Uuuuuff....

I am Spartan. I grew up in Sparta, Greece. I am in my "ancient Sparta" reading phase for some months now, I read everything from (modern) Greek, Foreign authors and researchers, as well as ancient texts with references to Sparta (even books/scrolls about "Helen of Troy" or as we call her in Greece/Greek "beautiful Helene" - Ωραία Ελένη.

There is SO MUCH to know about (Ancient) Sparta.

  Two Kings? - Check
  City without Walls? (who would be crazy enough to attack?) - Check
  Simple legislation? (one written Law - Lycurgus) - Check (debatable - depends on the book/scroll)
  One prison cell - 4 walls, no ceiling, you stay in until some other criminal is convicted and replaced you (not much crime back in the day) - Check

There was a big shift in the change of the dominant 'tribe' (Δωριείς vs Αχαιοί) post the financial ruin and loss of many men of the Trojan War.

Anyway.. for anyone who hasn't read about Ancient Sparta, it is one of the 'things' that reading it will fulfill you.

Fun fact for the movie 300. The producers sent photographers and photographed the valley, mountains, made an actual scenery of the landscape. I remember watching the movie and understanding where EXACTLY they had placed their cameras from the angle of the mountains, etc. I later asked around and they verified my suspicion. One issue though.. they they started "marching north" towards Thermopylae, in reality/in the real landscape they walked to the SOUTH, and I remember watching the movie in Athens, and apparently it was me and some other Spartan in the audience, so we both yelled at that point "hey malakes, you are going the wrong way"

One last thing. Perhaps for the foreigners the most famous phrase is "μολων λαβε". For Greeks (I bet you!) is "ή ταν ή επί τας" which literally translates to "either THE or ON THE", which means "I will either walk back CARRYING my/THE shield, or I will be brought back dead CARRIED ON my/THE shield" (apologies for the caps)