Constitution of the Lacedaimonians, 2.3-4. Although Helots did not have voting rights, they otherwise enjoyed a relatively privileged position, in comparison to slave populations in other Greek city-states. In the period between the Second Messenian War and the Greco-Persian Wars, Sparta was able to consolidate its power in Laconia and Messenia, as well as on the Peloponnese. Female Spartans enjoyed status, power, and respect that was unequaled in the rest of the classical world. Here each group learned how to bond and rely on one another. Long proponents of isolationism, the Spartan citizens now saw themselves alone atop the Greek world. Power was held onto by an oligarchic faction, and individual freedoms for non-Spartans were severely restricted, although Spartan women may have had much better conditions than women living in other parts of the ancient Greek world. However, the Greco-Persian Wars were just getting started, and soon the city state of Sparta would be thrown into the mix. One unique thing about Sparta was that it had always had two kings ruling simultaneously. iPhone History: A Timeline of Every Model in Order However, unlike their neighbors to the north, Athens, Sparta was hardly a cultural epicenter. Spartan citizenship requires physical sacrifice while Athenian citizenship required wealth. However, perhaps more importantly, the city state Sparta was built on the banks of the Eurotas River, which runs down from the highlands of the Peloponnese and empties into the Mediterranean. 600 BCE the Spartans lend support to the city state of Corinth, forming an alliance with their powerful neighbor that would eventually morph into the Peloponnesian League, a major source of power for Sparta. They appealed to Corinth and Thebes for support but did not receive it. Scholars have suggested that one role of the erastes was to act as a "sponsor" through which the eromenos could gain entry to the same syssition. Based on the extravagant buildings and palaces they built, the Mycenaeans are believed to have been a very prosperous culture, and they laid the foundation for a common Greek identity which would serve as a basis for the ancient history of Greece. The gerousia was responsible for electing the ephors, which is the name given to a group of five officials who were responsible for carrying out the orders of the gerousia. What was the role of citizens in Sparta? This is evidenced by the number of non-Spartan sources who wrote about the agg: Thucydides indicates that the agg was well-known throughout Greece in the Classical period, and both Plato and Aristotle praised it as part of an ideal city-state. [27] It was abolished less than forty years later by Philopoemen when Sparta was forced into the Achaean League in 188/9 BCE, but was restored after Sparta came into Roman possession in 146 BCE. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper, use: Matthew Jones, "Ancient Sparta: The History of the Spartans", History Cooperative, May 18, 2019, https://historycooperative.org/ancient-sparta-the-history-of-the-spartans/. Sparta took control over the rest of Messenia following the defeat of Aristomenes at Mt. Spartan women even competed in sports. The story of Sparta is certainly an exciting one. Athens also lent support to Argos, but then the Corinthians withdrew. But Spartan schoolings emphasis on fitness did help Spartan soldiers on the battlefield. Spartan Citizenship Not all inhabitants of the Spartan state were considered to be citizens. This war, often referred to as simply The Peloponnesian War, played an important role in Spartan history as it led to the fall of Athens and the rise of the Spartan Empire, the last great age of Sparta. Spartan society was highly regimented, with a clearly delineated class system. In the period following Spartas exit from the pan-Hellenic alliance until the outbreak of war with Athens, several major events took place: The Athenians did not like the way they had been treated by the Spartans after offering their support in the helot rebellion. Of course, as compared to the world we live in today, these freedoms hardly seem significant. It was founded by the Dorian tribes living in the region, but interestingly, Sparta came into existence not as a new city but rather as an agreement between four villages in the Eurotas Valley, Limnai, Kynosoura, Meso, and Pitana, to merge into one entity and combine forces. Instead, by this point, there were relegated to nothing more than generals, but they were even limited in how they could act in this capacity, meaning most of the power in Sparta was in the hands of the gerousia. Xenophon, a philosopher and historian who lived from the late 400s to mid-300s B.C., noted that one purpose was to keep them slim, which Lycurgus, the founder of the Spartan system, believed would make them grow taller. Ephors were ancient Spartan officials who shared power with the hereditary kings. A 19th century artistic representation of Spartan boys exercising while young girls taunt them. It offered support to Corinth and Elis by helping remove a tyrant from the Corinthian throne, and this formed the basis of an alliance that would eventually be known as The Peloponnesian League, a loose, Spartan-led alliance between the various Greek city states on the Peloponnese that was intended to provide for mutual defense. One of the Spartan kings, Lysander, saw this opportunity and decided to exploit it. The Persians, who replaced the Assyrians as the Mesopotamian hegemon in the 7th century B.C, spent most of the 6th century BCE campaigning throughout western Asia and northern Africa and had built an empire that was at the time one of the largest in the entire world, and their presence would change the course of Spartan history forever. [25] The competitive nature of athletic events encouraged hard work and merit. [19], Ducat considers the stage of paidiskoi as a transitional phase between a child and an adult, where Spartan boys were encouraged to integrate themselves into adult society. But both Athens and Sparta were also required to give up the territories they had conquered in the early parts of the war. Collections: This. This battle proved to both sides that the war was going nowhere, and so Sparta and Athens met to negotiate peace. Some records indicate Spartan leaders pointed to a long-standing rivalry between the two cultures, which may have existed considered most Spartan citizens were Dorian and the Messenians were Aeolians. Still led by Agesilaus II, the Spartans marched north into Thrace and Macedon, laying siege to and eventually conquering Olynthus. Spartan women, better fed from childhood and fit from exercise, stood a far better chance of reaching old age than their sisters in other Greek cities where the median life expectancy was 34.6 years, or roughly ten years below that of men. Spartan citizens, including healthy male Spartans who focused strictly on military activities, and female Spartans, who produced children and ran the households Helots, or slaves, who performed. Even lower than the conquered population was a group called the helots. He claims that this encouraged the groups to report instances of their rivals' wrongdoing, effectively keeping the entire cohort in check. When Rome entered the scene, Sparta assisted it in the Punic Wars against Carthage, but Rome later teamed up with Spartas enemies in ancient Greece during the Laconian War, which took place in 195 BCE, and defeated the Spartans. Spartan men were also said to wear their hair long, often braided into locks. The well-built and sturdy children were allowed to live, while those who were deemed unhealthy or deformed were left at the foot of a mountain to die. At the age of 20, Spartiates were initiated into full citizenship and joined a. Helots were granted many privileges, in comparison to enslaved populations in other Greek city-states. In contrast to populations conquered by other Greek cities, the male Helot population was not exterminated, and women and children were not treated as chattel. They did this by partnering with a man named Aristomenes, a former Messenian king who still had power and influence in the region. Also had to pass a test by the ephors i believe to see if. Athens, on the other hand, shaped democracy in ancient Greece. Dent, 1903. This location made Sparta into a defensive stronghold. Boys who underwent training lived in communal messes and, according to Xenophon, whose sons attended the agoge, the boys were fed just the right amount for them never to become sluggish through being too full, while also giving them a taste of what it is not to have enough. Besides physical and weapons training, boys studied reading, writing, music, and dancing. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Gods of Death But less than one percent of the whole population was voting, which isn't really democratic at all. The gerousia were elected for life, and usually were members of one of the two kings households. But this meant Athens and Sparta were once again at war with one another. Since a Spartan man's formative years were spent entirely in a perpetual competition of merit (both physical and social) they were encouraged to conform to the Spartan laws and social norms. With Athens surrendering, Sparta was free to do as it wished with the city. Fighting didnt restart until c. 415 BCE. However, the larger, more powerful city states, such as Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Corinth, Argos, etc., refused, choosing instead to try to fight the Persians despite their massive numerical disadvantage. Sparta was recognized by most as the best.. Specifically, they traced their ancestry to Eurysthenes and Procles, the twin children a Heracles, one of the sons of Zeus. long hair symbolized being a free man and as Plutarch claimed, ..it made the handsome more comely and the ugly more frightful. Stress on the population resulting from strict citizenship requirements and an over-dependence on slave labor combined with pressure from other powers in the Greek world proved to be too much for the Spartans. Agis II (c. 427-401 BCE) oversaw the Spartan victory over Athens in the Peloponnesian War and ruled over the early years of Spartan hegemony. [2] The historian Xenophon is a notable example of this, as his sons reportedly took part in the agg despite being Athenian. The Battle of Thermopylae took place in early August of 480 BCE, but because the city of Sparta was celebrating the Carneia, a religious festival held to celebrate Apollo Carneus, the chief deity of the Spartans, their oracles forbid them from going to war. 479 BCE- the Spartans lead the Greek force at the Battle of Plataea and win a decisive victory over the Persians, ending the Second Persian Invasion of ancient Greece. Laws were too harsh and things got much worse, and citizens were sold as slaves. The Spartans real secret wasnt physical fitness or indifference to pain and suffering, but rather superior organization. First, population growth resulting from the fertile land of the Eurotas Valley meant that Sparta was growing too big and needed to expand, and second, Messenia was perhaps the only region in ancient Greece with land that was more fertile and productive than that in Laconia. In ancient times, the Greeks were divided into four subgroups: Dorian, Ionian, Achaean, and Aeolian. Typically, members of the gerousia were related to one of the two royal familes, which helped to keep power consolidated in the hands of the few. Today, the word "spartan" is used to describe someone or something that is elegantly simple, disciplined, minimalist, and "in control." We get this word from our ancient Greek ancestors, the ones who lived in the city-state Sparta. This military life would go on until they turned 60. Obstacle Course Races", "Collections: This. [28] For example, there may have been a change in the way boys were divided by age; Plutarch (writing in the 2nd century CE) mentions only two groups: the younger paides and the older neoi. [33][34], Further evidence for this comes from the word trophimoi, which is used to describe foreigners who were educated in the agg. One factor was the agoge, the Greek city-state's educational and training system, which used harsh, extreme and sometimes cruel methods to prepare boys to be Spartan citizens and soldiers . The Spartans valued discipline, obedience, and courage above all else. Despite the Spartan citizen population declining steadily over the years from around the late to mid 5th century BC, only those born to a Spartiate father and a Spartiate mother could be citizens. For example, as compared to Athens where women were restricted from going outside, had to live in their fathers house, and were required to wear dark, concealing clothing, Spartan women were not only allowed but encouraged to go outside, exercise, and wear clothing that allowed them more freedom. . What are requirements for the roman soldiers? This also meant that the Dorians who eventually became Spartan citizens would have seen securing their new homeland, specifically Laconia, the region surrounding Sparta, from foreign invaders as a top priority, a need that would have been further intensified by the stunning fertility of the Eurotas River valley. Instead of unifying into one large empire under the rule of a common monarch, independent Greek city-states flourished throughout the Greek mainland, the Aegean Sea, Macedon, Thrace, and Ionia, a region on the southern coast of modern-day Turkey. Furthermore, helots were expected to go off to war when commanded to do so by Spartan leadership, the punishment for resisting being death. Nor were they confined to their fathers house or prevented from exercising or getting fresh air. The fall of Lydia (the kingdom that controlled much of modern-day Turkey up until the Persians invaded) in c. 650 BCE, meant the Greeks living in Ionia were now under Persian rule. For example, the Athenian general Xenophon sent his two sons to Sparta as trophimoi. Unlike in Athens, Spartan girls were fed the same food as their brothers. https://www.boundless.com/world-history/textbooks/boundless-world-history-textbook/, Understand the key characteristics of Spartas society. Citizens. 10.7, Xen. Part I: Spartan School". The agg ( Greek: in Attic Greek, or , agg in Doric Greek) was the rigorous education and training program mandated for all male Spartan citizens, with the exception of the firstborn son in the ruling houses . This act was condemned by Spartan leadership, but it made little difference to the Athenians, who were now motivated to resume fighting with Sparta more than ever before. According to Plutarch, as the young Spartans grew, they were required to exercise more and more to build their bodies. Fearing they could not stop the Spartans, the Persian governor in the region, Tissaphernes, first tried, and failed, to bribe Agesilaus II and then proceeded to broker a deal that forced Agesilaus II to stop his advance in exchange for the freedom of some Ionian Greeks. Female Spartans enjoyed status, power, and respect that was unequaled in the rest of the classical world. [30][10] Plutarch notes that the paidonomos would observe an eirn's punishment of younger boys in his agel, in order to assess whether or not it was acceptable. Later on, the village of Amyclae, which was located a bit further away, became part of Sparta. Cicero describes an initiation ritual where naked boys were brutally whipped at the altar of that goddess, and numerous stelai mention contests of choral singing and dancing which may celebrate Artemis and the hunt. Many within the Spartan leadership, including Lysander, argued for burning it to the ground to ensure there would be no more war. Sparta, Modern Greek Spart, historically Lacedaemon, ancient capital of the Laconia district of the southeastern Peloponnese, southwestern Greece. In Sparta, which had always been proud of its own autonomy and isolationism, this growth in Athenian influence represented a threat, and their actions to fight against Athenian imperialism helped escalate tensions between the two sides and bring about the Peloponnesian War. Over the next six years, he consolidated his power and then set about preparing to finish what his father had started: the conquest of ancient Greece. They shared many cultural and linguistic norms, but tensions between the groups were typically high, and alliances were often formed on the basis of ethnicity. Many believe this arrangement was made because of the nature of the founding of Sparta; the combining of four, and then five, towns meant that leaders of each needed to be accommodated, and this form of government made this possible. This condition once again shows how Athens and Sparta were trying to find a way for both to coexist despite the massive power of each. Nearly all Greek armies fought using this formation, but the Spartans were the best, mainly because of the training a Spartan soldier had to go through before joining the military. They were forced to rely more and more on helots and other hoplites, who not as well-trained and therefore beatable. To become a Spartan soldier, Spartan men had to undergo training at the agoge, a specialized military school designed to train the Spartan army. For example, the Dorians are believed to have had a strong military tradition, and this is often attributed to their need to secure land and resources needed to keep animals, something that would have required constant war with nearby cultures. However, thinking their fearless leader had won, the Messenian helots launched a full-scale revolt, and Aristomenes managed to lead a short campaign into Laconia. [8][9], The paides were taught the basics of reading and writing, but even the early stages of education focused on the development of skills that would encourage military prowess. [37] Plutarch also emphasized the brutality and indoctrination of the Spartan education system. 499 BCE The Ionian Greeks revolt against Persian rule, starting the Greco-Persian War. A famous ancient sanctuary that served as the seat of an oracle, who consulted on important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. This meant that the Persians were on the run, and the second Persian invasion of Greece was over. Part I: Spartan School". They were also fed the same foods as Spartan men, something that did not happen in many parts of ancient Greece, and they were restricted from bearing children until they were in their late teens or twenties. The reasons for delaying marriage were to ensure the birth of healthy children, but the effect was to spare Spartan women the hazards and lasting health damage associated with pregnancy among adolescents. The preparations Xerxes undertook have gone down as the thing of legends. The Agoge was a trial by ordeal, as Paul Cartledge, a professor emeritus of Greek culture at the University of Cambridge, wrote in his 2003 book Spartan Reflections. If your web page requires an HTML link, please insert this code: . Sparta came to the aid of the oligarchic factions seeking to maintain power and the Argives supported the democrats. According to French historian Jean Ducat, Aristotle believed that it was important that a Spartan learn how to poke fun at his peers, and that he be able to accept the teasing himself. But given the strict requirements of citizenship, it's hard to really call Spartan government by that name. However, seeing the fighting was likely going nowhere, both sides agreed to a peace treaty, known as The Thirty Years Peace, in c. 446 BCE. Plus, the gerousia was established to further weaken the power of the Spartan kings and limit their ability to rule autonomously. In c. 460 BCE, Sparta sent troops to Doris, a city in northern Greece, to help them in a war against Phocis, a city allied at the time with Athens. However, this was probably not as important of a reason as the others mentioned, and its likely this distinction was made so as to help Spartan leaders gain popular support for a war with the people of Messenia. In c. 670 BCE, Sparta, perhaps as part of an attempt to expand its control in the Peloponnese, invaded territory controlled by Argos, a city state in northeastern Greece that had grown to be one of Spartas biggest rivals in the region. Spartan citizens, who were consequently also the best soldiers due to the Spartan training program, were forbidden from doing manual labor, which meant the size of the Spartan army campaigning in Attica dependent on the time of year. During Mycenaean times, the Achaeans were the most likely the dominant group. [2], However, the cult of Artemis Orthia continued to play a role. [10][2][26], There may have been an initiatory component to the agg, especially in its early history. If he had demonstrated sufficient leadership qualities throughout his training, he might be selected to lead an agel. Endurance Races Agoge Hurricane Heat Death Races Peak Races La Ruta MTB M2O Paddleboard Project 7 . Off the battlefield, the rigid acceptance of the status quo that the Spartan educational system enforced made it difficult for the Spartans to deal with social problems in their society, such as inequality in land ownership and a declining population. However, Agesilaus II would never be able to complete his planned attack in Asia because the Persians, eager to distract the Spartans, began assisting many of Spartas enemies in Greece, which meant the Spartan king would need to return to Greece to keep Spartas hold on power. Artemisium was chosen because its narrow straits gave the Greeks a similar advantage, and also because stopping the Persians at Artemisium would prevent them from advancing too far south towards the city state of Athens. [12][5] As well, the Gymnopaedia festival featured choral and athletic competitions between groups of naked youths, and boys may have been expected to participate as part of the agg. The city of Sparta was founded by Dorians, and they worked to construct a myth that credited this demographic change with an orchestrated invasion of the Peloponnese by Dorians from the north of Greece, the region where it is believed the Doric dialect first developed. Once elected, they held their post for life. What are the three Spartan virtues? This took place in 405 BCE, and in 404 BCE Athens agreed to surrender. [2] This practice likely continued into the Hellenistic Period. They were eventually slaughtered, and Xerxes and his armies advanced. Its true that the Spartan army had some of the best fighters in the ancient world, but the sheer size of the Persian army meant that likely wouldnt matter. The duties of the kings were religious, judicial, and military in nature. The state was ruled by two hereditary kings of the Agiad and Eurypontid families, both supposedly descendants of Heracles, and equal in authority so that one could not act against the power and political enactments of his colleague. Spartan leadership made changes to the policy that helots had to return to harvest each year, and they also established a base at Decelea, in Attica. Over time, royal prerogatives were curtailed further until, aside from their service as military generals, the kings became mere figureheads. Athens citizen requirements were more relaxed and only required both parents to be Athenian and the male subject to be 18 years old or older this gave them the right to speak but not take public office this was reserved for those over the age of 30 . [35][36], Plutarch, writing after Xenophon and during the Roman era when the Agoge was restored, was critical of this education. This form of oligarchical government was elected by Spartan citizens who were over thirty years of age. The elders had to be sixty years old or older to qualify for the position. But it was a vital step toward being selected for one of the messes, the communal dining groups, and becoming a full-fledged Spartan citizen and soldier. Some factions tried to muster up support for an invasion of Persia in response to these demands, but there was little appetite for war at the time, so all parties agreed to peace. When Spartan boys were born, they were examined by members of the Gerousia (a council of leading elder Spartans) from the childs tribe to see whether he was fit and healthy enough to be allowed to live. In 371 BCE, the Spartan army marched into Boeotia and was met by the Theban army in the small town of Leuctra. Ephors: The Accusers No man was allowed to live as he pleased, but in their city, as in a military encampment, they always had a prescribed regimen, he wrote. The fighting took place over the course of three days. In total, the Greek city states amassed an army of about 30,000 hoplites, 10,000 of whom were Spartan citizens. This allowed Athens to establish a base and house the helots it had been encouraging to rebel, a move that was intended to weaken the Spartans ability to supply itself. For example, the Odyssey and the Iliad, which were written in the 8th century BCE, were based on wars and conflicts fought during Mycenaean times, specifically the Trojan War, and they played an important role in creating a common culture amongst the divided Greeks, even though their historical accuracy has been called into question and they have been deemed pieces of literature, not historical accounts. However, for the first time in nearly a century, the Spartans were soundly beaten. [10][11] Boys would compete in athletic events such as running and wrestling, as well as choral dance performances. Those who were sent to populate this territory, known as neighbors were offered large tracts of land and protection in exchange for their loyalty to Sparta and their willingness to fight should an invader threaten Sparta. After this conflict, the Romans overthrew the Spartan monarch, ending Spartas political autonomy. Spartan girls did not participate in the agg, although they may have received a similar state-sponsored education. Furthermore, he built a pontoon bridge over the Hellespont, and he installed trading posts throughout Northern Greece that would make it considerably easier to supply and feed his army as it made the long march to the Greek mainland. This council would meet and vote to decide the laws of the state. Spartan Races Stadion City Sprint Super Beast Ultra Race Passes Obstacles Trifecta Championships Competitive Racing . Bitten by an Egyptian Cobra. Spartan boys were also instructed in academics, warfare, stealth, hunting and athletics. Over time, the Spartiate population continued to decline and the Helot population grew, and the imbalance in power exasperated tensions that already existed. Constitution of the Lacedaimonians. To toughen them up even more, Spartan boys were compelled to go barefoot and seldom bathed or used ointments, so that their skin became hard and dry, Plutarch wrote. One of the key features of the social structure in Sparta were the helots. Despite the intrigue surrounding the Battle of Thermopylae, it was still a defeat for the Greeks, and as Xerxes marched south, he burned the cities that had defied him, including Athens. This means that Spartan citizens now the men and the means to launch a full-scale attack on the territory surrounding Athens. The gerousia discussed high state policy decisions, then proposed action alternatives to the damosa collective body of Spartan citizenry, who would then select one of the options by voting. Some Greek city states agreed to this, and this new alliance became known as the Delian League, named for the island of Delos, where the alliance stored its money. But to make sure they learned cunning, boys who were caught stealing were whipped. [6][7] They answered to the paidonomos or "boy-herder," an upper class official who was tasked with overseeing the entire Spartan education system. 2.2, Xen. Furthermore, archaeological evidence suggests the Messenians at the time were far less advanced than Sparta, making them an easy target for Sparta, which at the time was one of the most developed cities in the ancient Greek world. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/news/sparta-warriors-training, How Ancient Spartas Harsh Military System Trained Boys Into Fierce Warriors. . A highly-militaristic culture, the Spartans did indeed value minimalism and self-control. The Spartan society was known for its highly-skilled warriors, elitist administrators, and its reverence for stoicism, people today still look to the Spartans as model citizens in an idealist ancient society. The boy who excelled in judgement and was most courageous in fighting was made captain of the company, Plutarch wrote. [2], At around age 12, a boy would often enter into an institutionalized relationship with a young adult male Spartan, which continued as he became a paidiskos. [23], A Spartan man was considered to have graduated from the agg at age 30, at which time he was expected to have been accepted into a syssition and was permitted to have a family. 1. Supposedly, Pyrrhus of Epirus hid his intention to overthrow Sparta by claiming that part of his reason for marching on the Peloponnese was to have his sons trained in the agg. [18] Xenophon, on the other hand, claims that the laws of Lycurgus strictly prohibited sexual relationships with the boys, although he acknowledges that this is unusual compared to other Greek city-states. [24], According to Plutarch, the main purpose of the agg was for Spartan boys to undergo intense physical trials in order to prepare their bodies for the harshness of war. For all the Spartans efficiency, they relied heavily on a limited set of maneuvers, and when those failed, they didnt have a plan B. The city lies on the right bank of the Evrtas Potams (river). They began to form alliances with other cities in Greece in preparation for what they feared was an imminent attack by the Spartans. However, responding to pleas from Athens and the rest of Greece, and also recognizing the consequences of inaction, the Spartan king at the time, Leonidas, amassed an expeditionary force of 300 Spartans. It ended with the signing of the Thirty Years Peace, but tensions remained. During the final stages of the Second Persian Invasion of Greece during the Greco-Persian wars, Sparta had served as the Alliances de facto leader, largely because of its military superiority, but this decision to abandon the Alliance left Athens in charge, and they seized this opportunity to assume the position as the Greek hegemon, much to the dismay of Sparta. Part of the reason why this was such a significant defeat was that the Spartan army was essentially depleted. Get HISTORYs most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week. It was ruled by a council of 500 members who were elected by the citizens. Plutarch and Plato also differ in their accounts about the Crypteia, with Plutarch mentioning brutal killings done by the Crypteia in Life of Lycurgus and Plato not mentioning the killings at all in Laws[21][22][4][10], Additionally, 300 hbntes were chosen to join the hippeis, a highly-esteemed infantry cohort (despite the name implying cavalry). As a result, Sparta was in turmoil, and the defeat at the Battle of Leuctra all but relegated Sparta to the annals of history. The difficult terrain surrounding it would have made it difficult if not impossible for invaders, and because Sparta was located in a valley, intruders would have been spotted quickly. Ran campaigns in Asia to free the Ionian Greeks, and stopped his invasion of Persia only because of the turmoil occurring in ancient Greece at the time. The helots are another benefits of the citizenship, each Spartiate would have their own slaves to help them with any manual work that was required. In the coming years, just as their rivals the Athenians did, the Spartans would seek to expand their influence and maintain an empire. Typically, helots were Messenians, those who had occupied the region of Messenia before the Spartans conquered during the First and Second Messenian Wars fought in the 7th century B.C. Spartan citizenship requires physical sacrifice while Athenian citizenship required wealth. According to Plutarch, Spartans continued regular military training throughout their adult lives. 2.1, "Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, -", "Klassik als Klischee: Hitler und die Antike", "Spartan Race Inc. Shortly after the end of the Peloponnesian War, Sparta sought to expand its territory by conquering the city of Elis, which is located on the Peloponnese near Mt. The Spartan army stood at the center of the Spartan state, citizens trained in the disciplines and honor of a warrior society. New York: Viking, 2003. [9][10][2] Those hbntes who had impressed their elders the most during their training could be selected for the Crypteia, a type of 'Secret Police' tasked with maintaining control over the Helot population through violence. While riding through the Northern Aegean, Brasidas managed to convince the Greek cities previously loyal to Athens to defect to the Spartans by speaking of the corrupt imperial ambitions of the Athenian-led city states of the Delian League. It made them tougher/stronger, more able to sustain the weight of a heavy basically wooden shield in the summer sun, better at pushing and shoving, better at stamina, Cartledge says. [9] However, it is likely that the agg had a second purpose: to instil in young children a collective Spartan identity. On the second day, it was more of the same, giving hope to the idea that the Greeks might actually win. The agg kept Spartan boys away from their families for much of their childhood, which Stephen Hodkinson believes taught them to favour the needs of the entire populace over that of an individual. Whether or not the Dorians who later founded Sparta truly came from northern Greece as part of an invasion or if they simply migrated for survival reasons, Dorian pastoralist culture is ingrained into the early moments of Spartan history. Over time, particularly after the Peloponnesian War during the period of the Spartan Empire, these put considerable strain on the Spartan army. But meanwhile, the Spartan general Brasidas began campaigning throughout the Aegean, distracting the Athenians and weakening their presence in the Peloponnese. Lysander choice to attack this weakness by sailing straight for the Hellespont, the strait separating Europe from Asia near to the site of modern-day Istanbul. Four years later, in 427 BCE, they finally broke through, but the war had changed considerably by then. But Stephen Hodkinson, an professor emeritus of ancient history at the University of Nottingham, UK, says there are hints in other sources that they received the standard Greek elementary education in reading, writing, numbers, song and dance.. Fearing the Athenians would advance on their territory, the Spartans sailed back to Boeotia and encouraged the people to revolt, which they did. . All Rights Reserved. In the end, he was right, and Athens knew it. For instance as a member of the state at age twenty, Spartan men were allowed to marry, but they would not share a marital home until they were thirty or older. [40][39], In Weimar Germany, after the loss of the First World War, many scholars drew connections with the sacrifice of the Spartan king Leonidas at Thermopylae in order to justify the deaths of those who died in the war. Realizing that their chances for survival were now slim if they continued to fight on their own, Athens pleaded with Sparta to take a more central role in the defense of Greece. Hearing of this massive force, many Greek cities responded to Xerxes tribute demands, meaning that much of ancient Greece in 480 BCE was controlled by the Persians. These names suggest that military strength and success was an important part of becoming a Spartan leader, a tradition that would continue on throughout Spartan history. This likely came from the fact that Spartan women, often left alone by their husbands during times of war, became the administrators of mens property, and if their husbands died, that property often became theirs. The Spartans were left with considerable power after the Corinthian War, and by 385 BCE, just two years after peace had been brokered, they were once again working to expand their influence. He was meant to attack the city of Deres with the support of the Argives, but he did so before his allies had the chance to arrive, which caused the battle to end without a conclusive result. In addition to serving as a natural boundary, the river also made the region surrounding the city of Sparta one of the most fertile and agriculturally productive. [28], The paidonomos was the magistrate in charge of overseeing the agg as a whole. Its inhabitants were classified as Spartiates (Spartan citizens, who enjoyed full rights), Mothakes (non-Spartan, free men raised as Spartans), Perioikoi (free, but non-citizen inhabitants), and Helots (state-owned serfs, part of the enslaved, non-Spartan, local population). They invaded the island of Melos, and then they sent a massive expedition to Sicily in an attempt to subjugate the city of Syracuse. But despite these terms, the city state of Athens would continue to aggravate Sparta with its imperial ambitions, and Spartas allies, unhappy with the terms of peace, caused trouble that led to resumed fighting between the two sides. However, to the east of Greece, in modern-day Iran, a new world power was flexing its muscles. Elsewhere in Laconia, Sparta demanded subjugation from the people living there. After several days of skirmishing and attempting to cut the other off, the Battle of Platea began, and once again the Greeks stood strong, but this time they were able to drive back the Persians, routing them in the process. See answer (1) Best Answer Copy to be a citizen of Sparta you had to have had both a mother and father that was a spartan citizen. If the so-called 'Great Rhetra' is a genuine seventh-century bc document, if Tyrtaeus is the first extant ancient Greek source to use a form of 'politai' (polis-persons, citizens) in his verses, ifAs with most aspects of early Spartan history, alas, the sources are inadequate, and the 'mirage' gets in the way. It is bordered by the Taygetos Mountains to the west and the Parnon Mountains the east, and while Sparta was not a coastal Greek city, but it was just 40 km (25 miles) north of the Mediterranean Sea. Constitution of the Lacedaimonians. Since Spartiates were full-time soldiers, manual labor fell to the Helot population who worked as unskilled serfs, tilling the Spartan land or accompanying the Spartan army as non-combatants. Xenophon says a Spartan army could perform maneuvers that others couldnt, because of their training, Cartledge says. They were needed because Spartan citizens, also known as Spartiates, were forbidden from doing manual labor, meaning they needed forced labor to work the land and produce food. They gathered their fleet and Sparta lost several naval battles near the Peloponnesian coast. Only native Spartans were considered full citizens, and were obliged to undergo military training as prescribed by law, as well as participate in, and contribute financially to, one of the syssitia. So, he gathered an army of around 8,000 men and marched the opposite route that Xerxes and Darius had taken nearly a century before, through Thrace and Macedon, across the Hellespont, and into Asia Minor, and was met with little resistance. For now their lives were dedicated to the military. Furthermore, he fought in a phalanx, which is an array of soldiers designed to create a strong line of defense by having each soldier protect not only himself but the soldier sitting next to him using a shield. The fight lasted three years and ended with an Argive/Athenian victory at the Battle of Lechaeum in 391 BCE. Only native Spartans were considered full citizens, and were obliged to undergo military training as prescribed by law, as well as participate in, and contribute financially to, one of the syssitia. While scholars such as Pierre Vidal-Naquet have suggested that the Crypteia functioned as an initiatory ritual in the transition into adulthood, others, such as David Dodd, believe it was used primarily as a tool of terror. Trophimoi, or foster sons, from other Greek city-states were allowed to attend training as foreign students. These two locations were chosen because they provided the best topological conditions for neutralizing the superior Persian numbers. One factor was the agoge, the Greek city-states educational and training system, which used harsh, extreme and sometimes cruel methods to prepare boys to be Spartan citizens and soldiers. Spartan citizens required this support because . A large class of helots, conquered native people owned by the Spartan state, produced all the food the citizens required. Heres a snapshot of some of the key features of life and culture in classical Sparta. Although its true that Sparta helped Athens remove a tyrant and restore democracy, the two Greek city states were rapidly becoming the most powerful in the Greek world, and the outbreak of war with the Persians would further highlight their differences and eventually drive them to war, a series of events that defines Spartan and Greek history. Archidamus II (c. 469-427 BCE) led the Spartans during much of the first part of the Peloponnesian War, which is often called the Archidamian War. With the rest of the Greek world keenly aware that the Spartans had imperial ambitions, there was an increased desire to antagonize Sparta, and in 395 BCE, Thebes, which had been growing more powerful, decided to support the city of Locris in its desire to collect taxes from nearby Phocis, which was an ally of Sparta. Of course, they were far from equals, but they were afforded freedoms unheard of in the ancient world. There were a few exceptions where adopted sons who performed well in battle could be given citizenship. This led to the first pan-Hellenic alliance in Greek history, but tensions within that alliance helped contribute to the growing conflict between Athens and Sparta, which ended in the Peloponnesian War, the largest civil war in Greek history. They failed, and thanks to the support of the Spartans and the Corinthians, Syracuse remained independent. To join this force, you had to have a son of your own, for death was a near certainty. WATCH: Spartan Vengeance on HISTORY Vault, Strictly speaking, the Agoge didnt include military training, which didnt start in earnest until they became adult soldiers. But the Greeks had managed to inflict heavy losses on the Persian army, (estimates indicate Persian casualties numbered around 50,000), but more importantly, they had learned their superior armor and weapons, combined with a geographical advantage, gave them a chance against the massive Persian army. The higher status of females in Spartan society started at birth. The Greek city-state imposed brutal training and contests that began at age 7. [44] In science fiction, Red Rising contains a training program based on Greek institution like the agg in the form of a state sponsored military education system which utilizes Greek names and symbols; the program emphasizes Spartan discipline against Athenian Democracy.[45]. However, the Spartans refused to join the Macedons, led first by Philip II and later by his son, Alexander the Great, in an alliance against the Persians, which led to the eventual fall of the Persian empire. Hellenistic and Roman Sparta. At age seven, Spartan boys were turned over by their parents to the state, where they were organized into companies that lived, studied and trained together. The First Peloponnesian War was more of a series of skirmishes and battles than an outright war. To help you understand more about the history of Sparta, we have used some of these primary sources, along with a collection of important secondary sources, to reconstruct the story of Sparta from its founding until its fall. The Peloponnesian War broke out when a Theban envoy in the city of Plataea to kill the Plataean leaders and install a new government was attacked by those loyal to the current ruling class. He worked to get 30 aristocrats with Spartan ties elected in Athens, and then he oversaw a harsh rule meant to punish the Athenians. This outraged Thebes and the Theban envoy left the conference, leaving all parties unsure if the war was still on. This policy was meant to improve the chances of Spartan women having healthy children while also preventing women from experiencing the complications that come from early pregnancies. Civil and criminal cases were also decided by ephors, as well as a council of 28 elders over the age of 60, called the gerousia. He carried a large bronze shield, wore bronze armor, and carried a long, bronze-tipped spear. [30] As the ultimate position of authority within the Spartan education system, the paidonomos was responsible for doling out punishment, but was probably not directly responsible for inflicting it; this would have been delegated to the mastigophoroi, a squadron of hbntes armed with whips. Thebes had been forced to allow Sparta to pass through its territory as they marched north towards Macedon, a sign of Thebes subjugation to Sparta. Ancient Sparta is one of the most well-known cities in Classical Greece. In the extant literature, the first occurrence of the word politeia to refer to the notion of 'citizenship' can be found in the chapters of Herodotus (9.33-5) devoted to the account of the seer Teisamenos of Elis who, together with his brother, was made a Spartan citizen sometime before the battle of Plataea. For example, from the time of the Greco-Persian Wars, the kings lost the right to declare war and were shadowed in the field by two officials, known as ephors. The raids into Attica had rendered the territory surrounding Athens almost entirely unproductive, and this meant they were entirely dependent on their trade network in the Aegean to get them the basic supplies for life. And while the city never fell to a foreign invader, it was a shell of its former self by the time the Romans entered the scene in the 2nd century BCE. Helots were originally free Greeks that the Spartans had defeated in battle, and subsequently enslaved. This helped Sparta prosper into one of the most successful Greek city states. But the instability brought on by their dependence on helots, as well as the realization that their neighbors would invade whenever they had the chance, helped show the Spartan citizens how important it would be for them to have a premier fighting force if they wished to remain free and independent in an increasingly competitive ancient world. In the event that the Spartan boys did not pass the test, they were placed at the base of Mount Taygetus for several days for a test that ended with death by exposure, or survival. [10] As well, the term boua appears to replace the Classical agel as the name for the groups of boys. A combination of climatic factors, political turmoil, and foreign invaders from tribes referred to as Sea People, brought life to a halt for some 300 years. However, they were betrayed by a man from the nearby city Trachis who was looking to win favor with the Persians. Cartledge, Paul. The newly granted status meant Spartan men could live at their homes, most of the Spartans were farmers but the helots would work the land for them. Significance of Citizens in Athens and Sparta Perhaps two of the most different poleis were Athens and Sparta. Before the Persian King Darius I could launch a second invasion of Greece, he died, and his son, Xerxes, took over as the Persian sovereign in c. 486 BCE. The Peloponnesian War. There are three different ways you can cite this article. Helot women were often used as wet nurses. [41], In the 21st century, the agg is known primarily in the context of intense physical trials. However, neither side was able to gain an advantage, and the Spartans left a force to lay siege to the city. The Spartans were defeated once again at Oeneophyta, which placed nearly all of Boeotia under Athenian control. Spartan boys were often sent out into the wild on their own to survive, and they were taught how to fight. There are few historical records from this time, and archaeological evidence also indicates a significant slowdown, leading this period to be referred to as the Late Bronze Age Collapse. How old is the United States of America? However, shortly after the beginning of the final millennium BCE, civilization once again began to flourish, and the city of Sparta was to play a pivotal role in the ancient history of the region and the world. Five individuals were elected annually to swear on behalf of the city, whereas kings served for a lifetime and swore only on their own behalf. (the term used for the heavily armored Greek infantry), Sparta also brought some 35,000 helots to support the hoplites and also serve as light infantry. Both royal families, the Agiads and the Eurypontids, claimed ancestry with the gods. Agoge. To fight as a Spartiate a highly-trained Spartan soldier one had to have Spartan blood. While Sparta was technically a monarchy governed by two kings, one each from the Agiad and Eurypontid families, these kings were relegated over time to positions that most closely resembled generals. He amassed an army of nearly 180,000 men, a massive force for the time, and gather ships from all over the empire, mainly Egypt and Phoenicia, to build an equally impressive fleet. [2] Stealing did not go unpunished, however, as Xenophon reports that those who were caught would be beaten, a lesson which he claims taught the boys stealth and resourcefulness. Yet they were still treated quite poorly by the Spartans. However, despite securing Laconia, the Spartans were not done establishing their influence in the Peloponnese, and their next target was the Messenians, a culture that lived on the southwestern Peloponnese in the region of Messenia. These 300 Spartans were joined by a force of another 3,000 soldiers from around the Peloponnese, as around 1,000 from Thespiae and Phocis each, as well as another 1,000 from Thebes. The mental strength of Leonidas and the 300 was attributed in part to their upbringing in the agg. However, people had been living in the area where Sparta would be founded starting in the Neolithic Era, which dates back some 6,000 years. Other requirements included: being physical fit and prepared for war, they were expected to attend the assembly to vote on issues and any man would much rather prefer . The training was designed to encourage discipline and physical toughness, as well as emphasize the importance of the Spartan state. What were the requirements to be a citizen in Sparta? They were the chief priests of the state, and maintained contact with Delphi, the sanctuary that exercised great authority in Spartan politics. Instead, Helots were given a subordinate position within Spartan society more comparable to the serfs of medieval Europe. Only those who had undertaken the Spartan education process known as the Agoge were eligible.. Constitution of the Lacedaimonians, 2.2, Xen. Another important event, or series of events, that took place in the years leading up to the final stage of the war was Athens attempts to expand. For clothing, they were given just one cloak to wear year-round, to make them learn to endure heat and cold, and made their own beds from plants that they had to rip out of the ground with their bare hands from river banks. Unique in ancient Greece for its social system, Spartan society was completely focused on military training and excellence. Order now Who held public office? But it accomplished all that at great cost, by turning Spartan boys childhood into what today would be seen as a traumatic experience. [2] The characterization of the Roman-era agg as especially brutal reinforced the opinion of the Roman public that Spartans were traditionally a harsh, warlike people. In fact, by the time of the Peloponnesian War, the Spartan kings had little or no say over the affairs of the Spartan polis. During this conflict, Sparta was unable to completely conquer all of Messenia, but significant portions of Messenian territory did come under Spartan control, and the Messenians who did not die in the war were turned into helots in service of Sparta. 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