Why was Sparta not a sea power?

Answer 1

It did for some reason early appear on the Thalassocracy (top sea power) list, but basically it was an inland city, and its interests were on maintaining control of its extensive lands in the Peloponnese. It did again achieve sea leadership during the Peloponnesian War after Persia handed it the gold to maintain a fleet, which destroyed the Athenian one at the end of that war; thereafter it ceased again to be interested in naval power. The cost of naval power was money - 200 sailors/rowers per ship cost a lot of money per year, and where did this come from? Not a farming country like Sparta. Athens afforded it for a period from the tribute it levied from its empire, and later from trade as there was a dividend from facilitating that trade. Answer The people of Sparta only ever built one colony. In order to build colonies you need a powerful navy to sail protected to where you wish to go. Sparta never became a sea power because she focussed on colonising the land around Laconia, such as Messenia. Her gave never needed to cross the sea, and so didn't. Further viewThe colonies of Sparta are generally considered to be Tarentum (Taras), Kythera, Thera, Melos, Knidos, Lyktos, Kyrene, Magnesia, Alabanda, Kibyra, Synnada, Salagassos, Selge, and Amblada. So the 'one colony only' point isn't valid. And although colonies usually retained a close relationship with and honoured their mother cities (not alway so - vide Corinth's problems), the colonies were independent and self sustaining. Being a naval power was not a necessity in order to send out colonies - this was a function of over-population, a place to send surplus males, troublesome unpropertied class, and political opponents.