Kevin’s Cards about Sparta Flashcards
What was Sparta known as
Sparta was the great warrior city-state of Greece
In its early days, what did Sparta not need
In its early days, Sparta was so strong that it did not need the defensive walls found in most cities
How were Spartans like (Characteristics)
The Spartans were a wary group; they disliked new ideas; they were suspicious of outsiders; and they punished by death anyone who dared to disagree with their rulers
What did the Spartans do as a city-state
The Spartans did not build great temples; they did not craft lasting works of art; they did not write literature; but they did raise warriors
When did Spartan males start preparing for war
Spartan males preparation for war started at birth
What was mandatory by law for all people to do with their male newborns
By law, all boys born in Sparta had to be examined by government officials. Those who looked likely to grow into strong , healthy soldiers were allowed to live, while the weak were abandoned to die on the slopes of a nearby mountain
What happened to Spartan boys at the age of seven
At seven, boys left their homes and mothers, and went to live in cold, uncomfortable, military barracks. There they began the harsh training that would build their strength and courage, and turn them into rugged fighters
What were the living conditions for the Spartan boys in the military barracks
In the military barracks, the boys were often cold and hungry, for they only wore a single tunic, winter and summer, and were barefoot
How was the food in the military barracks like in Sparta
The food was small and unappetizing
What was the most famous dish in the Spartan barracks
The most famous Spartan dish was a broth made from blood and vinegar
In the barracks, why were the Spartan boys put through so much pain
All the burden at the barracks had a purpose: to make the boys cunning, ruthless, and deadly
Why would a boy in the barracks be whipped for stealing food
They would not be whipped for actually stealing the food, but for being careless enough to be caught
When did the Spartan boys become citizens
At the age of 20, the Spartan boys became citizens, but lived in the barracks until 30
When a young man married, when could he see his family
When a young man married, he could only see his family during breaks, and slept and ate with his comrades
How did the Spartans talk, (their speech)
The Spartan speech was brief, known as laconic (Laconic is a Spartan word)
What does the word laconic describe
Laconic describes a person person of few words
Where does the word “laconic” come from
Laconic comes from the region where the Spartans lived called Laconica
What did the Spartans value
Endurance, hardship, contempt for luxury, and toughness of mind and body
Today, what does Spartan mean
Today, Spartan means: “sparse, basic, the bare minimal, with nothing to spare”
What did the girls of Sparta train for
Girls in Sparta were tough too, and trained from an early age of how to run, jump, and wrestle
What were females brought up to do
Females were brought up to bare and raise strong, healthy children, and to the Spartans, any other female role had little importance
What did Spartan Women need to learned (character)
Spartan women learned how to be hard and unflinching
True or False: Signs of affection were seen as weak in Sparta
True
How did a women say farewell to a son or husband going to battle
“Return with your shield or upon it”
If a soldier came home without a shield, what did it show
A soldier who came home without a shield brought terrible shame on his family, for he must of dropped it when running away cowardly
What would a Spartan soldier rather do than retreat
A Spartan soldier would rather die than retreat or take a step back
Besides fighting battles, what else did soldiers do
Warriors had to protect Sparta from its large population of slaves, called helots
Why did the Spartans have lots of slaves
Spartans conquered the land they lived on and enslaved its inhabitants
How were slave treated in Sparta
Slaves tilled the land and did most of the hard work, and made up most of the population, yet they had no political rights
Why did Sparta become a military society, according to historians
Some historians believe that Sparta became a military society mainly to control the helots, who vastly outnumbered the citizens
What type of government did Sparta have
Sparta was an oligarchy, regulated by laws
After a helot uprising, what did the Spartans do
After a helot uprising, Sparta turned to a great lawgiver named Lycurgus, who then reformed the political system and provided the State with a new constitution
What was Spartan government like in 17th century B.C
In the 17th century B.C, Sparta had a mixed form of government. The state had two kings who led the armies in battle; a council of aristocratic elders wielded most of the day-to-day power; and an assembly represented the interests of the rest of the citizens
What did the warriors do the helots (freedom)
Warriors did not allow demand of freedom or power from the helots
