The reasons are clearly stated. Mental clarity is not one of them. Not even as a by-product. Athenian: "Physical training was seen as necessary for improving o

The reasons are clearly stated. Mental clarity is not one of them. Not even as a by-product. Athenian: "Physical training was seen as necessary for improving one’s appearance, preparation for war, and good health at an old age." Spartan: "The pursuit of intellectual knowledge was seen as trivial, and thus academic learning, such as reading and writing, was kept to a minimum. A Spartan boy’s life was devoted almost entirely to his school, and that school had but one purpose: to produce an almost indestructible Spartan phalanx."