"I believe the Spartans weren't known as nice and understanding bunch." Actually, I think it was the opposite in terms of their general personalities. They wer

"I believe the Spartans weren't known as nice and understanding bunch." Actually, I think it was the opposite in terms of their general personalities. They were renown and respected for doing the "right thing" no matter what the personal cost may be. There's a story to that effect, which might be only a legend, but it goes like this: "An old man wandering around the Olympic Games looking for a seat was jeered at by the crowd until he reached the seats of the Spartans, whereupon every Spartan younger than him, and some that were older, stood up and offered him their seat. The crowd applauded and the old man turned to them with a sigh, saying "All Greeks know what is right, but only the Spartans do it." (http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/8c.html http://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/8c.html)