How often did the Spartans used Stealth Attacks?

[Pisces Axxxxx]

I am currently reading "The Spartans" by Paul Cartledge. In the book he stated that contrary to the popular belief that Spartans were all macho and manly and always wanted to fight man-to-man in a chivalric melee, he states the Spartans were not above deceit and indeed used them alot. To be specific,among the things he stated was that Spartans used stealth.

 

 

P. 71
"The main mess meal of the day was held in the evening. No torches were permitted when passing to or from the mess to dine, allegedly in order to habituate the Spartans to stealthy movement by night (something to which Spartan armies were indeed uniquely proficient)."

 

So I'm curious. All we ever hear about the Spartans is their valor in pitch open melee especially at Thermopylae. But I'm learning that deceit was one of the traits of the ideal Spartan warriors.