Lecture 16 - Sparta I: State and Society

Question 1

The geography of Sparta

Answer 1

Sparta is in Laconia, Spartans are Lacedaemonians, Sparta is made up of 5 towns: Pitana, Mesoa, Limnai, Kynosoura and Amyclae.

Question 2

The Dorian Invasions - Thucydides

Answer 2

After the Trojan War the Dorians and the Heraclids became masters of the Peloponnese.

Question 3

Lycurgus - Herodotus

Answer 3

Lycurgus reformed the Spartans, especially in terms of government as before him they were the worst governed of all Greeks. He went to see the Pythia who proclaimed that he was so good he was essentially a god. Lycurgus brought the Spartans their constitution.

Question 4

The Great Rhetra (law)

Answer 4

Lycurgus received an oracle from Delphi which was called a ‘rhetra’ which discussed his government. It runs that they should build a temple to Zeus and then divide the people into phylai and obai…

Question 5

Spartan social system

Answer 5

Infantiide on Mt. Taygetos, agoge - boys aged between 7-18 which is compulsory of all Spartan men. Women get some education, no political rights and their main role is to produce more Spartans.