rise of sparta 700-500 BC Flashcards
Sparta circa 1000 BC
Dorian greek invaders seize Laconia and much else of Peloponnese
Sparta circa 950-800 BC
Five villages in Eurotas River valley in Laconia create the polis Sparta
Sunoikismos
Sparta circa 730-700 BC
First Messenian War
Sparta by 700 BC
Captured the whole plain of Laconia and invaded west across Tagytus mountains to capture the plain of Messenia;
Two plains supported Sparta for the next 330 years
Sparta now had the biggest home territory in Greece, 2/5th of Peloponnese, 3000 square miles
Athens only had 1000 square miles
706 BC;
founded colony of Tara in South Italy
Peroikoi of Sparta
Circa 790 BC early in the Laconia conquest;
peroikoi were incorporated as second class citizens in Sparta
Pushed out of the Eurotas River and relegated in the foothills beyond, dwelling around
No say in government;
Fundamental civil rights
Helotai of Sparta
Circa mid 700s BC;
conquests were incorporated as helotai and not peroikoi anymore
Conquered people of Southern Laconia and all of Messenia;
Dorian greeks
Worked land that they no longer owned;
half produce went to Sparta
Surveilled by Spartan troops
Owned by Spartan state
How did the helot system help Sparta reach military superiority?
Class of male citizens was created whose only job was soldiering
Made possible by the helot system;
- in other cities hoplites were small farmers whose military service interfered with their farm livelihood
- Spartan helots did the farming
- Spartan armies were always free to train and to march away to war
= military superiority
What was the downside of the helot system?
By 400s BC
Helotai outnumbered their Spartan masters 7:1 - making them a fear for Sparta;
So, helots were subjected to institutionalized abuse, humiliation and murder to intimidate their members
Second Messenian War
circa 650-600 BC
Caused by Sparta’s loss in the Battle of Hysiae in 669 BC against Argos
Major helot revolt in Messenia;
Sparta won with difficulty after 50 years
Lead to the reforms “Lycaragus”, and with to major setbacks in mid 600s BC, aristocratic government in Sparta was discredited
NO tyrant however, but a constitutional reform
Reforms of Lycurgus
Lycurgus - shadowy constitutional lawgiver figure in 800s or 900s BC
Circa 640 BC;
Sparta ascribed backwards to Lycurgus instructions
Purpose of reform was to give Sparta the best hoplite army in the world;
- Change in government into a hoplite franchise was required with NO tyrant
- Change in educational system to indoctrinate children into life long service to the state
How many hoplites were expected in Sparta and how was this possible?
9000 klēroi in Messenia and Laconia
= 9000 male citizens
= 9000 hoplites
What was Sparta’s citizen society based on?
Propaganda equality;
all 9000 men were equal
All Spartiates owned:
- the same amount of property: a simple home at Sparta and a farm in Laconia or Messenia
ALL full citizens were to be treated equally
BUT some did own more property than others, so Sparta did suffer from a wealth gap
Erased the notions of family and individualism i favor of a grim regimen of conformity and service to the state
Spartan boys
Inspected at birth by a government official and killed by being thrown over a cliff if observed to be weak
Raised exclusively to become hoplites
Agogē system screened out unsuitable boys
Taken from mothers at 6 years old to be raised in barracks under leadership of adult males or older boys
Grew up with fear of losing their first class citizenship;
If screened out, he is rejected fully for full Spartan citizenship and dishonored;
Feared dishonor far more than death
What deities supervised Spartan boys’ upbringing?
Apollo;
God of male adolescence, initiation and entrance to adulthood
Artemis (Apollo’s twin sister);
Supervised boys and girls both
Worshipped at Sparta under the cult title Artemis Orthia: “correct Artemis”
What happened when Spartan boys graduated the agogē?
Enters initial stage of citizenship;
Received an allotment of farmland
Enlisted in the army
Election into a syssition, compromising 15 other Spartiates of different ages
Continues to live in syssition in the age of 20s, even after getting married
At the age of 30, Spartan reaches full citizenship;
Enrolled in Ekklēsia
Allowed to live in house with his wife and children
Where was the food supplied from in a syssition?
Each man’s klēros farm
Spartan girls
Upbringing was aimed to produce the best wives and mothers of hoplites;
Prepared to manage an estate and household during the father’s absence
Enlightened, liberal, and respected
Education of Spartan girls (and boys) was a state expense and not a private expense;
In polis like Athens, a father would choose to stint his daughter’’s education in place for his sons because it was paid by him and not the state
Spartan women
Law allowed them to inherit substantial property at a level below men;
Financial stability
Had female domestic helot at state expense;
Allowing them to be free for more important tasks like childcare and estate management
No rights to vote or hold office or serve in the army
What are the ranks of Spartan citizens?
1- Spartiatai, Spartiates - 9000 full citizens, those who called themselves homoioi
2- Peroikoi - second class citizens of Laconia, serving in the army, but the boys were not part of the state run education system
3- Hypomeiones - inferiors, failed Spartiates
Together they are all in the category of Lakedoimonoi
4- Helots - non citizens
In between rank 3 and 4 were the free helots, neodamodeis, but they were a rare category
How were helots freed?
Reward for emergency military service
HOWEVER
Their most likely fate was to be murdered after they this military service, as they were most perceived to rebel
What happened when Spartan men reached retirement age and who replaced them in the hoplite army?
At age 60, Spartan men retired from army service;
about 1200-1500 men
Replaced by peroikoi, to keep the number at 9000
in Battle of Plataea 479 BC;
5000 Spartan hoplites, 5000 peroikoi
As Spartan male citizen population began to shrink, peroikoi were relied on to bring Spartan army to full force
by late 400s BC;
2/3 of 9000 Spartan hoplites were peroikoi
Why were the peroikoi important in Sparta?
Enlarge Spartan army in emergency
Replace retirees
Allowed to handle money, instead of Spartiates, as craftsmen and merchants
Spartan government
Two kings
The council, georusia, of 28 members
Five ephors, elected annually as executives
Assembly of 9000 voting male Spartiates - the ekklēsia
What were the three problems with Sparta?
1- Warped mass mentality based on fear of helots
2- Declining male citizen population throughout history
3- Conservatism and resistance to change: a general fear of innovation - once past the radical reforms of 600s BC
