Jake Herigstad
History 101
Professor Lowrie
2-22-04
The Growth of Sparta
When looking at the Spartans of the Greek world there are two major aspects that shape them. War and expansion to the social change within the Spartan's boundaries and polis. The two combined aspects helped Sparta achieve greater influence and power in the Greek World. They were now becoming a great group and one that was feared because of their desire to become one.
The Spartans faced many similar problems that other Greek communities did, such as overpopulation and hunger. The difference between the different communities was the Spartans chose to deal with these problems by conquest and instead of colonization. As a whole the Spartans felt that they needed to provide for everyone in their community and the only way in doing so was by taking over other cities. The Spartans put forth an effort; none had seen before; in taking over the different cities they conquered they were the force to be reckoned with.
English: Marble statue of a helmed hoplite (5th ce...
Young Spartans exercising
Territory of ancient Sparta. Data from Kaplan (dir...For starters the Spartans had their eyes set on of the most voluptuous lands in southwestern Peloponnesus. The Spartans set out to conquer Messenia in the first Messenian War which lasted for twenty years. Due to the strong and determined Spartans as well as their oppression of the Messenian people; the Messenian's revolted and became so stubborn that it began the second Messenian War in 650 B.C. Due to the social and political strain this caused it led to the transformation of the their Polis.
To become the power that Sparta was it was not an individual effort but a community effort of all nobles and non-nobles. Just as in the United States of America in the late and early 19th and 20th centuries; the non-nobles demanded rights equal to those of the...