Religion occupies a more important place in Sparta than in the other cities. The number of temples and sanctuaries testifies to this:43 temples of divinities (ἱερόν / hieron), 22 temples of heroes (ἡρῷον / hêrỗion), about fifteen statues of gods and four altars. To this must be added the many funerary monuments since Sparta buries its dead inside its walls, some of which are also places of worship:this is the case of those of Lycurgus, Leonidas I or Pausanias I.
Cults and deities
Female deities play a more important role than elsewhere:out of 50 temples mentioned by Pausanias, 34 are dedicated to goddesses. Athena, under a great number of epicleses, is the most honored of all. Apollo has few temples, but his importance is crucial:he plays a role in all the major Spartan festivals, and the most important religious monument in Laconia is the throne of Apollo at Amycleia.
Another particular feature is the cult dedicated to the heroes of the Trojan War. Achilles is, according to Anaxagoras, "honored as a god", and he has two sanctuaries. Likewise, Agamemnon, Cassandre (under the name of Alexandra), Clytemnestra, Menelaus or even Helen are venerated.
Sparta also makes an important cult to Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri, twins of Zeus. Pindar makes them the "stewards of Sparta", and tradition makes the city their birthplace. Their duality recalls that of kings. A number of miracles are attributed to them, especially in the defense of the Spartan armies (they go on campaign alongside the kings, represented by twin amphoras).
Finally, Heracles is also a kind of national hero in Sparta. He is reputed to have helped Tyndareus regain his throne. It is he who is said to have built the temple of Asclepius in the city. The Twelve Labors are amply represented in Spartan iconography. It is typically the deity of youth.
Sacrifices and divine signs
Therefore, priests enjoy a particularly important place. The two kings themselves have the status of priests:they are responsible for public sacrifices, which are very important, especially in times of war. Before the departure of an expedition, we sacrifice to Zeus Agétor, when crossing the border, it is to Zeus and Athena, before the battle at Ares Ényalios. Respect for rites, religious festivals and divine signs is manifested in many anecdotes, where the Spartans give up fighting in the face of unfavorable omens, or manifestations such as earthquakes.
Archaic characters
Religion in Sparta is also striking in its archaic aspects. Thus, there are survivals of non-anthropomorphic cults (Boiai, in Laconia, venerates a myrtle under the name of Artemis sôteira). Pausanias also speaks of 15 ξόανα/xoana in Laconia, including 6 in Sparta – these are crudely depicted wooden statues, predating the Olympic religion. Archaism is also found in Spartan religious festivals (see Gymnopaedia, Hyacinthia and Karneia), and in certain sacrifices (sacrifice of horses to Helios on Mount Taygetos).