Sparta, 490–371 BCE
Hybrid Regime · Republic · Mediterranean · Classical Antiquity era
A militarized oligarchy with dual kings and ephors, resting on the subjugation of the helots, that led Greece against Persia and defeated Athens before its own decline.
Sparta was governed by a mixed constitution of two hereditary kings, a council of elders and annually elected ephors, resting on an economy of subjugated helots. Male citizens passed through the agoge, a state education system that produced a professional hoplite army and a closed, austere society. Sparta led the Greek coalition against Persia and then defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War, briefly dominating Greece. A shrinking citizen body and the defeat by Thebes at Leuctra in 371 BCE ended its hegemony.
Dominant patterns
- Militarization
- External Expansion
- Democratization
- Regime Stabilization
Political-science factor profile
Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).
| Centralization of Power | 52 |
| Media Control | 50 |
| Repression | 72 |
| Nationalism | 58 |
| Militarization | 98 |
| Economic Stress | 45 |
| External Conflict | 82 |
| Cult of Personality | 30 |
| Elite Fragmentation | 42 |
| Institutions | 76 |
| Social Polarization | 62 |
| Corruption & Patrimonialism | 38 |
| Ideological Mobilization | 58 |
| External Sovereignty | 88 |
Economy & society
| GDP per capita | $1100 (intl-$) |
| Population | 240k people |
| Share of world population | 0.23% |
| Territory | ~8500 km² |
| Capital population | ~40k |
Closest historical twins
The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Sparta 490–371 BCE, by similarity score (0–100).
- United States, 1941–1945 – similarity 87/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Democratization, Regime Stabilization
- Great Britain, 1783–1815 – similarity 83/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Democratization, Regime Stabilization
- United Kingdom, 1939–1945 – similarity 81/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Democratization, Regime Stabilization
- United States, 1945–1968 – similarity 81/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Democratization, Regime Stabilization
- Prussia, 1797–1815 – similarity 80/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Democratization, Regime Stabilization
- Roman Republic, 450–390 BCE – similarity 77/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Democratization
- State of Qin, 361–338 BCE – similarity 75/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Regime Stabilization
- Japan, 1905–1918 – similarity 75/100 · shared: Militarization, External Expansion, Democratization, Regime Stabilization
What followed
- A stable militarized oligarchy under the Lycurgan order.
- Manpower decline and defeat by Thebes at Leuctra (371).