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'''Sparta''' was a [[Greece|Greek]] [[city state]] known for its military strength.  

'''Sparta''' was a [[Greece|Greek]] [[city state]] known for its military strength.  

An ancient city-state, its early history is clouded but it goes back to at least 1200 BC.  The historical Spartans are believed to have descended from the Greek-speaking [[Dorians]], who invaded the country between around the end of the twelfth century BC to the end of the eleventh.<ref>Robinson, Cyril E. (1929). ''A History of Greece'' (London: Methuen), p. 20, 45.</ref> Sparta was one of the two major regional powers through much of ancient Greek history, along with its chief rival [[Athens]]. Politically and culturally it was a military state in which its citizens enjoyed few amenities of life, hence the term spartan we use today denotes a lack of things, not poverty as such, simply a lack of things without a practical purpose. Although often in conflict or competition with Athens and some of the other city-states, their military strength was ultimately vital in protecting Greece from long-term domination by outside threats and helping forge a single Greek [[nation]]. Even though Sparta itself had little use for art, music, philosophy and other non-military aspects of life, their strength helped preserve such things in Athens from destruction by outside powers (particularly the mighty [[Persian Empire]]).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151031121338/http://www.sikyon.com/Sparta/history_eg.html "History of Sparta"] (October 2015 or bef.). ''Sparta''.  Retrieved from archive of Sikyon.com website at Internet Archive.</ref>

An ancient city-state, its early history is clouded but it goes back to at least 1200 BC.  The historical Spartans are believed to have descended from the Greek-speaking [[Dorians]], who invaded the country between around the end of the twelfth century BC to the end of the eleventh.<ref>Robinson, Cyril E. (1929). ''A History of Greece'' (London: Methuen), p. 20, 45.</ref> Sparta was one of the two major regional powers through much of ancient Greek history, along with its chief rival [[Athens]]. Politically and culturally it was a military state in which its citizens enjoyed few amenities of life; hence, the term spartan we use today denotes a lack of things, not poverty as such, simply a lack of things without a practical purpose. Although often in conflict or competition with Athens and some of the other city-states, their military strength was ultimately vital in protecting Greece from long-term domination by outside threats and helping forge a single Greek [[nation]]. Even though Sparta itself had little use for art, music, philosophy and other non-military aspects of life, their strength helped preserve such things in Athens from destruction by outside powers (particularly the mighty [[Persian Empire]]).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151031121338/http://www.sikyon.com/Sparta/history_eg.html "History of Sparta"] (October 2015 or bef.). ''Sparta''.  Retrieved from archive of Sikyon.com website at Internet Archive.</ref>

A famous battle was fought at [[The Battle of Thermopylae|Thermopylae]] where a small band of Spartans and other Greeks held off the [[Iran|Persian]] army led by [[Xerxes]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151011002404/http://www.sikyon.com/sparta/sparta_eg.html ''Sparta''] (October 2015 or bef.) Retrieved from archive of Sikyon.com website at Internet Archive.</ref>

A famous battle was fought at [[The Battle of Thermopylae|Thermopylae]] where a small band of Spartans and other Greeks held off the [[Iran|Persian]] army led by [[Xerxes]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151011002404/http://www.sikyon.com/sparta/sparta_eg.html ''Sparta''] (October 2015 or bef.) Retrieved from archive of Sikyon.com website at Internet Archive.</ref>