Oliganthropia, women, mothakes in Sparta, spartan values, mess system Flashcards
(16 cards)
7 examples of oliganthropia effecting the actions of decision making
® Demaratus tells Xerxes that there were 8000 Spartans [Herodotus, Histories, 7.234]
® Sparta “was destroyed through its oliganthropia” [Aristotle, Politics]
® The Spartans, fearing that the Athenians that had come to help following the great earthquake would spread revolutionary ideas, sent them home, which deeply offended them. [Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 1.102]
® “The secrecy with which their affairs are conducted meant that no one knew the numbers of the Spartans” [Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 5.68]
® Oliganthropia may influence their desire to not fight: “You Spartans are the only people in Hellas who wait calmly on events, relying for your defence not on action but on making people think that you will act” [Thucydides]
® After Brasidas takes Amphipolis in 424BC he asks for extra troops but is denied them, partly “because what they really wanted was to recover the prisoners made on the island and end the war” [Thucydides]
® Cleon and Brasidas died at Amphipolis [Thucydides] and this cleared the way for peace, which benefitted the Spartans (and not their allies) due to oliganthropia and need for Sphacteria prisoners to be returned.
3 causes of oliganthropia
® “almost two-fifths of the whole country is owned by women” [Aristotle, Politics, Book 2]
® “the ancient mark of citizenship for them is that anyone who cannot pay this tax cannot belong” [Aristotle, Politics, Book 2]
® “more than twenty thousand Lakedaimonians died” due to the 464BC earthquake. [Diodoros Siculus, 11.63]
4 examples of changing the constitution of the army as evidence of oliganthropia
® Platea: 5000 Spartans and 35,000 helots “seven serving each man” [Herodotus, 9.28]
® “The Spartans were also glad to have a good excuse for sending some of their helots out of the country [because] … they feared a revolution” [Thucydides, 4.80]
® Neodamodeis plus mercenaries=Brasideans: “The rest of his army were mercenaries” [Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War, 4.81]
® The Helots who fought with Brasidas were given their freedom. [Thucydides, 5.34]
3 examples of helots and external effects effecting oliganthropia
® For Spartans “war brought relief from their training for war” [Plutarch, Lykourgos, 22]
® Asked the Athenians for help putting down the Helot revolt following the earthquake due to Athenian reputation for siege warfare (although another reason might be due to a loss of manpower they needed help). [Thucydides]
® Sue for peace due to Helot threat?: Cleon and Brasidas died at Amphipolis “the two people who on each side had been most opposed to peace” [Thucydides, 5.16]
3 examples of education/values of women
® Evidence of women’s fitness: Bronze figure of a woman from c.520-500 that was made in Lakonia. [Britsh History Museum]
® Lykourgos gave girls a tough, physical education “so that the products of their wombs should have a really strong start” [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 14]
® “such rippling muscles” [Aristophanes, Lysistrata]
4 examples of women influencing decision makers
® Gorgo when asked why Spartan women rule their men “we are the only women who give birth to real men” [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 14]
® “the women wish to run two households, and the men to get more brothers for their children” [Xenophon, Lac. Pol, 1]
® “many things were controlled by women in the time of their empire” [Aristotle, Politics 1269b]
® Can own land: “almost two-fifths of the whole country is owned by women” [Aristotle, Politics, Book 2]
3 examples of womens pressure to have children
® Men only got gravestones for dying in battle and women for dying during child birth. [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 27]
® “adultery was totally unheard of there” [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 15]
® “There were enough female slaves to produce clothing” [Xenophon, Lac Pol, 1]
2 points rise of importance of Gylipus
® Lysander was a Mothake but “he became a citizen through his courage” [Phylarcos]
® Callicratidas, Lysander and Gylippus were all mothakes [Aelian]
2 points oliganthropia is the cause of mothakes
® Plutarch says Lysander was a “descendant of Herakles” and since he is a mothake this may show that Spartan population was reducing due to wealth, and not an actual loss of people as there were still people in Sparta but they couldn’t afford the mess contributions.
® “the ancient mark of citizenship for them is that anyone who cannot pay this tax cannot belong” [Aristotle, Politics, Book 2
3 points of mothakes status in spartan society
® “mothakes are foster-brothers of the Lakedaimonians” [Phylarcos]
® Mothakes “are free, but not actually Lakedaimonians” [Phylarcos]
® Have the same education as Lakedaimonians (agoge) [Phylarcos]
importance of education in creating values
® “it is a noble thing for a man to fall in the front line” [Tyrtaeus 10]
2 points of obediance
® “running rather than walking in answer to a summons” [Xenophon, Lac. Pol, 8
® “their education was directed towards the habit of instant obedience, endurance of pain, and military success” [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 16.6]
4 examples of cowardice
® Cowards must give up their seats, even to younger people. [Xenophon, Lac. Pol, 9]
® With your shield or on it [Plutarch, Moralia, Sayings of Lacaedaimonians]
® Spartan songs “castigates as cowards those who trembled” [Xenophon, Lac Pol 9]
® The Helots who fought with Brasidas were given their freedom. [Thucydides, 5.34]
duty to the state example
® Men only got gravestones for dying in battle and women for dying during child birth. [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 27]
importance of equality 4 points
® “there was no use for wealth…when the rich man was compelled to and dine beside the poor man” [Plutarch]
® Dining at the mess was compulsory. [Plutarch]
® Voting to show elitism in messes: The way of electing someone to a mess involved current members to cast votes via bread. If even one crushed piece was thrown in the bowl, the candidate was rejected [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 12]
® Agis returned from campaign, the polemarch refused to send his food from the mess, so Agis didn’t make the sacrifice and so “they fined him” [Plutarch, Life of Lykourgos, 12]
