The Spartans were not exactly romantic. When a Spartan male decided it was time to get married and start a family, he would abduct his intended bride from her home. The girl would be turned over to an older woman called a nymphentria who would prepare her for the wedding night. The bride’s hair was cut short and she was dressed like a man. She was left alone in a room to wait. The groom ate his usual meal with his mates in the barracks and then after lights out, he would sneak out and go to his bride. After spending a brief time with her, he would sneak back into the barracks to go to sleep. From then on, he would sneak out periodically to visit his wife.
– Daily Life in Greece at the Time of Pericles by Robert Flaceliere p. 63
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