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Greek History > 2: Sparta > Flashcards

2: Sparta Flashcards

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1
Q

Why did Sparta begin to expand?

A

They needed more farm lands to support their population growth.

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2
Q

What did Sparta begin as?

A

A small town in southern Greece.

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3
Q

Where did they begin their expansion?

A

Laconia.

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4
Q

Where was the 2nd place they absorbed and when did this occur?

A

Messenia in c. 725-650 BC

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5
Q

How did the Spartans control their new lang mass?

A

They trained their people in a military manner + introduced political rights (spartan citizens are all equal)

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6
Q

What was the Spartan ideal?

A

To have a perfect military state.

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7
Q

What was the ‘Spartan Mirage’ and who created this idea?

A

Francois Ollier - describes the block of understanding of what really occurred in Sparta.

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8
Q

Why the ‘Spartan Mirage’? What cause it?

A

Sparta was a very closed state - they didn’t like outsiders + writing.

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9
Q

What was literacy like in Sparta?

A

Higher that anywhere else in Greece + women were also literate.

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10
Q

Who created the written sources do we have on Sparta?

A

Xenophon + Plutarch.

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11
Q

What is the issue with using Xenophon as a source for Sparta?

A

He was a ‘super-fan’ of the Spartan regime.

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12
Q

What is the issue with using Plutarch as a source for Sparta?

A

He is writing about 600 years later than the events he’s describing.

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13
Q

What issues do with have with our general image of Sparta?

A

Modern Laconophiles have warped our image of the Spartans. ‘Baddies’ of history were all Laconophiles.

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14
Q

Who were some known Laconophiles?

A

Hitler, Russian communists + the leaders of the French Revolution.

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15
Q

How did Herodotus describe the Spartan constitution?

A

‘a monarchy, rule by a few and rule by the majority.’

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16
Q

Name each section of the Spartan constitution.

A

2 Kings. The Gerousia council, 5 ‘elected’ ephors + an assembly of male citizens.

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17
Q

What did the Gerousa council include?

A

30 of the ‘best’ men over 60.

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18
Q

Why were women encouraged to exercise in Sparta?

A

To produce healthy children. They even exercised through pregnancy.

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19
Q

What is Eugenics?

A

The process of destroying weak or disabled children by exposing them. it was more common in boys.

20
Q

What happened with a child after it was born in Sparta?

A

It would be inspected by the Gerousa, who would decide if the child was too weak or not.

21
Q

Why were children exposed if they were weak?

A

To keep a strong bloodline. Exposure was considered more humane and less cruel.

22
Q

What is the term for education for young Spartan boys?

A

Agōgē.

23
Q

How old were Spartan boys when they began education via agōgē?

A

7

24
Q

What kind of regime was involved in the Education system of the Spartans?

A

strictly limited clothing + diet.
monitored behaviour.
punishments of flogging.
encouraged singing + dancing.

25
Q

What occurred at the shrine of Artemis Orthia?

A

ritualistic cheese stealing + whipping punishments.

26
Q

What was the crypetia?

A

A coming of age ritual involving a boy being set into the wild with no provisions, who can only return when he has killed a helot or serf.

27
Q

Name the proper term for the Spartan ‘equals’.

A

Hormoioi.

28
Q

What were the general symbols for the Hormoioi?

A

Long hair and Red cloaks.

29
Q

How did the Spartans pay for things?

A

They didn’t have coins so they used iron spits.

30
Q

What occurred once a Spartan reached 18 years old?

A

They would join a common ‘mess’ or ‘syssitia’.

31
Q

What was the Spartan diet?

A

Not good.
Barley groats in olive oil + a side meat portion.
The Spartan black broth.

32
Q

What was the Spartan black broth?

A

Pork boiled in vinegar, salt and blood.

33
Q

What does Plutarch say about Spartan food?

A

“Spartans give their cooks vinegar and salt only, bidding him to seek what he needs from the animal itself.”

34
Q

What was the Spartan equality like?

A

It was a charade, masking all problems + some serious inequalities within the Spartan society.

35
Q

Give 1 example of Spartan in equality.

A

Some of the syssitia’s were exclusive clubs to accommodate the rich.

36
Q

What did women have to do to prove their bravery and what did it do?

A

Sing + dance naked before the men. They took this as an opportunity to mock the men.
Display of beauty + made them ashamed to be fat or weak.

37
Q

What was the ideal for a Spartan warrior?

A

living and dying for honour.

38
Q

What was the Spartan attitude towards deserters?

A

“come back carrying your shield, or on it”,

39
Q

What happened to Spartan deserters?

A

Stripping them of their citizenship and humiliating them. often warriors would commit suicide over the humiliation.

40
Q

What was the punishment for deserting battle for Spartans?

A

Shaving half their beards + wear a patchwork cloak.
Not allowed to smile or ‘behave like a man of unsullied fame’
forced to make way or give up seats.
Last picked at games + banished to back of chorus.

41
Q

Who were the spartan working class?

A

Helots or Serfs.

42
Q

How many Helots were there in ancient Sparta?

A

8 helots to every male spartan.

43
Q

What kind of life did the Helots have?

A

Poor - carrying overly heavy loads like donkeys + were hunted.
Beaten certain amount of times a year regardless.
Got too fat or luxurious = death.
Jesters - made to get drunk so that the young would know what alcohol did.

44
Q

What did Helots wear?

A

Dog skin caps + animal skins.

45
Q

What was the Spartan social structure order?

A

Spartans, Perioeci, Helots/Serfs

46
Q

What was the downfall for the Spartans?

A

Soldiers not very adaptable to new tactics + war techniques.

Spartan men started dying out.

47
Q

Name 3 wars the Spartans lost, contributing to their downfall.

A

Lechaeum c. 390 BC.
Leuctra 371 BC.
Mantinea 362 BC.

Greek History (10 decks)

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