were allowed to marry but were still required to live in the barracks until the age of 30, apart from their wife.

Women in Sparta had a different way of life.
Just as boys were expected to become warriors, women were expected to birth those warriors.
The upbringing of women was also a major concern for the Spartan state.
Unlike other Greek women who spent most of their time indoors and were regularly given less food than men and no alcohol to drink, Spartan women exercised outside, were well nourished, and drank wine regularly.
In terms of their social obligations, consisted primarily of childbearing.

Spartans had two monarchs, a dual kingship.
These monarchs were both cooperative and competitive.
They were equal in authority and served as a mutual check on the power of the monarchy, and as a form of stability in the event that one died.
Kings had military, religious, and judicial powers.
One king frequently served as the commander of the armed forces, while the other supervised domestic matters at home and took charge if their co king was killed in battle.
They functioned as chief priests and conducted all public sacrifices.
The kings shared their judicial function with the council of elders composed of 28 men, 60 or older.