Is it possible for Sparta to develop further from a city-states into an empire? And, if so, how would it culture be like. Would they keep their intense militaristic culture, even after being spread out?
Is it possible for Sparta to develop further from a city-states into an empire? And, if so, how would it culture be like. Would they keep their intense militaristic culture, even after being spread out?
It would need massive, massive social reform. They need to expand the franchise of homoioi and let them marry early and generally change how they handle these men. They also would probably benefit from some actual walls around Sparta.
Sparta's military was mostly there to police the helots. After the Peloponnesian Wars, they went off on a bit of empire-building in Asia Minor and were for the most part successful until the Corinthian War. Manumission for helots was fairly common and they could use those men to settle newly-conquered land in exchange for military service.
They also need to adapt their tactics, by which I mean be more open to combined arms. They had a small number of cavalry, and this needs to be expanded, especially if they want to conquer large tracts of land. Skirmishers were overlooked but still utilised in the form of fighting helots and perioeci.