The Spartans were unlike any other ancient Greeks. Rather than produce philosophers, artists or theatre players, all Spartan men were born to be warriors. What is the history of Sparta, how did they rise to power and what was their way of life like? \xa0 Sparta was located in a valley on the banks of the river Eurotas in south-east Greece. The city rose to power around 650 BC. Between 492-449 BC the Spartans led the Greek armies in battle against Persian invaders. \xa0 At the battle of Thermopylae three hundred Spartans held off hundreds of thousands of Persians, allowing the rest of the Greeks to escape. After the Persian Wars, civil war broke out and Sparta conquered Athens in the Peloponnesian War which lasted between 431-404 BC making Sparta the dominant power in Greece. \xa0 From birth all Spartan infants were examined by a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects. If a Spartan baby was judged unfit, it was left on a nearby hillside where they either died of exposure or were adopted by strangers. \xa0 Babies were bathed in wine and Spartan women frequently ignored crying to toughen them up. Whilst this may seem harsh, Spartan women were actually sought out for their skills as nurses and nannies.\xa0 | 
