and you are fucking wrong. there is a reason greece repelled the persians. all greek city states fielded elite heavy infantry. spartans not conquering greece is not an indication of sparta being shitty, it's due to how good at fighting the other city states were. the athenians, their perennial rivals, were generally wealthier, better supplied and better equipped. any advantage in training the spartans had was swiftly negated by experience, because greek city-states were constantly at war. the athenians defeated the spartan several times and were beaten in turn by them. same for the thebans and the corinthians, on and on. there is a reason that every successful army that followed after them up until the fall of the rome followed their example, skilled, professional heavy infantry and why the soundly trounced the light infantry conscript army of the persians. every greek city-state was very good at war.
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