Module 6: Sparta

Question 1

Who was Herodotus

Answer 1

484-425BC, Greek Historian, author of The Histories, accounting the wars between Greece and Persia from early 5th century BC. Travelled for info orally.

Question 2

Aristotle

Answer 2

384-322 BC, Greek philosopher and scientist; pupil of Plato. Writings form base of Western philosophy. He analyses the Spartan form of government and its strengths and weaknesses.

Question 3

Plutarch

Answer 3

AD 46-120, Greek biographer. Travelled widely, visited Sparta. His Parallel Lives is a moral essay comparing the lives and noble deeds of famous Greeks and Romans.

Question 4

Mount ranges of Sparta

Answer 4

East Parnon, Taygetos - act as fortification.

Question 5

Materials of buildings

Answer 5

Early buildings were timber, stone was used for religious.

Question 6

What plants were grown and cattle grazed

Answer 6

Wheat, barley, olives and grapes
Sheep and goats.

Question 7

Info on the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia

Answer 7

East of Acropolis between village of Limnai and Eurotus. Religious centre to teach young men in Sparta - discipline to survive.

Question 8

What’s the problem with Lycrugus to modern scholars

Answer 8

Can’t tell if he was a man or a set of initiatives that revolutionised Sparta.

Question 9

Quote: Fitzhardinge - The Spartans, Thames and Hudson 1980

Answer 9

“He was probably a primitive local hod with a shrine by Eurostars who was adopted by the Spartan hoplites”.

Question 10

What’s the Rhetra?

Answer 10

Declaration reflecting on oral tradition and law by Spartans based on oracles.

Question 11

Significance of the Great Rhetra

Answer 11

It founded the spartan constitution appointing 2 instead of 1 king, limiting their power and establishing the Gerousia.

Question 12

Kings role in religion

Answer 12

The descendants of Heracles and head priests.

Question 13

Kings judicial roles

Answer 13

Lawmakers with Gerousia, maintained condition of roads and buildings.

Question 14

Kings military role

Answer 14

Commander-in-chief of army, 100 guards plus 2 ephors, first to enter, last to leave - gets % of spoils

Question 15

Kings privileges

Answer 15

First served [double] portions at banquet. First seated for religious festivals, can own personal cattle. 10 day no business and mourning if king dies.

Question 16

Gerousia Council

Answer 16

28 elders over 30 plus 2 kings. Consult one another and propose laws.

Question 17

Ekklesia

Answer 17

Assembly of spartiate citizens over 30, vote on laws - can resurrect or remove at any time.

Question 18

Five ephors

Answer 18

Elected annually by assembly, monitor constitution of kings and Ekklesias power

Question 19

Helots

Answer 19

Born slaves and descendants from first inhabitants of area, work the land to support spartiates, can own property.

Question 20

Perioikoi

Answer 20

No spartan parents / untrained adult. Wore special clothes and had legal protection, can’t own land/property nor vote. Farmers, merchants and artisans.

Question 21

Hypomeiones/inferiors

Answer 21

Those who ‘dropped their shield in battle’, no rights and assigned to spartiate master, worked the land for spartiates.

Question 22

Spartiates/Homoioi

Answer 22

Born/adopted by spartan family. Can vote, hold office in assembly, own land pay community fees, full time soldiers.

Question 23

Agoge - 0-10days

Answer 23

Make children are inspected be elders to see if physically able to enrol.

Question 24

Agoge - 0-7yrs

Answer 24

At home, discipline taught by mum and nurse.

Question 25

Agoge - 7-12yrs

Answer 25

Boys are divided by age that increases course intensity, lived in barracks and slowly introduced to physical skills.

Question 26

Agoge 12-18yrs

Answer 26

Rigours training to become cadet solider - opportunity for the army (non-combatant service).

Question 27

Agoge 18-23yrs

Answer 27

At 19, Spartans enter the class of eirens - now combatants (not frontline). 18-20 drilled for army, could marry at 20.

Question 28

Agoge - 23-30yrs

Answer 28

24 were frontline, could be picked for corps hoplites be prestigious knights

Question 29

Agoge - 30

Answer 29

Citizens that can vote, obtain office and live with wife/family. Growing out hair shows vigour and ‘ugly from beautiful’.

Question 30

Who were boys supervised by?

Answer 30

A Paidonomos (guardian)

Question 31

How did the boys train?

Answer 31

Naked exercise, ran barefoot and did own house keeping and made bed of reeds. Stealing food was acceptable if not caught, it shows craftyness.

Question 32

Divisions of the army

Answer 32

Enomotia: 4 files of 8 men Pentekostys: 4 Enomotia Lochos: 2 pentekostyes Mora: 4 lochoi

Question 33

Syssitia/messes

Answer 33

Spartiate dining groups where they eat with army comrades. Unanimous to add people, exclusion is social exclusion - expression of status, especially in elite groups. Daily attendance, except for religious or hunting duty.

Question 34

Krypteia

Answer 34

Secret police of Sparta, beat helots to remind of spartan dominance. Plutarch states krypteia choose sensible men to go at night and kill helots roaming the road.

Question 35

The military - Hippeis

Answer 35

Knights of the spartan army, 300 strong that protect the king in battle, chosen annually based on class.

Question 36

The military - Hoplites warfare

Answer 36

Heavily armed infantrymen with Hoplob shields. Wore cloth tunic with bronze armour, helmet decorated with horse hair and equipped with an iron sword.

Question 37

Military Tactic - The Phalanx

Answer 37

Tightly grouped hoplites in 8x8 with interlocked shields, used to overwhelm and break oppositions defence, vulnerable at the back but supported by skirmishers or cavalry.

Question 38

Role of women

Answer 38

To give birth to boys capable of joining the Agoge.

Question 39

Women’s rights

Answer 39

Can’t hold office, vote but can hold property’s, better freedoms compared to the rest of Greece

Question 40

Women’s training. Why?

Answer 40

Women are trained at a young age with running, wrestling, discus and javelin. Done to be strong, ease child birth and produce a fit child.

Question 41

Why could women ‘cheat’?

Answer 41

To produce young capable of joining the Agoge. Seen as a friends honour of their friend gives their wife to produce children. Sign of great friendship.

Question 42

Role of Greek women

Answer 42

Acquired to produce heirs and for sexual pleasure.

Question 43

What were women deemed as in Greece - said by Euripides

Answer 43

“A curse to mankind”.

Question 44

Rights of Greek women

Answer 44

Can’t vote, go in army, hold office or property - property is inherited by next male kinsman.

Question 45

Primary role of Greek women in households.

Answer 45

Wife and mother, their father chooses their husband, honoured most for producing a son.