The life of Sparta
Sparta, also known as Lacedaemon, was an ancient Greek city-state located primarily in a region of southern Greece called Laconia. The population of Sparta consisted of three main groups: the Spartans, or Spartans, who were full citizens; the Helots, or serfs/slaves; and the Perioeci, who were neither slaves nor citizens. The Perioeci, whose name means “inhabitants of the surroundings”, worked as artisans and traders and made weapons for the Spartans.
Did you know? The word “spartan” means sober, simple, frugal and austere. The word laconic, meaning concise and concise, comes from the Spartans, who valued brevity in speech.
All healthy male Spartan citizens participated in the compulsory state-sponsored educational system, the Agoge, which emphasized obedience, endurance, courage, and self-control. Spartan men dedicated their lives to military service and lived communally into adulthood. A Spartan learned that loyalty to the state came before everything else, including family.
The Helots, whose name means “captives”, were fellow Greeks, originally from Laconia and Messenia, who had been conquered by the Spartans and transformed into slaves. The Spartan way of life would not have been possible without the Helots, who carried out all the daily tasks and unskilled labor necessary for society to function: they were farmers, servants, nurses and soldiers.
The Spartans, who were outnumbered by the Helots, often treated them brutally and oppressively in an attempt to prevent uprisings. The Spartans would humiliate the Helots by doing things such as forcing them to become debilitatingly drunk on wine and then making fools of themselves in public. (This practice was also intended to demonstrate to the youth how an adult Spartan should never act, as self-control was a valuable trait.) Methods of mistreatment could be far more extreme: Spartans were allowed to kill Helots because ‘they were too smart or too intelligent. fit, among other reasons.
The Spartan army
Unlike Greek city-states like Athens – a center of arts, learning and philosophy – Sparta was centered on a warrior culture. Male Spartan citizens were only allowed one profession: soldier. The indoctrination into this lifestyle began very early.
Spartan boys began their military training at the age of 7, when they left home and entered the Agoge. The boys lived communally in austere conditions. They were subjected to continual physical competition (which could involve violence), given meager rations, and expected to learn skills in stealing food, among other survival skills.
Teenagers who demonstrated the most leadership potential were selected to participate in the Crypteia, which acted as a secret police force whose primary goal was to terrorize the general helot population and assassinate those who were troublemakers . At age 20, Spartan men became full-time soldiers and remained on active duty until age 60.
Spartan armor, shield and helmet
No soldier was considered superior to another. In battle, a Spartan soldier, or hoplite, wore a large bronze helmet, breastplate, and ankle guards, as well as a round bronze and wooden shield, a long spear, and a sword. Spartan warriors were also known for their long hair and red cloaks.
The Spartans’ constant military training and discipline made them adept at the ancient Greek style of fighting in phalanx formation. In the phalanx, the army worked as a unit in close, deep formation and carried out coordinated mass maneuvers.
Spartan women
Spartan women had a reputation for being independent-minded and enjoyed more freedoms and power than their ancient Greek counterparts. Although they played no role in the military, Spartan women often received formal education, although separately from boys and not in boarding schools.
Partly to attract mates, women participated in athletic competitions, including javelin throwing and wrestling, and also sang and danced competitively. As adults, Spartan women were allowed to own and manage property. Additionally, they were generally not bothered by domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, and making clothes, tasks which were carried out by the Helots.
Marriage was important to the Spartans because the state pressured people to have male children who would become citizen-warriors and replace those who died in battle. Men who delayed marriage were publicly humiliated, while those who fathered multiple sons might be rewarded.
In preparation for marriage, Spartan women had their heads shaved; they kept their hair short after their marriage. Married couples generally lived apart, with men under 30 having to continue to reside in communal barracks. In order to see their wives during this time, husbands had to run away at night.
Decline of the Spartans
In 371 BC, Sparta suffered a catastrophic defeat by the Thebans at the Battle of Leuctra. In another blow, late the following year, the Theban general Epaminondas (c. 418 BC–362 BC) led an invasion of Spartan territory and oversaw the liberation of the Messenian Helots, who had been enslaved by the Spartans for several centuries.
The Spartans would continue to exist, albeit as a second-rate power during a long period of decline. In 1834, Otto (1815-67), the king of Greece, ordered the founding of the present city of Sparta on the site of ancient Sparta.