THIS IS SPARTA

As Sparta, immediately attack those thespian catamites to the east and besiege them. When you do this, use all available armies but place them within reinforcement distance while blocking and dominating the land pass between Athens and Sparta. Beseige Athens BUT DO NOT ASSUALT! Spartans are best used in defense and are better suited for defensive battles. Once that is done, raise another Army and develop military buildings (espcially those that create units). Respect to Ares is wise as the benefits of his patronage is needed for a War Machine.

End Turn

Forced to react to you righteous aggression, Athens will attack. Pursue a defensive stratagem for the ensuing battle. The primary aim is to wear down the Athenian's Army numbers before the Assualt on the City itself. The more devastation inflicted upon the Athenian's Armies during their counter-offensive, the easier to take their city. Send the freshly formed army made in the last turn from Sparta to the front and go for the assualt.

Nota Bene: Try to spread out the upgrading of military traditions to all the armies (pick the spear upgrade)

Once Athens is taken, sack the city as you will need funding to arrange/modify the buildings to make Sparta/Athens a Military producing Province. Furthermore the strain of military focus will mean you will have to sacrifice purely commercial making building and need 'break fall funds' till the next conquest.

Now you are at a crossroad for a decision that will determine Sparta's Destiny.

1. The first option is to scrounge all the fit forces (70% health and over) into one army and immediately form an expeditionary invasion force bound for Knossos (I heard minotaurs make good eating, tastes like Wagyu) while a second army with the recupperating units garrisons Athens. The Third (if you have one, should be with just the General's units and back in Sparta recruiting.

The expeditionary force should not go unescorted so send it with a 4-5 ship navy. The expiditionary force hopefully comprise of (General Unit, 4 Infantry Phalanx, 2 Missile and if possible at least 1 Cavalry). Should you arrive A Knossos and feel they are too strong for your invasion force, feel free to hire worth while Mercenaries (veteran hoplites and Cretan Archers are choice).

Nota Bene: Use mercenaries liberally and put them to good use. Put them in the thick of things and remember, a mercenary idle is money wasted.

Take Knossos, and build buildings that are needed to suppliment shortfalls in the Hellas Province like Public Order, Food, Commerce. Try to build garrison giving buildings and post a small garrison army (General Unit, 2 Phalanx and 1 Missile to suppliment the Garrison) YES IT SUCKS YOU CAN'T GARRISON UNITS LIKE PREVIOUS TOTAL WAR SERIES. This sacrifice in pining a Army in Crete seems pointless but to earn and hold the imperium level is imperative.

Once the Mainland armies are recovered, recruited and upgraded. Take on Epirus, then Macedon in Pella. The province of Macedon should be made into a money making bread basket.
From these two provinces you may launch land based expansion.

2. Send the least experinced Army with the most healthiest units and with a full contingent to the land pass between Larissa and Athens. Send the Second Army with the battered units to Garrison Athens, While the third Recruits. Develop Sparta and Athens into the War Machine discussed earlier for a few turns. Upgrade and replenish all armies to invasion strength and conquer north. When you can take Knossos.

NOTA BENE: DO NOT MAKE ANY CLIENT STATES WITHIN HELLAS AND MACEDONIA. IT INTERFERES WITH MUCH NEEDED IMPERIUM.

Once you have unified western Greece, consolidate and stablise your faction. Sparta being land dominant should expand predominately by land.

Try conquering Illyria, Thrace and keeping it to yourself.

Client States are best kept in Asia Minor.

Keep and Eye on Rome, don't trust them.

When your economy is strong Try to comprise your Armies with the Follow units: General, 2 Spartan Hoplite, 2 Perikoi Hoplites, 2 Perikoi Spearmen, 4 Helot Archers (or 2 Helot and 2 Cretan Archers is nice) 2-4 Citizen Cavalry and 2 Balistas.

Try to force the enemy to attack the fronts of your phalanx units in bottle necks (e.g between buildings, gates and narrow passages). They can chew through 6 infantry units in some instances.

Keeps archers safe, they really do compliment the Phalanx Spearmen.

Spartan Strategy revolves around Phalanx, Archers and Cavalry. Other units are a luxury.

Respect and Honor...