Since the latest round of movies that deal in history, i.e., Gladiator, 300, Clash of the Titans, Troy, and so on, there has been a strong interest, mainly from boys, of ancient warriors.  Spartans is a hybrid of sorts, combining history with mythology, and so it appeals to a larger group.  Sparta was/is a Greek city-state and had a large, well-trained, disciplined army of warriors.  Their weapons, helmets, red clothing, shields, and breastplates were all impressive, made for safety as well as to show their strength and superiority, in fighting as well as in life.  All in all, the Spartans were very successful, until overcome by sheer quantity of enemies.  The Persian army (Iranian) significantly outnumbered them and this was, consequently, the end of the Spartans.  It was about 480 B.C.E.  The book was interesting, however, I wished it had a pronunciation key after some of the Greek terms.