Preserving democracy and the rights of the people.. They thought of themselves as Greeks. Sparta was not as known for philosophers and artists as other Greek city-states, though it did have a strong tradition of poetry. In fact, Spartan women became amongst the richest members of society, as their men were killed in the many wars, and eventually controlled 2/5th of Spartan land. Girls . Archaeological evidence, however, suggests that Sparta itself was a new settlement created from the 10th century BCE. In 428 they tried to aid the island state of Lesbos, a tributary of Athens that was planning to revolt. Spartan system of government | Short history website On the advice of Pericles, its most influential leader, Athens refused to back down. Did you know? Going into battle, a Spartan soldier, or hoplite, wore a large bronze helmet, breastplate and ankle guards, and carried a round shield made of bronze and wood, a long spear and sword. They were subjected to continual physical, competitions (which could involve violence), given meager rations and expected to become skilled at stealing food, among other survival skills. The epitome of rough and ready virility. A century-long decline followed. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Mark, Joshua J.. "Agoge, the Spartan Education Program." What was Sparta's focus as a city-states? Sparta focused on producing good . The agoge was the ancient Spartan education program, which trained male youths in the art of war. The city of Sparta was also in constant rivalry with the other major Greek cities of Athens and Corinth and became involved in two protracted and hugely damaging conflicts, the Peloponnesian Wars of the mid- to late-5th century BCE and the Corinthian Wars of in the early 4th century BCE. Continued Spartan ambitions in central and northern Greece, Asia Minor, and Sicily once again dragged the city into another protracted conflict, the Corinthian Wars with Athens, Thebes, Corinth, and Persia from 396 to 387 BCE. Marriage was important to Spartans, as the state put pressure on people to have male children who would grow up to become citizen-warriors, and to replace those who died in battle. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Cartledge comments: One particularly striking instance of this displaced or surrogate fathering was the institution of ritualized pederasty. Plutarch notes: The boys make such a serious matter of their stealing, that one of them, as the story goes, who was carrying under his cloak a young fox he had stolen, suffered the animal to tear out his bowels with teeth and claws, and died rather than have his theft detected. The only excuses for non-attendance were participation in a religious ritual or a hunting expedition. The paidonomos would learn from the Ephors what constituted excess or leniency and was often the overseer of punishments. Military activity was essential to Sparta. Leonidas was a Spartan king whose stand against the invading Persian army at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece is one of the enduring tales of Greek heroism, invoked throughout Western history as the epitome of bravery exhibited against overwhelming odds. But led by Brasidas, hero of the Battle of Delium, a Spartan force gained important successes in Chalcidice in 424, encouraging Athenian subject states to revolt. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Sparta thus came to control some 8,500 km of territory making the polis or city-state the largest in Greece and a major player in Greek politics. Holders of slaves, exacters of infanticide, practitioners of pederasty. 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 fighting engulfed virtually the entire Greek world, and it was properly regarded by Thucydides, whose contemporary account of it is considered to be among the worlds finest works of history, as the most momentous war up to that time. The Peloponnesian War, one of the most significant events in ancient Greek history, enveloped the city-states of the ancient Greek world, forever changing the region. Learning from its past experiences with the Athenian navy, they established a fleet of warships. Unlike other Greek city-states, Sparta was exceptional in its socio-political stability, Hodkinson says. Famous episodes where the Spartans put religion above warfare and even national crisis were at Marathon and Thermopylae during the Greco-Persian Wars. Athens defeat was perhaps the worst casualty in a war that crippled Greek military strength, and thus the most culturally advanced Greek state was brought into final eclipse. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. The Byzantines repopulated the site and gave it the ancient Homeric name Lacedaemon. Advantages Of Sparta The Great City-State | ipl.org Last modified June 15, 2021. READ MORE:8 Reasons It Wasn't Easy Being Spartan. https://www.worldhistory.org/sparta/. World History Encyclopedia, 15 Jun 2021. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Simultaneous to the end of this conflict came the end of the golden age of ancient Greece. The Spartans constant military drilling and discipline made them skilled at the ancient Greek style of fighting in a phalanx formation. The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta: The Persian Challenge, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. Soon afterward the navy was also beaten, and the Athenians were utterly destroyed as they tried to retreat. Sparta was a powerful city-state in ancient Greece. The expansion was the focus for Athens as well but via a more complicated process that included both military power and trade alliances. The 80-second response to employees' bonus questions came at the end of a 75-minute . Ancient Sparta: History of the Spartans Warriors and Women Sparta was also an important member of the Greek force which participated in the Trojan War. Xenophon, however, denies there was any sexual element to the relationships of the boys in the agoge. In preparation for marriage, Spartan women had their heads shaved; they kept their hair short after they wed. Married couples typically lived apart, as men under 30 were required to continue residing in communal barracks. The program was first instituted by the lawgiver Lycurgus (l. 9th century BCE) and was integral to Spartas military strength and political power. From the age of 7, Spartan children were trained to fight. Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution, which were supposedly introduced by the semi-mythical legislator Lycurgus. The following essay will focus on the main features of Spartan religion. 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/topics/ancient-greece/sparta. Spartan girls also engaged in a number of sports including boxing, wrestling, discus and javelin toss, horseback riding, and foot races. Men who delayed marriage were publicly shamed, while those who fathered multiple sons could be rewarded. Spartan society was separated into social classes, and conquered people were not given political rights or citizenship. The Spartans way of life would not have been possible without the Helots, who handled all the day-to-day tasks and unskilled labor required to keep society functioning: They were farmers, domestic servants, nurses and military attendants. READ: Greco-Roman (article) | Khan Academy Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. National Geographic Headquarters 1145 17th Street NW Washington, DC 20036. Why is Sparta the best city state? - Answers Sparta was a warrior society in ancient Greece that reached the height of its power after defeating rival city-state Athens in the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C.). Each stood at the head of alliances that, between them, included nearly every Greek city-state. The fighting engulfed virtually the entire Greek world, and it was properly regarded by Thucydides, whose contemporary account of it is considered to be among the world's finest . Corrections? The kings were also priests of Zeus and they sat on the council of elders known as the gerousia. The helots could keep a percentage of the produce they cultivated, but they were also regularly purged to keep them firmly in their social place and they could also be conscripted into military duties in times of war. Membership of the League did not necessitate the paying of tribute to Sparta but rather the provision of troops. Rise of City-States: Athens and Sparta [ushistory.org] Such harsh punishment was a prominent part of the Spartan training system. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He's the co-author (with Martin J. Smith) of Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America. The Spartans spoke Greek. They had no need to learn to sew or weave because the menial jobs in Sparta were taken care of by the helots. The Greek polis (article) | Classical Greece | Khan Academy The Spartans would continue to exist, although as a second-rate power in a long period of decline. MillerKnoll CEO Andi Owen told employees to "leave pity city" and stop asking about whether they'd get bonuses. The Athenians had built walls stretching from their seaport to the city of Athens. Sparta was one of the most important city-states in ancient Greece and was famous for its military prowess. These youths pursued rigorous athletic and military training which became even more demanding from the age of 20, when they joined common mess halls (syssition) where they often formed homoerotic relations with older, more experienced citizens. Athens believed that power should be used for the individual's benefit. The historical name of Sparta is Lacedaemon. Spartan warriors were also known for their long hair and red cloaks. Lazenby writes in his book The Spartan Army. If they were successful, even if the theft was detected afterward and the culprit clearly suspected, no punishment was given; if they were caught, they were severely beaten. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Widely circulating online posts are spreading the false narrative that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are being quietly added to the food supply. You cannot download interactives. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Agoge, the Spartan Education Program - World History Encyclopedia World History Encyclopedia, 28 May 2013. Spartas single-minded dedication to rule by a militarized oligarchy precluded any hope of a political unification of Classical Greece, but it performed a great service in 480 bce by its heroic stand at Thermopylae and its subsequent leadership in the Greco-Persian wars. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. Sparta's history has fascinated intellectuals from Plato until today and inspired great leaders such as Frederick the Great and Napoleon. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Modern Sparta is the capital of the southern Greek region of Laconia and a center for processing citrus and olives. The rest all kept their eyes on him, obeying his orders and submitting to his punishments, so their boyish training was a practice of obedience., Plutarch portrayed Spartan boys as receiving little schooling. Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. prepares to jump on a fumble by Purdue wide receiver TJ Sheffield during the second quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium for the Purdue game on Sept. 1, 2022. At the academy, the boys lived communally with others in their age group. License. Help us and translate this definition into another language! The walls helped protect Athens from direct assault, and its leader, Pericles, urged Athens not to engage in direct land battles with the Spartans. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. When you reach out to him or her, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. We care about our planet! Democracy was overthrown by the oligarchical party, which was in turn replaced by the more moderate regime of the Five Thousand. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. The Peloponnesian War - National Geographic Society A Spartan was taught that loyalty to the state came before everything else, including ones family. This article was most recently revised and updated by, World History Encyclopedia - Sparta, Greece, Sparta - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Sparta - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). The precise date of the end of the agoge is unknown, but it did not survive the 396 CE sack of Sparta by Alaric I (r. 394-410 CE) of the Visigoths. Sparta and Athens are known as city-state with many contrasting beliefs. 1. The word laconic, which means pithy and concise, is derived from the Spartans, who prized brevity of speech. Known as the Agoge, the system emphasized duty, discipline and endurance. They were encouraged to break the exclusive ties with their own natal families and to consider all Spartans of their fathers age to be [their parents]. JoDee Kenney sits down with Troy Mayor Patrick Madden to talk about balancing a city budget, while still providing necessary services to residents. National Geographic Society is a 501 (c)(3) organization. The population of Sparta consisted of three main groups: the Spartans, or Spartiates, who were full citizens; the Helots, or serfs/slaves; and the Perioeci, who were neither slaves nor citizens. (18.1). The city lies on the right bank of the Evrtas Potams (river). What Caused the Decline of Sparta - DailyHistory.org Later historians, such as Plutarch (l. c. 45/50 - c. 120/125 CE) were more critical of the program. While they played no role in the military, female Spartans often received a formal education, although separate from boys and not at boarding schools. This regional instability brought about the Peloponnesian League (c. 505 to 365 BCE) which was a grouping of Corinth, Elis, Tegea, and other states (but never Argos), where each member swore to have the same enemies and allies as Sparta. A second and lower social group was the helots, semi-enslaved agricultural labourers who lived on Spartan-owned estates.
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