Spartan Empire- why not?

[Ironhand]

You're right about those two putting an end to Spartan dominance, but it was hardly a sudden thing, more like the death knell that had been coming for some time. The Spartans were a great military power, but while you could make comparisons with the Roman military the Spartans as a people were very different. The Spartans were often too stubborn and inflexible that it at times even hurt them militarily and one of the major obstacles is that as a people they are too focused on fighting. I see them falling like the Assyrians except much sooner. Once they expanded to a certain point and they hit a stall point things would begin to fall apart. Spartans did not have as much to exchange to foreigners as Rome did. Few places would have wanted to be Spartan without the big hammer over them. One of the greatest strengths of Rome was that people wanted to be Roman and benefit from involvement with them. As strong as Rome was it could not have held out under too much rebellion that is spread out. On the whole the people that Rome "conquered" were happy with their arrangements and Rome had the liberty to use the resources of the empire to engage whatever enemies they had to when they had to. I am of the opinion that Rome was more fragile than most people realize, but more impressive in its strengths because of it. It really is a cunning, well wrought system.