Life in Sparta

Land Ownership Because Spartiates were full time soldiers every Spartan equal was given a cleros (or kleros), along with slaves to work it. The land for used these cleroi was usually the newly conquered and very fertile Messenian land. The native inhabitants of Messenia were made into the Spartans slaves. They were called the Helots. Spartiates no longer had to worry about money, this economic independence freed the Spartiates to concentrate all their time and …

…scholars have now theorized that young girls also danced naked during the Gymnopaidai in order to present themselves as potential wives. Perhaps this festival also served to promote population growth, a problem with which Sparta would later struggle. Religious festivals promoted a sense of unity within the Spartan community and a sense of thankfulness and respect towards the gods. They were no doubt, a valuable tool in keeping a sense of national pride within Sparta.