Sparta!!!

[Gota]

http://www.historynet.com/sparta-the-fa ... empire.htm

Its a long article that explains why Sparta,despite having the most powerful and capable soldiers in the world, and despite ruling all of Greece at some point failed,crumbled, led to the rise of Thebes and eventually Phillipe's Macedonia.

It mostly talks about the connection between Sparta's inflexible social structure, its inability to sustain its army and inner structure and to truly become a Greece-enveloping super-power.

Although it is eventually portrayed as a failing conservative society I still enjoy the fact that without them The Persians would have probably taken over greece.

[KaiserJ]

you should try a book called "the gates of fire" by steven pressfield. very good book about spartans and their defense of the mountain pass at thermopylae

[Machete234]

You should read the adventures of asterix its similar

[KaiserJ]

i've read all of those

thermopylae was around 500 bc iirc, and asterix is closer to 50 bc

[Caydr]

Did 300 finally make it to Israel or something?