Inward-looking and self-sufficient, the Spartans were the most feared hoplites (infantrymen) in all Greece. They lived an austere life, despising any sort of luxury, in a city that contained neither ...

Despite being rivals, many Athenians admired the government, clothing, and austerity of the Spartans. Falling prey to “Laconophilia,” some began to adopt the mannerisms and even dress like their ...