Sparta represented the pinnacle of military excellence in ancient Greece, and they were both feared and respected for it. But when they were conquered by Rome in the second century BC, they suffered a fate that for many must have seemed worse than death. In an ironic twist, they were turned from the ultimate conquerers into the thoroughly conquered, as the city was converted into the ancient version of the modern amusement park, with the Spartans expected to put on shows for the Roman tourists. The same city-state that produced the legendary 300 warriors who defied the Persian Empire at Thermopylae was transformed into an attraction where visitors could witness performances of what was once an authentic Spartan way of
