Social structure and political organization Flashcards
Issue of Lycurgus
“Legendary lawgiver of Sparta” (Plutarch: life of Lycurgus):
-> delived the Great Rhetra from the Delphic orcale around the 7th century
Plutarch questions who Lycurgus was i.e king (decendent of the Agid and the Eurypontid families), a title or a combination of people.
First mentioned in Herodotus 300 years
-> Mythological figure: Herodotus: “a man dear to Zeus“ possible relation to the royal family who are claimed descendants of Herakles (son of Zeus).
The Great Rhetra
8th to 7th century
The foundation of Spartan constitution and creation of the Spartan myth
-> Plutarch states Lycurgus recieved it through the gods via visiting Delphic Oracle.
-> Modern historians belived after conquest of Messina (fertile land) in 650BC and Sparta decisive defeat by Argos at Hysiae in 669BC, served as a catalyst for change.
Ensured Eunomia (reformation of political, economic and social)
- Social introduction of syssitia (messes)
- Economic: Citizen didn’t work/discoverage pursuit of luxury
- Political: Establishment of duel kingship
The Great Rhetra had additions and was flawed:
-> Modern historians belived the Ephors were added later.
-> 4th century Ephors collected taxes (disproves their lack of purisut for luxury)
Dual kingship role
Two hereditary (Agid and the Eurypontid families) and co-equal kings, had no retiring age and were head of the Spartan state.
Military: Generals of the armies
Had “the power of declaring war on whoever they please” (Herodotus)
-> however still had to respect relgious tradition Karneia which resticted Leonidias to only 300 Spartans at Thermoplyae in 480BC.
* Expected to be hereditary, strong generals
* Both kings were sent to war, however, after Cleomenes and Demaratos 510BC only one king was sent to war while the other remained in Sparta (Herodotus)
Relgious: Kings were chief priests
* Safe-keeping of the Oracles (Herodotus)
* Each king nominate two Pythians, whose duty was to visit the Delphic oracle.
Judidicial: Certain legal matters were decieded by the kings:
* All matter related to public roads (Aristotle)
* Presider over adoptions, must be in the kings presence (Herodotus)
Dual Kingship privileges
Military:
* In war the king could have 300 hoptilite bodyguards (Hippeis)
* Recived a portion of the spoils of war.
* First to sit at syssition (mess halls), served first and recieved double portions.
Relgious:
* They made the first sacerfices to Apollo and all sacerficed animals hides were alotted to the kings (Herotous)
* Given honourary seats at relgious festivals
* Full grown animals was given to a king to sacerfice every month
Poltical:
* Appoint officals to greet foreign vistors (Herotodus)
* Permant members of the gerousia.
Ephorate
Only group not mentioned in the Great Rhetra- added in 6th or 7th century.
-> unkown orgins could possible be ancient priests or appointees to the kings while they are away.
Was elected by ekkelsia, candiates must be atleast 30 and could only hold office one time (to limit bribary), for only one year.
-> Five candiates were selected annually.
Responabilites:
Education: Had control over the agorge and Krypteia.
Finance: Recieved all spoils of war which they would mangage + control of taxes in the 4th century.
Adminstrators of justice: Sole judges over criminal cases involving the periokoi + invesigate, fine, sentence to death of exile a king (Thucydidies)
Military campaigns: Two ephors were sent on each campaign + issued orders for mobilising the Spartan army (Xenophon).
Gerousia
A body of elders (60+ of age) noblemen (28 of nobal birth + the two kings) in which were “the best and wisest of the good and wise” (Plutarch)
Oligrachialical in nature, as only held by aristocratic elite and membership given for life however was voted in by the ekkelsia.
After election: Made rounds of the temples, presented a garland of flowers, second portion of food which he would give to a women in his family as a mark of distinction.
Functions:
* Prepare and discuss measures to be presented to the assembly for voting (probouleutic function)
* Acts as a court of justice in criminal cases (court for capital punishment) + tried kings which can impose loss of citizenship or exile.
Were open to corruption as they weren’t answerable to anyone as they were appointed for life (Aristotle).
Ekklesia also known as the apellla
Membership consited of all male citizens (Spartiates) over the age of 30.
The assembly met once a month at the Feast of Apollo, outside the city.
Pros Powers:
* Ekklesia elected members of gerousoa and ephors - symbolising democracy.
* Held power to ratify foregin treaties and decleare war, where they would choose with king to lead the army.
Cons Power:
* Power undermined by Great Rhetra which allowed ephors to annul or cast aside Ekklesia decions.
* Couldn’t put forward proposals and couldn’t discuess proposals with eachother.
Spartiates
To be considered a spartiate:
* Be over the age of 30
* Born of two Spartiate parents
* Survided infantile fitness test on Mount Taygetus
* Passed all stages of agoge (exept royal families)
* Belong to a syssition
Male Spartiates were forbidden by the Great Rhetra to engage in any other profession execpt that of arms (Plutarch), resulting in all owing a klero (estate).
-> Klero had helots with Klerio given by the state, and couldn’t be sold or gifted.
-> Affirms Sparta belief of ‘homoioi’ equals however inequailities in wealth are highlighted by Herodotus.
Spartiates held all poltical power, seen in the Ekklesia.
Periokoi - surrounding households
They were not citizens and lived in different communities spread across Lakonia and Mesene.
-> able to control own communites, but could only be allied to Sparta.
-> Sparta officals were placed into communities.
Held a monopoly on trade and manufacturing (blacksmiths), with Periokoi becoming extreamility wealthy.
-> due to Spartiaties forbiden by Great Rhetra.
Provided half of Spartan army according to Herodotus at Plataea:
-> 5000 Lakedaimonians fought at 479BC battle of Plataea.
Built naval ships + supplied crews for trimenes, conducted in fishing and trade.
Inferiors
Hypomeiones - those who failed agoge or failed to maintain syssitia contributions.
Tresantes - lost citienship due to cowardice in war
Partheniaia - illegitimate child of Spartiate father and helot mother.
Neodamodes - Helots who were freed through service in war
Mothocles - Helot children who partipated in training of agoge.
Helots - (State owned serfs)
“(helots) making them do all sorts of degrading work, and treating them like asses.” Aristotle
Enslaved after the second Messian war 660BC, therefore Helots are the Messianians.
-> Goes against Greek beleif that Greeks, shouldn’t ensalve other Greeks.
Lowest stratum of Spartan society, comprised to 70% of population. 7-20: 1 Helots to Spartiaites.
-> No political rights.
-> Worked on Kleros but entitled a portion of what they produced.
Economic Roles:
* Most undertook agricultural works and mining -> allowed Spartiaites to focus on war.
* Helot women assitted in domestic work + sowed and weaved.
-> Women were prohibited to sow and weave.
Suppression of Helots
Features according to Xeneophon:
* Publicly humilitated by Spartan masters
* Random killings by krypteia
* Random selections for public beatings
* Ephors would annually declare against helots, killing thouands
Impact:
* Resulted in: Helots revolt of 464BC (also known as the third messianan war):
-> was due to the poor condiitons of Helots under Spartan authoirty, Arisitole “treating them like assess”
The Spartan army:
Training (agoge)
Kings didn’t have to participate in the agoge.
Only given one red cloak.
Educational system for the sons of Spartiates which all boys were enrolled from the age of 7 in order to to embed ideals to serve polis (city state), endure harship and prefer death to defeat.
-> “to fight with courage for our country, and for our children” (Tyrtaeus)
Stages:
* Paides: (7 -17) Placed into ‘pacts’ which would have an older youth (Eirena) allocated to it called the paidonomos.
-> Resulted in institutionalised relationships between Paides and Eirena.
* Paidiskoi: (18-19) became reserves in the Spartan army, with a small select few joining the krypteia in order to learn how to kill.
* Hebontes: (20-29) Fully implemented into the syssitia and Spartan army, and compete to join the hippeis (Spartan royal guard of honour).
The Spartan army:
composition
7th century Sparta implemented hoplite warfare, which would use the new aspis shield (round ciricle), therefore resulting in phallanx warfare.
Thus the Great Rhera aimed to
A Spartan hopilite:
* 3m thursting spear (doru)
* Short swords attached at waist (xiphos)
* Aspis shield bearing Lambda symbol (A) for Lacedaemonia.
Any casuality or disruption i.e deserter could cause serious damage as the fomartion is reliant on unity.
-> resulting in the argoe and sysstia to instil a brotherhood between the men, in order to create an effective, unbroken fighting force.
Organisation: other then Spartans
* Periokoi were obligated to supply so many men.
-> however by the battle of Leuctra 371BC with Spartan numbers fallan so greatly they became the majoirty of the army composition.
* Belived Helots could volunteer to serve.
-> Helots fought in the rear at Plateae 479BC, outnumbering the Spartans 7 to 1 (Herodotus).
Control of the helots:
The military
After the Spartan victory in the 2nd Messianian war 650BC and the enslavement of the Messianinan people (helots), scholars argue it may be a cataylst for Sparta militristic turn.
Thucydides indicates Spartas fear of the Helots
* This is due to 20 Helots : 1 Spartan ratio.
-> Fear evident through Sparta refusing Athens assitence during the Helot uprising in 464BC.
Control of the helots:
Syssitia,
?????
Nothing in antiquity
Two dot points which i don’t think are revelent seen below
- The helots produced food for the masses, which was then provided by the Spartiaites members for each Syssition
- A syssition was a company of about 15 men (plutarch)
Control of the helots:
Krypteia
Limited knowledge about the Krypteia.
Established by Lycurgus and supervised by the Ephors to function as a ‘secret police force’ which was supress subjugated Helot population (Plutarch).
At age 18, youth in the agoge were co-opted by the Krypteia to murder helots who were out at night and to take their food.
-> this potentially served as a rite of passage for young Spartans
Physically superior helots or those who had shown bravery, mysterious disapreaed - 2000 helots possible culled by the Krypteia (Thucydidies).
Role and status of women: Wives and mothers
No surviving sources written by Spartan women left, therefore all evidence comes from Greek men from other states (who were sexist)
The paramount role of Spartan women was as wives and mothers:
* Women who died in childbirth were given the same funerary status as men killed in battles i.e marked graves.
-> Production of children = dying fighting for Sparta, thus creation of a power dynamic within society and further authoirty i.e Spartan queen statement that only Spartan women can rule men, as they are the only ones to give birth to men (Plutarch).
* According to Xenephon Lycurgus viewed that the production of children was the most important duty of a freewomen.
-> Creation of warrior idenity through women “come back with shield or on it”.
-> Exercise, performance of Babicus inorder to have strong children.
* Spartan women success as mothers resulted in their great reputation as wet nurses.
Role and status of women: Religious roles
No surviving sources written by Spartan women left, therefore all evidence comes from Greek men from other states (who were sexist)
Religious roles:
* Women served in cults as priestess such as the goddess of Artemis Ortheia
-> associated with childbirth and thus a large quainity of voting offering found which were belived to be from pregnant women.
* Women particpated in the Hyakinthia riding chariots in a procession of racing.
* Women who served as priestess weren’t belived to have marked graves.
* Women paticpated in kings funerals according to Herodotus.
-> Women would beat caldrons
-> One women from each household would have to attend the funeral and openly mourn.
Role and status of women: Land ownership / inheritence
No surviving sources written by Spartan women left, therefore all evidence comes from Greek men from other states (who were sexist)
Married Spartan women held significant control and infleunce within society, especially in comparsent to other Greek women.
Wealth in Sparta revolved around land ownership:
* Aristotle accounts that 2/5 of land was owned by women.
-> Due to when their was no son to inheritent and thus it would go to women.
-> Upon marriage women would tend to her husband klerio in the absence of men at war.
-> They didn’t lose their land once married.
* To the extent that Aristotle feared that this would lead to gynaikokratia (government controlled by women).
Women have some control over her inheritence:
* Although sons would recive the majoirty of their father inheritence, the daughters would recieve a certain portion.
-> This portion was recongnised as hers and thus would contribute to the prosperity and status of her husbands and sons.
* Women controlled their own dowry.
Role and status of women: Education
No surviving sources written by Spartan women left, therefore all evidence comes from Greek men from other states (who were sexist)
Spartan girls were generally educated seperaterly:
-> Girls lived at home with their mothers until marriage (approx age of 18)
-> Were forbidden to spin and weave
Could participate in physical traning with the boys during their agoge training:
-> Euripides highlights how women were “to wrestle and run races with young men”
-> Women would performe the bibasis - a dance involving jumping and touching the buttock with the heel.
-> Plutarch states Lycurgus saw it as essential for physical fitness for women inorder to produce warrior sons.
Sources indicates that girls also participated in horse races, evident through Cynisca and at Hyakinthia.
