Sparta
Sparta in mythology
In Greek mythology the founder of the city was Lacedaemon, a son of Zeus,
who gave his name to the region and his wife's name to the city. Sparta was
also an important member of the Greek force which participated in the Trojan
War.
Sparta- was located in the valley of Laconia in the southeast Peloponnese.
- was one of the most important Greek city-states
- known for its militaristic culture and women’s rights
- was a dominant military power in classical Greece.
The knowledge we have on the history of ancient Sparta is based on myths and
legends. According to the legend, Sparta was founded by Lacedaemon who was
the son of Zeus and the husband of a woman named Sparta.
Sparta has become known in history for its military strength, discipline,
heroism, and a large number of slaves. Sparta’s total dedication to military
greatness and discipline earned them their fearsome reputation and their
enemies’ respect.
Boys to Men
From birth, Spartan boys were prepared both physically and mentally for their
later, combat service. Most boys lived with their families until age seven, after
which time they were delivered to the agoge—part military academy, part boot
camp—to be trained as soldiers.
The first-century Roman historian Plutarch details the regime to which young
Spartans were subjected:
Their training was calculated to make them obey commands well, endure
hardships, and conquer in battle ... When they were 12 years old, they no
longer had tunics to wear, received one cloak a year, had hard flesh, and
knew little of baths. They slept together ... on pallet-beds which they
collected for themselves, breaking off with their hands—no knives allowed—
the tops of the rushes which grew along the river Eurotas.
Growing up Spartan
From age seven, a Spartan boy was sent to the military academy known as
the agoge, where he would be put under the supervision of a teacher and
instructor. From there, he would then be enlisted in the Spartan army. From
age 20 to 29, he was part of the hebontes, an age group regarded by Spartan
society as not yet fully adult, since marriage was only encouraged after age 30.
In theory, all Spartan males were bound to military service until achieving the
status of elder, at age 60, but many continued to serve on the battlefield.
Spartan Hoplite
hoplite - was the most common type of heavily armed foot-soldier in ancient
Greece . The Spartan hoplites were the elite. Sparta fielded the best infantry in
the ancient world for many years. Babies who appeared weak or sick were left
to die; strength and discipline were the only things that mattered in Sparta.
These hoplites were even better-trained than the Romans legionaries.
Spartan society
The population of Sparta consisted of three main groups: 1. the Spartans, who
were full citizens; 2. the Helots - slaves; Helots could not own property and so
could not rise to become full-citizens. And 3. the Perioeci, who were neither
slaves nor citizens. The Perioeci, worked as craftsmen and traders, and built
weapons for the Spartans. Like all Greek societies Sparta was dominated by
male citizens and the most powerful of those came from aristocracy.
Women in Sparta had a better lot than in other Greek city-states. In Sparta
they could own property which they often gained through dowries and
inheritances. In fact, women became amongst the richest members of society,
as their men were killed in the many wars, and eventually controlled 2/5th of
Spartan land. In addition, Spartan women could also move around with
reasonable freedom, they could enjoy athletics (done in the nude like men),
and even drink wine. All of these freedoms would have been unacceptable in
other Greek city states.
Spartan government
2 kings ruled Sparta and Spartan army
• 5 elected officials ran the government
• The Council of Elders, made up of 30 citizens, proposed laws. Each member of
the council- 60 years, from a noble family.
• All Spartan citizens were part of the Assembly. The Assembly elected officials
and voted on the laws proposed by the council. Assembly members were only
male citizens at least 30 years of age. Assemblies were held once a month.
Spartan economy
While Athens’s economy depended on trade, Sparta’s economy relied on
farming. Although Sparta had fertile soil, there was not enough land to provide
food for everyone. When necessary, Spartans took the lands they needed from
their neighbours, who were then forced to work for Sparta. Because Spartan
men were expected to serve in the army until the age of 60, Sparta had to rely
on slaves and non-citizens to produce the goods.
Conquered villagers became slaves, called helots. The helots were allowed to
live in their own villages, but they had to give much of the food they grew to
Spartans. The Spartans also made use of a second group of people—
noncitizens who were free. Noncitizens might serve in the army when needed,
but they could not take part in Sparta’s government. They were responsible for
making such necessary items as shoes, red cloaks for the soldiers, iron tools like
knives and spears, and pottery. They also conducted some trade with other
city-states for goods that Sparta could not provide for itself.
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The professional and well-trained Spartan hoplites with their distinctive red cloaks, long hair, and
lambda-emblazoned shields were probably the best and most feared fighters in Greece