Located on the fertile plain in the southeat peloponneuses by the early seventh century BC Sparta had conquered not only Laconia, its home region but also the south west province of messenia thereby amassing an unusually large territory for a greek city state.
Full citizenship was restricted to Spartans proper althrough they only formed a small percantage of the total population.
In maintaining their militairy readines the Spartans first goal may have been to keep their owen subjects in line. the second to ward of enemies.