Facts About Sparta That Sound Made Up - But Aren't

1.Spartans Annually Declared War On Their Slaves And Exterminated The Strongest Ones

The poor Helots really couldn't catch a break. In addition to doing all the laborious tasks for the Spartan society, every year the Spartans declared a Hunger Games-style spree on the Helots.

The Crypteia - young Spartan men who had just completed their military training - were encouraged to slay as many slaves as they could, especially the strongest and fittest. This yearly terror showed the Helots the dominance of the Spartan force, and quelled any thoughts for uprisings. 

Ironically, since the Helots constituted such a large portion of the Spartan population (seven Helots to every one Spartan), there was still always fear of an uprising. This fear was a driving factor in maintaining the vigorous military way of living for the Spartans, which created a vicious cycle.

2. Tombstones Were Only Given to People Who Perished In War - Or Childbirth

Spartan culture was in every way centered around being soldiers, in both life and beyond. While burying the deceased was common around the world at that time, Spartan citizens only received a tombstone for two special cases.

In the first case, Spartans that were slain on the battlefield were often buried on that battlefield. Their simple tombstone was inscribed with only their name and the phrase "in war" beneath it.

In the second case, women who perished in childbirth were also recognized with tombstones. Because they bore the future warriors of Sparta, Spartan women were respected members of society. However, it remains unknown what was inscribed on their headstones.

3.Spartan Brides Shaved Their Heads Bald On Their Wedding Nights

Forget trying to figure out the perfect updo - Spartan women cut their hair short or shaved off their locks completely before their wedding ceremonies. Why? Some historians think it was to signal the transition from virgin to woman.Virgins wore their hair long, but upon becoming a wife, a woman was not allowed to wear her hair long again. 

But the head shaving was just the beginning of the makeover. Next, the brides put on men's clothes and sandals. They then waited for their grooms to steal them away in the night (as they couldn't live together until he was 30). 

4.Spartan Boys Began Their Military Training At Age 7

Typical milestones for a 7-year-old in the modern age: developing a sense of time, being able to solve simple math problems, and becoming empathetic

Typical milestones for a Spartan 7-year-old: learning how to wield a sword, living away from parents, and stealing food.

Spartan boys were taken from their parents at the tender age of 7 and thrown into military training. They often competed in physical (and violent) mediated fights with other boys, and were flogged if they didn't live up to expectations. This included being punished if they were caught while stealing food, which they were told to do. (And if they cried while being flogged, they were punished again until they could bear the pain in silence.)

At 12, the boys were sent out to the wilderness with nothing but a cloak and expected to fend for themselves. If they survived this experience (and their training altogether), the boys joined the Spartan army at age 20, where they remained reserve soldiers until reaching the age of 60.

6.Come And Take Them!' Was First Said By A Spartan

Perhaps the most famous Spartan was King Leonidas (portrayed by Gerard Butler in 300). King Leonidas did, by all accounts, lead a small army of Spartan soldiers against a much larger Persian army. According to Plutarch (a famous Greek philosopher), Leonidas actually said, "Come and take them!" when the the Persian ruler, Xerxes I, demanded that the Spartans surrender their weapons. 

Another great quote from history is also from this battle. When a soldier noted, "Because of the arrows of the barbarians it is impossible to see the sun." Leonidas (or his soldier, Dienekes) replied, "Won't it be nice, then, if we shall have shade in which to fight them?"

7.Spartan Men Couldn't Live With Their Wives Until They Were 30 Years Old

That beautiful moment when a newly married couple walks through the threshold of their new home together... didn't really exist for many Spartan newlyweds. 

Since Spartan men were actively part of the military from ages 7 to 30, they were required to live in military barracks until the age of 30. While Spartan culture preferred men to marry at this age (and women at 20), many married several years earlier. For these unlucky couples, they weren't able to sleep under one roof together for years. 

Marriage, in general, was actually very important to the Spartan way of life - so much so that Spartan bachelors were often looked down upon and ridiculed for not adding to the flock of Sparta.

8.Spartan Women Were Allowed To Exercise In Public - Naked

Physical fitness was renowned in Spartan society, and this idea extended to men and women.

To maintain strong physiques, people frequently exercised outside unclothed. In Spartan culture, the naked body was not seen as lust-inducing, and instead taught women "a care for good health." Women would often compete in sports, including footraces and even wrestling.

In the Spartans' eyes, strong women bred strong babies, so a level of independence was afforded to Spartan women that was not common in many other places in the world at the time.