The Spartans were a unique militarized society of citizen warriors in history and were renowned for their sense of duty, willingness to sacrifice, and exceptional tenacity in battle. Their courage and taciturnity made them heroes of immortal legends. The book, written by one of the leading experts on the history of Sparta, British historian Paul Cartledge, shows the formation, flourishing and decline of Spartan society and the enormous influence that the Spartans had not only on Ancient times, but and for our time. On the pages of the book such historical figures as Lycurgus and the hero of Thermopylae, King Leonidas, come to life. The author was able to prove that Spartan women played a very important and prominent role and had great influence in this seemingly purely male community. We also included in our publication Paul Cartledge's book dedicated to the legendary battle of Thermopylae. On this famous battlefield, the heroic efforts of a handful of Greek warriors changed hundreds of generations' understanding of the duty of citizen and soldier for centuries. The Battle of Thermopylae was a clash of civilizations and a turning point in world history, forever defining the identity of the Western world.