Sparta developed uniquely among its Greek neighbors. They had an extremely rigid and militaristic society that was feared and renowned throughout the ancient world. The mothers of Spartan soldiers upon sending their sons to war would say “Bring back this shield yourself or be brought back upon it.”
Spartan Boys
There was little or no mercy for those who did not fight or who fought dishonorably. Unlike other Greek city-states, every Spartan citizen from the moment of birth was the absolute property of the state. Those infants who were in some way unfit were taken to a pit and left to die. Those who survived endured harsh rigors of discipline beginning at age seven. They were taken from the arms of their mothers and put in small groups. The boys who were strongest and bravest were made captains. They lived together isolated from the rest of society. They were given just enough provisions to survive. Their education had little room for the fine arts and philosophies. The major focus of their ‘studies’ was calisthenics and military training. They learned that it was the ultimate disgrace to “retreat or surrender in battle”, and death would be the better option.
They endured great pain and hardships throughout their young lives and into adulthood without complaining. This taught them “to obey orders absolutely and without question”. Spartan boys were allowed to starve and steal food to survive. This was not done to make them thieves, but to teach them “shrewdness and enterprise.” Those caught were severely punished. To condition the boys against the elements, they often “went barefoot and naked.” Regardless of the weather, they were given one cloak a year and no tunics. Spartan girls endured similar but less harsh training methods.
Spartan Men and Women
All Spartan adult males were required to spend their lives serving in the army. They could marry, but they had to eat and sleep with their fellow soldiers. They were not allowed to own much of anything. Gold and silver were forbidden to them, war songs were their only music, their selection of literature was extremely limited, and, when they spoke, their words had to be concise and straightforward.
Spartan women enjoyed more privileges than anywhere else in the ancient world. They were educated at the expense of the state, and reared to bear strong, Spartan boys, and handle all aspects of domestic life. They were not pampered as women in other parts of the Greek world were. They endured a strict exercise regiment, were well-nourished, and walked nude just as the boys did. Spartan women were not dominated by men, they worked alongside of them. They were as capable and confident as their male counterparts, unlike many women in other areas of the Greek world who were treated as property and given no rights.
Respected By All
The Spartans were admired throughout the ancient world because their ways, though odd, were very effective. There were a large number of people in Sparta not worthy enough to be Spartans such as the Helots and the Perioikoi (merchants and farmers). Despite the large number of non-Spartans, there were rarely ever any uprisings or civil conflicts. They were fiercely patriotic. Their military society allowed them to dominate much of the Hellenistic world for centuries. Only Athens compared in military strength. The effectiveness of their strict order and harsh discipline was enviable by other nations. They combined the elements of a democracy and a monarchy and made a successful, working government that was the model of nations for generations to come.
Oracle Education Foundation. Sparta (ThinkQuest Team, 1998) Internet; http://library.thinkquest.org/17709/cities/sparta.htm. Accessed on February 3, 2008.
Pomeroy, Ancient Greece 2nd Edition (Oxford University Press: New York, 2008)
