Spartan Education

Question 1

Who could join the Spartan school?

Answer 1

Boys aged 7, whose parents could afford it

Question 2

Who created the Spartan school?

Answer 2

Lycurgus

Question 3

What was the Spartan school called?

Answer 3

Agoge clap clap clap clap clap clap clap

Question 4

What happened it you couldn’t afford to go to Spartan school?

Answer 4

You could not become a Spartiate

Question 5

Where did the boys live?

Answer 5

In communal barracks

Question 6

How long did they stay in the agoge?

Answer 6

7-14

Question 7

What was life like?

Answer 7

Stealing was ok, just don’t get caught; eirenes armed with whips; learnt basic literacy; obediency and physical strength were essential; music taught for teamwork and movement in battle

Question 8

What happened from the ages of 14-18?

Answer 8

Barefoot at all times; one cloak; played naked; 3/4 months hunting in wild but always came back to agoge; food rationed

Question 9

Aged 18-19?

Answer 9

Became eirenes or packleaders, and so were armed with whips; eyes down in public; perhaps enlisted into the krypteia (secret police force).

Question 10

The krypteia?

Answer 10

Strongest of the strongest; Plutarch wrote a little about them (2AD); sent into countryside of Messenia and Laconia; lived off land and killed any helots they thought were threats

Question 11

Military life?

Answer 11

Trained constantly until age of 30, but from 30-60, could still be called upon for war; trained through hunting, training and musical competitions; slept in army barracks until 30.

Question 12

Syssition?

Answer 12

After agoge, men were elected to a syssition (dining club); voted by ball of bread into an urn (if ball flattened by any member, candidate rejected); each syssition had approx. 15 members; funded by a quota from each of their farms; ate together at night; shared tent on campaign; boys sent to serve form agoge

Question 13

Age 30?

Answer 13

Known as homoioi (equals); had legal/political rights; given a farm by the state with helots to run; forbidden to engage in faring, trade, industry; Spartiates!

Question 14

Army?

Answer 14

Undefeated/most feared army for 300 years; phalanx was introduced by Lycurgus during 2nd Messenian War

Question 15

Babies?

Answer 15

Exposed on Mt. Taygetus if ‘weak’ according to a committee of elders; left bare; bathed in wine; ate what they were given; left in darkness