Spartan Society to the Battle of Leuctra

Notes Sources

Natural features and Ancient times Primary source

resources of ancient - West of the Eurotes rivers between Mt Parnon and Mt Taygetusl - Mine Resources- Limestone, wood, iron
Sparta - Mt Taygetusl provide fuel and seasonal game - Flocks- sheep, horse, bee, pig, boar and goats
- Iron mined for the production of bronze made cheese, honey, wool, meat
- Food- rice soil, barley, olive tree, grape, orchids

the Great Rhetra: the Ancient times Primarry source

issue of Lycurgus - Story found in Thucydided,Herodotuos,Aristolo and Pluarch - Lycurges is seen as a number people who
- Great Rhea (Poltical sysererm t= A law about eqaulyy rights between bough change to Sprtan society
everybody in society - Ulitma goal in Sprtan society life was to “Raise
brave men” by Poet Tyrateus

Roles/privileges of kings Ancient times Primarry source

- Coud entire laws and policy of Sprtan spciety - One lead war other rule country
- Comsnderds of the Perponnieusm League during Persian war - Each month declare a oath to th ephors
- Being served first and double portion in religious clebrations
- Porvied with a bodyguard of 100 men

Goverment Primarry source

- Plato and Polybius - “Mixied constitution”
Ancient times Role
- “The ephors acquired a miscellaneous bundle of
powers and administrative functions”
Two kings Ephorto - Five - Overseiing - Picking groups
males over 30 public finacies for war
Gerousia 30 members supported the kings - Forgien policy - Giving order to
- Acting as judges gernals
Ephors 5 members
Gerousia- 30 - Vote in Ekklesia - Recving forgin
Ekklesisa (frist class members (28 from - Fuycting a court embassies
citizens) society and two - Talking about
kings) state policy
Periokioi (Traders)
Ekklesisa - The - Appoint generals - Power to free
Helots (Servents) people’s assembly helots
over 30 - Vote on laws
Social Ancient history
structure Sructure of Sparta Role in society - Spartiates each blonged to a
Spartiates - Top of the social structure but were not elite unit based on where they lived
(Homoioi) - Had land and servants work for them - Constantthreat to Spartan
The Inferiors - Loss of citizenship, outcast of society with no political rights security-discontented and
- Be alone, unable to marry, had to wear a special dress with a shaven head rebellious,outnumbered
Perioeci (Perioikoi) - Could be sent to court in front of Ephors and had to provied for the kings Spartan citizens 20:1
Had 100 comuncity - Had no roles in Sprtan polticuls due to the fact they were Fishermen, smiths, potters,
control by Sparta shipbuilders, best sailors in army
Helots - Werer sevrentd own by the state with no rights often harshly treated-killed by krypteia
- Aloowed to particular in community or allowed in army whete they can get freedom

Spartan
army
Agoge Spartan boys taken from home at 7 to began mirtaily traing Ancient history
(Agoge)
traing
Academic Chanting of poetry and the singing of choruses
Education Poems by Tyrtaios Age Learnt

Physical - Dancing (included footwork) , Running (racetrack) Boxing/Wrestling, Birth Judge to see if live
Education - Throwing discus, Javelin (military application ) and Huntin
0-7 Left home to be train
Social - obey commandments chain and were force to stel to eat food
7-12 Paides Engougr teamwork
Education
13-18 Ephebes Survial skills
role of the Professional elite- Most disciplined and adaptable force in Greece and made up of all class
army The Defence of Sparta- Kept the Helots under control
19-24 Firens Watch young boys
The Hoplite Defence- Bronze Breast plates, helemts, Greaves and Shield
24-30 Hopitie Kick out of home
Wepons- Short swords (called Xiphos second weapon) and Long spear in right hand
30+ Old man Menting element
The Phalanx Groups of eight men called Phalanx per a group

Control of Ancient history

the helot's Group Role - “killed without pollution” Plutarch

military - Under the rule of Ephors

- Ready to fight Helots and stop helots reblian
 Syssitia - Helots that bought their freedom
- Had their bunnies that went to paying the king for the land

Krypteria - Secret police - group of elite Spartans from agoge

- Major role in control and suppression of helots through the reign of terror

role and Ancient history

status of - ... the men of Sparta were always
Explain Role
women obedient to their wives and allowed them
to meddle in public affairs more than they
Land ownership - Could own land
were allowed to meddle in domestic
concerns.
Inheritance - Could intertie home form father/husband if there were no male hires
- Had to control over their money

Education - taught the basics of reading and writing. Modern histrians

- Trained in the military as well as how to run a household - Plutarch, Life of Agis, 7.3 (in Plutarch on
Sparta, trans. R. Talbert, Penguin,
London, 1988, p. 58)

Economy Ancient history

land ownership
Technology - Aristotle reveals,
that the land was
Agriculture - Private lands were often more fertilise
divided through
inheritance
Kleroi - Land that was divided into kleroi and worked on by helots
- writings of the
 ancient historian
Helots - Helot families were granted land from the state and worked this land
Pausanias.

Ancient history
Weapons/Armour Pottery
- The Lakonian
painters and
- Bronze was also used to make a range of - Pottery was used to show one class in society
potters were
weapons - Notable features included black figures painted on
specialists in their
- Spartan metalwork industry mainly used bronze for a yellow slip
craft
armour

Trade
- Spartans were not permitted to trade and use money Ancient history
- The waters here produced the shellfish and murex used in making purple dye
- Trade was left to the Perioeci and overseas products were passed through the port of Gytheum,
- Spartans always suspicious of outsiders with foreign ideas and probably one reason why coinage never developed

The Iron Bars Ancient history

- These iron bars symbolised a transaction rather than acting as cash
- Sparta would have needed to use Hellenic currency when negotiating with other States and when paying for
mercenaries.
- They needed currency to conduct trade and therefore most of the wealth in Sparta belonged to the Perioikoi.

Religion Ancient history

Gods and goddesses
- Herodotus says they
valued the gods above
Artemis Orthia - goddess of chastity and the protector of women who were about to be married or approaching
all other things
childbirth.
- Temple of Artemis
Orthia just outside of
Poseidon Water king - “Earthshaker” e.g. the Spartans believed he sent an earthquake in c. 464BC to punish them
Sparta on the Eurotas
 River
Apollo - Influenced decisions and the Spartan constitution.
- Temple of Apollo at
Amyclae
Myths and legends
- the mythical twin
Spartan heroes, the
Lycurgus - Strengthen the society by preventing anarchy and also reflect upon the values the society held
Dioscuri meaning
Dioscuri - Associated with young men and their pursuits of horsemanship, athletics and warfare. ‘youths of Zeus’

Festivals
Modern History
Hyakinthia are a combination of mourning and celebration - Festival of Artemis
Orthia
Gymnopaedia commemorates those Spartans who died in the battle of Thuyrea in July summer

Karneia - to the good of flocks and heard for 9 days in August

Role of the king's - Cheif of the priest

- Repoblit for the Oracle of Delphi

funerary customs - Man died in battle and women did in childbirth would get a grave
- If the king died a saturate would be made of him

rituals - Soldiers who died on the battlefield would be buried on the battlefield

Cultural and Ancient history

everyday life, Laconian -Laconian pottery was exported throughout the Mediterranean and was probably produced by the - The Amyklaion-
including Pottery Perioeci. Throne to Apollo
- Decorations included the themes of hunting, horse riding, religious rituals, banqueting, plants and - The Medallion-
animals. square step-
Art: VIX KRATER (Mid 6th century BC) pyramidal structure in
Sculpture - Grave of Celtic princess VIX, Burgundy the style of a hero
- Relief – hoplites, armour, shields, military charioteers and horses shrine
- Trade, diplomatic gift, sold - Sanctuary of Artemis
Bone and Orthia- Temple
Ivory - Laconian craftsmen in bone and ivory carving could compare with the best in Greece.
 Carving - Ivory was imported into Sparta and was used in a variety of objects.
- Three Carving plaques on ivory bones from the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta, 600 BC.
Two Spartan warriors and a woman in mourning

Marriage Ancient history Ancient history

customs - Men and women seem to have married about 18-20 years old - Not when they were slight or
- Older women would prepare the girlbattlefieldair, put in a male tunic, placed in a dark room immature, but when they were in
- Marriage by capture-probably ritualised and not a kidnap start the wedding their prime and ripe for it”(Plutarch)
- Men would then go back to training - Women could have many
husbands

leisure Ancient history

activities Athletics - Had- running, discus, javelin, jumping, and wrestling and it is thought they invented boxing - They hunted at the bottom
- Athletics was an important part of Spartan culture/daily life and it is consistent with their self- of the hills of Mt.Taygetos
discipline – ‘Hunting Grounds’
Hunting - The Spartans hunted with horses, Laconian hounds, helots with nets and on foot - The Dioscuri were also
Rite of passage - They hunted boars which were very dangerous and were a mark of great social distinction. worshipped as heroes and
Equestrian - Famous for their horse and worshipped the ‘horse-breeding Poseidon’ for horse taming Pottery
- Horse racing was a “competitive display of wealth invested in a beautiful horse” and figurines found
displaying horses and
horse racing

Writing and Alcman- Moral message in hi writing Tyrtaeus- lived in Sparta during the second Messenian war\
literature - Some believe that he came from Sardis in Lydia; others that he - poetry was full of martial spirit designed to inspire the Spartan soldiers as he
was a freed slave or that he was Spartan born and bred. worled with the army
- Poems contain expressions of love and longing - wrote 5 books of propaganda, military songs and poems focusing on Eunomia

Greek Herodotus- Wrote about the Persian Wars Thucydides- Wrote about the Peloponnesian Wars
writers’views of - Focuses on Spartan Foreign policy - Was an (exiled) Athenian General
Sparta - Was pro-Athenian (though not openly anti Spartan) - Admired Sparta's 'good order' and Focused on foreian policy
- Does not comment on the domestic life of the Spartans - Sparta reluctant to talk to him

Xenophon- Witnessed the defeat of Athens to Sparta Aristotle- Student of Plato and influenced by his ideas
- some information on culture and law - Intrigued with Sparta's government respectful of it but also not afraid to criticise
- exiled from Athens and welcomed by Sparta it
- Plays down the less attractive aspects of their culture - Critical of land ownership system freedom of women focus on miltrality
- Writing during Sparta's decline

Pausanias- Writing a cultural travel guide of Greece Plutarch-

- Appears to be an honest recorder - Wrote for a Roman audience audience who were intrigued with Sparta
- Attempted to describe their history - Some of his sources reliable some unreliable
- Ancient Sparta had become a tourist destination