The Spartans were even taught to speak in a short and blunt manner; they were taught not to waste words; they must say what they had to say in as few words as possible. This manner of speaking we call “Laconic” from the name Laconia, the state in which Sparta was located. Once a king wrote to the Spartans a threatening letter, saying that they had better do what he told them to, for _if_ he came and took their country, he would destroy their city and make them slaves. The Spartans sent a messenger back with their answer, and when the letter was opened, it contained only one word: “_IF!_” Even to-day, we call such an answer, short but to the point, a Laconic answer. Did all this hard training and hard work make the Spartans the greatest people in the world? Lycurgus did make the Spartans the strongest and best fighters in the world--but-- The Spartans conquered all the peoples around about them, though there were ten times as many--but-- They made these people their slaves, who did all their farming and other work--but-- We shall see later whether Lycurgus’s idea was right. North of Sparta was another great city of Greece called Athens. There were, of course, many other towns in Greece, but Sparta and Athens were the most important. In Athens the people lived and thought quite differently from those in Sparta. The Athenians were just as fond of everything beautiful as the Spartans were of discipline and of everything military. The Athenians loved athletic games of all sorts just as the Spartans did, but they also loved music and poetry and beautiful statues, paintings, vases, buildings, and such things that are known as the “arts.” The Athenians believed in training the mind _as well_ as the body. The Spartans believed the training of the body was the all-important thing. Which do you like better, the Athenians’ idea or the Spartans’ idea? Once at a big game a very old man was looking for a seat on the Athenians’ side. There was no seat empty, and no Athenian offered to give him one. Whereupon the Spartans called to the old man and gave him the best seat on their side. The Athenians cheered the Spartans to show how fine they thought this act. At this the Spartans said: “The Athenians _know_ what is right but they don’t _do_ it.” 15 The Crown of Leaves Greek boys and young men and even girls loved all sorts of outdoor sports. They didn’t play football or baseball or basketball, but they ran and jumped and wrestled and boxed and threw the discus--a thing like a big, heavy dinner-plate of iron. From time to time matches were held in different parts of Greece to see who was the best in these sports.