Sparta

This passage is about ancient Greece.

Lexile Level: 980L

Categories: History People & Places

Ancient Greece was one of the most highly advanced civilizations in history. It flourished for about a thousand years. Greece was not a country as we understand it today. Instead, it was a collection of rival city-states that competed for power and influence. Eventually Athens would come to be the dominant power in ancient Greece. For years, however, one of the strongest city-states was Sparta. The height of Spartan power came in the 5th century BC. The Spartans, who had the best army in ancient Greece, were renowned for their fierceness in battle. One of their most famous exploits occurred in 480 BC when the Persians, numbering at least 60,000 soldiers, led an attack against Sparta. With just 300 soldiers and 700 volunteers, the vastly outnumbered Spartan force successfully defended the city against the invaders. The Battle of Thermopylae is still remembered today as one of the most impressive military victories in history.