According to the historian Plutarch, the Spartans
Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece. In antiquity the city-state was known as Lacedaemon, while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement on the banks of the Eurotas River in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. Around 650 BC, it rose to become the dominant military l…
What is the biggest problem with Sparta?
The biggest problem about Sparta, from a historical point of view at least, is that they left very few written records, and didn’t build grand architecture that we could then analyze. However, Spartan women enjoyed a degree of freedom, education and equality unparalleled anywhere in the ancient world.
How did Sparta treat its citizens?
As grueling as Sparta’s martial education system could be, the soldier’s life was the only option for young men who wished to become equal citizens, or “Homoioi.” According to the edicts of the Spartan lawmaker and reformer Lycurgus, male citizens were legally prevented from choosing any occupation other than the military.
What happened to Spartan soldiers who missed out at the Thermopylae?
According to the ancient historian Herodotus, two Spartan soldiers who missed out on the famous Battle of Thermopylae returned to their homeland disgraced. One later hanged himself, and the other was only redeemed after he died fighting in a later engagement.
What happens if you have a baby in Sparta?
If the baby survived, the council of elders in Sparta would examine the child for any physical defects. The child’s father would bring the baby to them and they would declare if the child was fit for rearing and, in the future, fit to be a Spartan soldier.
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How did Sparta treat their citizens?
Spartan men devoted their lives to military service, and lived communally well into adulthood. A Spartan was taught that loyalty to the state came before everything else, including one's family.
How did Sparta treat their slaves?
Helots were ritually mistreated and humiliated. Every autumn the Spartans would declare war on the helots so they could be mistreated by a member of the Crypteia without fear of religious repercussion. Uprisings and attempts to improve the lot of the helots did occur, such as the Conspiracy of Cinadon.
Did Sparta have harsh punishments?
But to make sure they learned cunning, boys who were caught stealing were whipped. Such harsh punishment was a prominent part of the Spartan training system. The Spartans even turned it into an annual ritual, in which boys tried to steal cheeses from a temple altar, which required them to evade guards armed with whips.
Did Spartans throw babies off cliffs?
Researchers say that the Greek myth that ancient Spartans threw their stunted and sickly newborns off a cliff has not been corroborated by archaeological digs in the area.
What was slavery like in Sparta?
Slaves in Sparta worked on their lands and produced agricultural products for their masters. They lived in their home country and did not have to work at the homes of their masters. In times of an emergency, the slaves had to serve as light-armed troops.
What rights did slaves have in Sparta?
The helots were in a sense state slaves, bound to the soil and assigned to individual Spartans to till their holdings; their masters could neither free them nor sell them, and the helots had a limited right to accumulate property, after paying to their masters a fixed proportion of the produce of the holding.
How did Spartans treat babies?
Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants. If a Spartan baby was judged to be unfit for its future duty as a soldier, it was most likely abandoned on a nearby hillside. Left alone, the child would either die of exposure or be rescued and adopted by strangers.
What were the punishments in Sparta?
The Spartans cast their criminals into a dry well to die. People who were called exiles were cast out from their homeland and forced to lave their family an property behind. The sentence for exile was usually for long periods of time, such as 10 years to life. General punishment were mild, fines and loss of property.
What could Spartans never do during a battle?
It is often said that the Spartan warriors never retreated and never surrendered. They would fight to the death no matter the odds, and were trained to do so from a young age. However, there's at least one clear exception.
How do you raise a child like a Spartan?
Raising Spartan Kids with mental toughness will help them succeed as adults....Teach Mental Toughness as a Virtue. When Trotter encounters a new batch of student-athletes, his first task is to reshape their perception of struggle. ... Celebrate Achievement the Right Way. ... Tough Love Should Be Warm and Nurturing.
What did Spartans look like?
1:513:12What did Spartans really look like? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey wore bronze caresses that were shaped like a athletic male Thor so although we're not sure ifMoreThey wore bronze caresses that were shaped like a athletic male Thor so although we're not sure if they still wore this type of armor during the famous Persian Wars.
Where is the 300 real?
Like the comic book, the “300” takes inspirations from the real Battle of Thermopylae and the events that took place in the year of 480 BC in ancient Greece. An epic movie for an epic historical event.
What were the pros and cons of Sparta?
Pros And Cons Of Sparta. Sparta was abusive to children, and any society that abuses its citizens shouldn’t last, and Sparta didn’t. Sparta was a Greek city-state whose sole purpose was military strength. While Sparta lasted for 300 years, any strong society would last longer. They also abused their slaves and killed them with no warning.
What were Sparta's weaknesses?
The weaknesses weighed Sparta down, so here are some of those weaknesses. Sparta lacked in education, they were too harsh on the children in military training, and the Spartans didn’t allow traveling. To begin with Sparta completely discarded all advanced education.
What happened to Sparta in the Battle of Athens?
When Athens lost the battle though she was not destroyed she lost a lot of value. Sparta became the ruler over Greece and Athens became irrelevant. Though Sparta was victorious against Athens the length of the war turned up a large loss in citizens of Sparta. Even if Sparta could still fight and engage in battle they could not lead Greece as well as Athens and many allies rebelled due to their harsh rule. It was soon discovered that Sparta was weak and thats when Thebes came to take over and with the Theban confederation at Leuctra in 372 BCE and Mantinea 362
Why was Sparta not allowed to read books?
This unacceptable, because for a civilization to flourish they need to be both smart and strong. Sparta needs to balance their military and education better. For example, Spartans were not allowed to read books or treatises. Furthermore, they could not write or perform plays and they could not travel.
Why was Sparta's law so weak?
This is an extraordinarily weak law. That’s because Sparta couldn’t acquire knowledge from others and they couldn’t trade. Since Sparta didn’t allow travelling they couldn’t trade knowledge with other Greek city-states and this could’ve been very valuable to Sparta.
Why is Frankenstein alienated?
The creature is alienated from a society based on the fact that he is different. People in today's society, as in Frankenstein’s, are still first judged based on their appearances and not on their desire to do well to others. Children at school get bullied, teased, and isolated because of their physical appearance.
Why is the opposing thesis not valid?
The opposing thesis is not valid because they think that young kids should have the proper Grammar, Spelling, and the organization. I disagree with them because they think that kids should have the proper handwriting which includes Spelling, Organization, and Grammar, but kids are barely learning.
What were the Spartans known for?
Before the Spartans were known for their military might, they were just another Greek City-State. The Spartans took pride in their artistic skills, especially Spartan poetry . A key event in the rise of Sparta was the conquest of Messenia in the 8th century . After the conquest of Messenia, the Messenian citizens were made slaves, or Helots as the Spartans would call them . After dealing with a Messenian slave revolt, a Spartan called Lycurgus created a set of laws which all Spartan citizens had
How did Sparta organize its government?
The Spartans turned their backs on the outside world to make their new military state secure. Nobody was allowed in or to leave unless on military business, so that Spartans would not notice new ideas dangerous to the stability of the state. In the sixth century, Sparta organized an alliance of almost all the Peloponnesian states to gain greater control of the Peloponnesus. The Spartans had organized a powerful military state that maintained order and stability in the Peloponnesian league and determine its policies by 500 B.C.E.
What was the meaning of "all were equal" in Sparta?
to the domicile and wore clothing that covered and hid their form. In Sparta, this was not the case at all. Sparta enjoyed communal ownership of property and all things, in essence, belonged to the State—men, women, children and goods. Thus, all were equal (or nearly so) before the State’s needs and women had more freedom to move about. They were, as Simone de Beauvoir noted, liberated of patrimony by the fact that Sparta had no sense of patrimony in its culture (Foley 56). Spartan women were
Which city-state was stronger, Sparta or Athens?
Athens and Sparta are the two famous city-states in Ancient Greece. The Athens was more superior then Sparta. The Athenians were stronger because they had a better geography, government, cultural achievements, and I would rather live in the Athens. Athens had a geographic advantage because they were very superior. The Athens lived by the Sea which was an advantage because they had an excellent trading system. Even though the mountains protected Sparta it also caused trading problems, the Spartans
What were the two cities that were the predominating powers of ancient Greece?
Ancient Greece consisted of many small city-states, two of which were Athens and Sparta. Athens was considered the center of fine arts, music, and educational opportunities. Sparta was known for its outstanding military strength and tactical abilities at war. Life for a Spart iate was comprised of constant training and conditioning for war, while an Athenian citizen would spend much
What were the disadvantages of totalitarianism?
Contrary to popular belief, there were also advantages. One being the vast passing of laws due to no political debate. Also, there was little to no room for corruption because there was one leader. To contradict the second advantage, the disadvantage was that only one person was in charge. It may have meant no corruption, but that all depended on who was in office (“What Are Three Advantages and Disadvantages of Totalitarianism”). Everything
Why did Persia burn and by peasants?
burning and by peasants because he forced them to work on the Great Wall of China (Beck, pg. 109). He also set standards on weights, currency, writing, and law (Beck, pg. 109). He also built roads, and started irrigation projects (Beck, pg. 109). An advantage of his government is that he got things done to help the country economically. A benevolent monarchy/tyrant is a government where the leader has absolute power. Persia had a benevolent monarchy under Cyrus the great. When he conquered a place he
What did the Spartans do to prove their fitness?
1. Spartans had to prove their fitness even as infants . Infanticide was a disturbingly common act in the ancient world, but in Sparta this practice was organized and managed by the state. All Spartan infants were brought before a council of inspectors and examined for physical defects, and those who weren’t up to standards were left to die.
Why did Sparta leave agriculture to the lower classes?
Because of their preoccupation with the study of warfare, Sparta’s manufacturing and agriculture were left entirely to the lower classes. Skilled laborers, traders and craftsmen were part of the “Perioeci,” a class of free non-citizens who lived in the surrounding region of Laconia.
How old did Sparta men have to be to marry?
Spartan men were not allowed to live with their wives until age 30. Spartan society didn’t discourage romantic love, but marriage and childrearing were both subject to some peculiar cultural and governmental constraints. The state counseled that men should marry at age 30 and women at 20.
Why did the Spartan girls participate in the agoge?
The agoge was partially designed to help make the youths resistant to hardships like cold, hunger and pain, and boys who showed signs of cowardice or timidity were subject to teasing and violence by peers and superiors alike. Even Spartan girls were known to participate in this ritualized hazing.
What subjects did Sparta use in the agoge?
Much of the Spartan agoge involved typical school subjects like reading, writing, rhetoric and poetry, but the training regimen also had a vicious side. To toughen the young warriors and encourage their development as soldiers, instructors and older men would often instigate fights and arguments between trainees.
Why did Sparta women bathe their babies in wine?
Babies who passed inspection still didn’t have it easy. To test their constitutions, Spartan infants were often bathed in wine instead of water. They were also frequently ignored when they cried and commanded never to fear darkness or solitude. According to Plutarch, these “tough love” parenting techniques were so admired by foreigners that Spartan women were widely sought after for their skill as nurses and nannies.
What would happen if a Spartan baby was abandoned?
Left alone, the child would either die of exposure or be rescued and adopted by strangers. Babies who passed inspection still didn’t have it easy. To test their constitutions, Spartan infants were often bathed in wine ...
What was the biggest problem with Sparta?
The biggest problem about Sparta, from a historical point of view at least, is that they left very few written records, and didn’t build grand architecture that we could then analyze. However, Spartan women enjoyed a degree of freedom, education and equality unparalleled anywhere in the ancient world.
Why can't we talk about Sparta without talking about Sparta?
And this is because every Spartan citizen was specifically molded to be the perfect soldier from birth.
What weapons did the Hoplites use?
The principle weapon of every hoplite, regardless of origin, was the spear, or dory. These spears measured around 8 feet in length and were held one handed, either over or underhand. Its tip was made out of bronze or iron, and the shaft was made from cornel wood. This wood was especially sought after because of the density and strength it gave the spear. The wood is so dense it actually sinks in water. Then in their left hand, the hoplites held their iconic round shields, the hoplon. Weighing some 30 pounds, these were used primarily for defense, but were also used for bashing. These shields were made out of wood or leather with an outer layer of bronze. Spartans marked their shields with the letter lambda. This stood for Laconia, the name of the region of Sparta.
What was Sparta's main purpose?
It more closely resembled a guerrilla force since its main purpose was to stake out and terrorize the surrounding helot settlements. At its peak during the 5 th century BC, Sparta had about 10,000 men able to bear arms, while the surrounding helot population outnumbered them 7 to 1.
What did Sparta mothers say?
Spartan mothers were famous for saying things like: “ Return with your shield or on it” to their sons just before they left for battle, referring to them either returning victorious or dead. Sparta only considered its debt fully repaid when its citizens died doing their duty for her. Men by dying in battle, and Spartan women during childbirth. In fact, only these two groups of people were ever worthy enough to have their own names forever engraved on their tombstones.
What are some interesting facts about Sparta?
Relatively early in Greek history, even before the Classical World had begun, the Spartans drove through a radical social and political revolution. In effect, all Spartans are made to be equal. Really equal.
What was the act of surrender of Sparta?
Even to the last man, if need be. In effect, the act of surrender was seen as the epitome of all cowardice. In the highly unlikely event of a Spartan hoplite doing such an unthinkable thing, it would most likely lead him to commit suicide. The ancient historian Herodotus makes mention of two Spartans who missed out on the famous Battle of Thermopylae and who later, in their utter shame, killed themselves. One by hanging himself, and the other by dying a redeeming death during a later conflict for Sparta.
Why did Sparta tear down its walls?
Sparta tore down it’s walls because sparten men were so tough a wall was completely unnecessary.
What would happen if Spartans put cheese on an alter?
Spartans would sometimes put on a strange festival, where cheese would be placed on an alter, and starving students would be forced to fight each other over the cheese. They would have to attempt to take as much cheese as they possibly could while fighting off the other competitors.
Why is Sparta so famous?
Sparta is famed for it’s powerful warriors, and brutal way of life. Spartan warriors were some of the finest of their time, unlike most civilisations spartans would devote themselves entirely to warfare. Spartan warriors went through some the harshest training in history, in order to become the greatest warriors possible. 50% of spartan babies were abandoned because of physical imperfections. Sparta tore down it’s walls because sparten men were so tough a wall was completely unnecessary.
Why did Spartans not live with their wives?
Because of this many Spartans chose to marry at the age of 30, but any who married before then had to live separately . This is mainly because Spartans lived in the barracks until they were 30 years old. Marriage wasn’t about love or happiness in Sparta it was primarily a way of conceiving new citizens to fight for Sparta. Spartans would consider the health and fitness of their future wife’s over attractiveness, or personality. You didn’t have much of a choice over being a parent in Sparta, bachelors were mocked and humiliated, and men who couldn’t bear children were forced to find a suitable substitute.
Why did Aristodemus not turn back?
Because Aristodemus didn’t turn back he was relentlessly shamed at home.
How old were Spartans when they were elected?
At the age of 21 Spartans were elected to a military style mess where they would “enjoy” public meals. Food was either flavourless or disgusting. Spartans were rarely overweight following this diet, but anyone who managed to put on too much weight was shamed, and sometimes banned from the city.
Why were Spartans' shoes discarded?
Their shoes were discarded, because bare foot marching toughened the legs.