Sparta- An ancient city in Greece, the capital of Laconia and the most powerful state of the Peloponnese.
In Sparta religion was a way of bringing the community together and uniting the Gods with the everyday political and social institutions of the Spartan state.
The mythical twin Spartan heroes the Dioscuri Castor and Pollux were particularly important to the Spartans.
Other Gods that were worshipped by the Spartans were Apollo Larneios, Apollo Chalkioikos, Helen, Leucippide and Lykourgos..
However, Gods such as Hephaestus who were popular in other parts of Greece were not worshiped by the Spartans. Another God such as Dionysus who was the god of wine was also not worshipped by the Spartans as they did not drink wine because they believed this was not conductive to produce good warriors.
Spartans strongly supported their religion and had serious attitudes to religion and were well-known for their obedience to the Gods.
Young Spartans exercising
Sparta, New Jersey
3D Apollo 15 Wider AreaHerodutus tells us the importance of religion to the Spartans in the famous story at Pheidippides, the Athenian runner who was send to Sparta asking help for the battle of Marathon.
Herodotus states that "The Spartans, though move by the appeal, and willing to send help to Athens, were unable to send it promptly because they did not wish to break their laws. It was the 9th day of the months and they said they could not take the field until the moon was full."
Frank J. Frost also tells us that "The Spartans has obviously committed themselves to assisting the Athenians an any clash with the Persians. Nevertheless, when the news arrived that the Persians had landed at the Marathon on the Attic coast in 490, the Spartans were careful to be celebrating an obligatory religious festival that
prevented them from coming immediately
to the Athenians' defense." This...