If you've ever seen the movie 300 (if you haven't, stop what you're doing right now and go watch it–clock out early and just watch it; you won't regret it), you know how totally badass the Spartans were compared to the rest of the world.

This was a tiny city-state that took on pretty much the entire world at the time and thoroughly handed them their asses even though they and their allies were outnumbered over 500 to 1.

They were eventually defeated and have since faded into antiquity, but their courage and heroism were so great that even today they are considered the most formidable military force in the history of the planet (and maybe the universe).

But what made them so great? It wasn't their numbers; there weren't that many of them. It wasn't their wealth; Sparta shunned wealth so much that they outlawed money.

What separated Spartans from the rest of the world, particularly the Athenians (the other Greek powerhouse at the time), was their deeply-ingrained courage.

While the Athenians were driven by boldness, the Spartans were driven by courage. What's the difference? Read on to make the distinction.

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