The Spanish attitude toward change and powerful resistance to it evolved from a number of sources. Some of these are shared with other nations, while some are peculiar to Spain. Two of the main streams of Western civilization, for example, were those represented by Athens and Sparta, and we sometimes forget that the latter has occasionally been cherished as much as the former. The Athenian tradition implies creativity and change, and it stresses freedom of thought and speech and action, and a hatred of tyrants. The Spartan code stresses duty, responsibility, discipline, and makes for a slow changing, uncreative society and an aristocratic government. These two attitudes toward life have had their opponents and adherents throughout the history of the West.