Spartans in white? Surely not!

[PMBardunias]

Without asking one, I think it is reasonable to propose (Agiads and Eurypontids aside) that your average Spartan/Spartiate citizen at the time would have considered himself to be of one of the three Dorian sub-tribes (Hylleis, Pamphyloi, Dymanes) which also occured in other Dorian city-states - as part of his make-up.

Surely, but it is the notion of "pure" Dorian that I think is a modern one being transposed back on them. Spartans did not try to keep their genes pure- they had no problem accepting worthy Xenos, Mothakes, etc. Amyclae, with its special relationship to Sparta was clearly pre-dorian, with its cult of Hyacinthos.

Can they be Akhaians and Dorians at the same time??? That is truly baffling ...

Depends on how you slice them. I'm an american, which tells nothing of my biology- other than the fact that I consume too much saturated fat and eat genetically modified corn. I'm also a Spartan, or at least a Laconian, a Roman, from Lazio, or a Pole depending on which bloodline you care to follow. So it depends on whether your interest is in reconstructing where I came from and what genes make me up, or what language I speak and why I can't maintain an interest in soccer.