I was talking more about the general perception of spartan military supremacy, which has come under a lot of scrutiny lately and doesn’t hold up too well. Infanticide specifically seems like a (relatively) widespread human practice.
believe it was Crete
I think you’re referring to athens’ disastrous sicilian expedition? That certainly didn’t help but the peloponnesian war is generally counted as ending ~ a decade later. Sometimes historians count the different phases as different wars, but certainly athens’ ‘defeat’ by sparta wouldn’t come till much later, after sparta allied with persia who were uncomfortable with athens’ resurgent power.
because they had help from
I’ve not heard anyone say that post-expedition sicilian support was crucial for sparta, but athens’ mistakes and losses in sicily were a factor. Again though - not spartan military strength or culture.
I was talking more about the general perception of spartan military supremacy, which has come under a lot of scrutiny lately and doesn’t hold up too well. Infanticide specifically seems like a (relatively) widespread human practice.
I think you’re referring to athens’ disastrous sicilian expedition? That certainly didn’t help but the peloponnesian war is generally counted as ending ~ a decade later. Sometimes historians count the different phases as different wars, but certainly athens’ ‘defeat’ by sparta wouldn’t come till much later, after sparta allied with persia who were uncomfortable with athens’ resurgent power.
I’ve not heard anyone say that post-expedition sicilian support was crucial for sparta, but athens’ mistakes and losses in sicily were a factor. Again though - not spartan military strength or culture.