Spartan changed in every aspect from the smallest baby to the eldest citizen. The military and the city-state became the center of the Spartan existence. The state determined everything in Spartan citizens lives, including who would live and who would die.From the time that an infant was born the government decided their fate. At birth the child was inspected, both male and female, by a committee of the elders of the city-state. If the infant appeared weak or sickly the babies they ordered the infant to be left in the hills to die of exposure. By this practice Sparta hoped to ensure that only those who were physically fit would survive. Exposing weak and sickly children was a common practice in the Greek world, but Sparta institutionalized it as a state activity rather than a domestic activity. Those babies that did survive were brought up in an odd way. The women did not bath babies with water, but instead with wine, making it a test of strength. They believed that the epileptic or sickly babies would lose control and go into convulsions, but the healthy ones were toughened and became stronger. They did not swaddle the babies, instead they would leave them free. They insisted on the babies not being fussy about their food, and they were not allowed to be afraid of the dark and was often left alone in the dark. They were not allowed to whine or be unpleasant.At the young age of seven years old the male Spartan was removed from their homes and parental controls and came into direct control of the city-state and was sent to the military and athletic schools to live. These schools taught toughness, discipline and endurance, often the endurance of severe pain, and survival skills. The strongest and most courageous youths were made captains. The boys slept in dormitories of hard beds of rushes. The boys daily food was deliberately rationed and consisted of no more than black broth and coarse food. They wore the simplest and ...
