They turned their state into a military state, and turned the Messenians into agricultural slaves called Helots. They worked on small plots of land owned by the Spartans, and most of their produce went to the masters of the estate, getting only enough to survive for themselves.
Upbringing.
Everything was now dedicated to making each Spartiate an excellent and loyal soldier. The Process started at birth. A committee of elders inspected newly born babies, and, if considered too weak, they were left to die by exposure on the side of Mount Taygetos. Those who survived were carefully brought up.
The women did not bathe the babies with water, but with wine, sort of making it a test of their strength. Spartans say that the epileptic and sickly ones lose control and go into convulsions, but the healthy ones are rather toughened like steel and strengthened in their physique. The nurses displayed care and skill, they made them sensible and not fussy about their food, not afraid of the dark or scared of being left alone, not inclined to cry or whine. So even some foreigners acquired Spartan nurses for their children.
At the age of seven, a Spartan boy came directly under the control of the city until the time of his death. From this age boys were brought up in groups, which had a prefect system, and were under the control of a state director of education.
They learned reading and writing for basic needs, but all the rest of their education was to make them well disciplined and steadfast in hardship and victorious in battle. For this reason, as boys grew older, the Spartans intensified their training; cutting their hair short and making them used to walking barefoot. .
When the boys reached the age of twelve, they no longer had tunics to wear, but got one cloak a year. Their bodies were tough and not used to baths and lotions. They slept, in groups, on beds they made themselves.
The smallest offences were punishable by whipping, and food was rationed very well, so that the boys were forced to steal to get more.