Spartans were judged on their physical appearance as a baby if they deserved to live. The parents had no choice. At age seven the children were trained in barracks. The training was harsh. The went without shoes, they were forced to face heat and cold, ate little, and were faced to steal. If they were caught stealing, they were whipped. These were the training methods of Sparta, to train Spartans to face the difficulties of war. The Spartans may have been harsh, but they became strong to face many challenges. The Spartans only focused on their military. The Spartans were strong individuals, but they also used teamwork. They used a battle formation called the phalanx. The phalanx consisted of a group of soldiers with interlocking shields, a short sword, and a thrusting spear for each individual. This formation requires intense training, concentration, and teamwork. The Spartans had a low population and were often outnumbered, but using the phalanx, they usually won the battles. The Spartan advantages outweigh the disadvantages because they usually won even though they were outnumbered. It is true that Spartan education had some disadvantages when it came to lowering the population due to harshness. However, the three reasons presented above - discipline, individual toughness, and army - show that, in the end, the advantage of Spartan education did overcome the