The
polis of
Sparta was the greatest
military land power of classical
Greek antiquity. During the
classical period, Sparta governed, dominated or influenced the entire
Peloponnese. Additionally, the defeat of the
Athenians and the
Delian League in the
Peloponnesian War in 431-404 BCE resulted in a short-lived Spartan dominance of the Greek world from 404 to 371 BCE. Due to their mistrust of others, Spartans discouraged the creation of records about their internal affairs. The only histories of Sparta are from the writings of
Xenophon,
Thucydides,
Herodotus and
Plutarch, none of whom were Spartans. Plutarch was writing several centuries after the period of Spartan hegemony had ceased. This creates difficulties in understanding the Spartan political system, which was distinctly different from any other Greek polis.