2: Sparta Flashcards
Why did Sparta begin to expand?
They needed more farm lands to support their population growth.
What did Sparta begin as?
A small town in southern Greece.
Where did they begin their expansion?
Laconia.
Where was the 2nd place they absorbed and when did this occur?
Messenia in c. 725-650 BC
How did the Spartans control their new lang mass?
They trained their people in a military manner + introduced political rights (spartan citizens are all equal)
What was the Spartan ideal?
To have a perfect military state.
What was the ‘Spartan Mirage’ and who created this idea?
Francois Ollier - describes the block of understanding of what really occurred in Sparta.
Why the ‘Spartan Mirage’? What cause it?
Sparta was a very closed state - they didn’t like outsiders + writing.
What was literacy like in Sparta?
Higher that anywhere else in Greece + women were also literate.
Who created the written sources do we have on Sparta?
Xenophon + Plutarch.
What is the issue with using Xenophon as a source for Sparta?
He was a ‘super-fan’ of the Spartan regime.
What is the issue with using Plutarch as a source for Sparta?
He is writing about 600 years later than the events he’s describing.
What issues do with have with our general image of Sparta?
Modern Laconophiles have warped our image of the Spartans. ‘Baddies’ of history were all Laconophiles.
Who were some known Laconophiles?
Hitler, Russian communists + the leaders of the French Revolution.
How did Herodotus describe the Spartan constitution?
‘a monarchy, rule by a few and rule by the majority.’
Name each section of the Spartan constitution.
2 Kings. The Gerousia council, 5 ‘elected’ ephors + an assembly of male citizens.
What did the Gerousa council include?
30 of the ‘best’ men over 60.
Why were women encouraged to exercise in Sparta?
To produce healthy children. They even exercised through pregnancy.
What is Eugenics?
The process of destroying weak or disabled children by exposing them. it was more common in boys.
What happened with a child after it was born in Sparta?
It would be inspected by the Gerousa, who would decide if the child was too weak or not.
Why were children exposed if they were weak?
To keep a strong bloodline. Exposure was considered more humane and less cruel.
What is the term for education for young Spartan boys?
Agōgē.
How old were Spartan boys when they began education via agōgē?
7
What kind of regime was involved in the Education system of the Spartans?
strictly limited clothing + diet.
monitored behaviour.
punishments of flogging.
encouraged singing + dancing.
