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ancient > Spartan societies to the Battle of Leuctra 371 BC > Flashcards

Spartan societies to the Battle of Leuctra 371 BC Flashcards

1
Q

In what Peninsula was Sparta located?

A

Peloponnesian Peninsula

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2
Q

How many villages was Sparta made up of?

A

Four

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3
Q

What river was Sparta located on?

A

Eurotas river

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4
Q

Name the three lots of mountains it was surrounded by

A
  • Parnon Ranges
  • Arcadian Mountains
  • Mount Taygetus
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5
Q

What three categories were Sparta’s resources split into?

A
  • Stones
  • Minerals and ores
  • Food and animals
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6
Q

Name the two types of stones found in Sparta

A
  • Marble

- Porphyry

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7
Q

Name the three types of minerals and ores found in Sparta

A
  • Iron
  • Led
  • Clay
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8
Q

Due to Mount Taygetus, what were their crops mainly composed of, and why?

A

Their crops were mainly grapevines and fruit trees such as figs, due to the rocky soil

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9
Q

What was another thing commonly grown?

A
  • Barley

- Wheat

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10
Q

What animals did they hunt for meat?

A
  • Boars

- Hares

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11
Q

What were goats and sheep used for?

A

meat and dairy products

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12
Q

Because of the richness of the Eurotas River, what was Sparta’s plane like?

A

A rich, flat, alluvial plane

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13
Q

What does this plane mean?

A

It was on a flat land mass made of built-up rock sediment

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14
Q

Why was this an agricultural treasure?

A

As the Peloponnese was full of mountains, making it difficult to grow food

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15
Q

What was the most important part of Sparta?

A

Acropolis- town centre

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16
Q

What do archaeological remains reveal about the Acropolis?

A

Shows that the site was just a Hummock

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17
Q

What is a Hummock?

A

A small mound of land poking out of the ground

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18
Q

Name the quote from Fitzhardinge about the layout of the town

A

“To the ordinary Greek, the town look more like a cluster of villages in a city”

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19
Q

What did lycurgus do?

A

Developed the Spartan Constitution

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20
Q

Is there evidence to support whether Lycurgus was actually real?

A

No

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21
Q

Hence, what is he known as?

A

Etiological Myth – a myth that explores an origin

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22
Q

Who was Lycurgus?

A

Supposedly the legendary lawgiver of Sparta

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23
Q

What time was he thought to have created the Spartan constitution?

A

650 BCE

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24
Q

What form was the constitution in?

A

Oral

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25
Q

What was the oral constitution called?

A

The Great Rhetra

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26
Q

What did The Great Rhetra do?

A

Dictated everything in Spartan society- the Government, Social Structure, the Military, the Economy etc

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27
Q

Name the three main people who write sources

A
  • Plutarch
  • Herodotus
  • Xenophon
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28
Q

What did Plutarch write?

A

‘The Life of Lycurgus’

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29
Q

When did Plutarch live?

A

Lived in 2nd century CE

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30
Q

What does Plutarch argue in this book?

A

Argues that Lycurgus visited the Oracle at Delphi

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31
Q

Who was the Oracle at Delphi?

A

a mystic lady who was given the ability to make prophecies by the god, Apollo

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32
Q

What does Plutarch’s account tell us?

A

Tells us that the Oracle revealed the system of government that Sparta would prosper under to Lycurgus in the form of a prophecy

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33
Q

Name a quote from this

A

Lycurgus then returned to the Peloponnese and was determined to “… sweep away the existing order and to make a complete change of constitution since piecemeal legislation would have no effect and value”

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34
Q

What did Herodotus write?

A

‘The Hisotries’

35
Q

When did Herodotus live?

A

484-425 BCE

36
Q

What does Herodotus write about in this book?

A

Similar account to Plutarch’s about the Oracle

37
Q

What does Herodotus’ account tell us?

A

It comes from the Lakedaimonians (the people who lived in Laconia in the Peloponnese)
These people told him that Lycurgus actually brought The Great Rhetra from the island of Crete

38
Q

What did Xenophon write?

A

‘Spartan Society’

39
Q

When did Xenophon live?

A

430-354 BCE

40
Q

What does Xenophon write about in this book?

A

Instead of talking about how the Rhetra came to be, he focuses of the success of the Rhetra

41
Q

What does Xenophon’ account tell us?

A

In ‘Spartan Society’, he credited the success and influence of such a small polis as Sparta to the institutions set down by Lycurgus, developing a military ethos and strict order

42
Q

Name a quote from this

A

“… I certainly admire him and consider him in the highest decree a wise man, since it was not by copying other states, but by deciding on an opposite course to the majority that he made his country outstandingly fortunate”

43
Q

What state was Sparta in, during 650 BCE?

A

Sparta is in a state of chaos

44
Q

What brought order?

A

Lycurgus laid down the rigid government system

45
Q

What was the Mixed Constitution comprised of?

A
  • 2 kings
  • Ephorate (5 overseers)
  • Gerousia (council of elders)
  • Ekklesia (general assembly)
46
Q

What is Aristotle’s interpretation of the political scene?

A

“Some indeed, say that the best constitution is a combination of all existing forms, and they praise the Lakedaimonian because it is made up of a democracy, oligarchy and monarchy…”

47
Q

What’s the synonym for two kings?

A

Dual Kingship

48
Q

What was before Lycurgus?

A

Two kings

49
Q

Where did they come from?

A

Two tribes
- The Agiad clan

  • The Eurypontid clan
50
Q

What were their roles in the miliatry?

A
  • They were the supreme commanders of the army and had the right to declare war
  • Herodotus states this role was limited by Lycurgus so that only one King could lead a military campaign, whilst the other remained in Sparta
51
Q

What were their roles in religion?

A
  • They were the chief priests of Zeus, the highest religious leaders in Sparta
  • Herodotus states the prerogatives of the Spartan Kings were “two priesthoods, of Zeus Lakedaimon, and Zeus Uranius…”
  • The Kings were thought of as intermediaries between gods and men
  • Every month, they offered sacrifices to Apollo, the sun god, for the good of the city
52
Q

What were their judical roles?

A
  • According to Herodotus, by 430BCE, they only had power over adoptions, public roads and the marriage of heiresses
  • The judiciary arena is where the limitations of power lie, that the Great Rhetra brought to the city
  • Kings had to swear an oath to keep the constitution
53
Q

How were they treated by the people of Sparta?

A

As privileges, they were supported at the expense of the state, given the skins of all sacrificed animals, received parts of the spoils of war, given seats of honour at religious festivals, and were given funeral ceremonies (a rare honour in Sparta)

54
Q

How many people did the Ephorate comprise of?

A

5 men

55
Q

Who elected them?

A

The Ekklesia

56
Q

What does Plutarch say about them?

A

“the institution of Ephors served to reinforce the constitution rather than weaken it, and even though it appeared to be the people’s advantage, in fact it strengthened the aristocracy”

57
Q

What could they do in terms of challenging the kings?

A

They supervised the Kings on war campaigns, but could also put them on trial and depose them if they broke the constitution or committed a war crime

58
Q

Could they declare war on the Helots?

A

Yes

59
Q

Did they have judicial powers?

A

Yes, only in civil cases

60
Q

How many people did the Gerousia comprise of?

A

30 Spartans
28 elders
2 kings

61
Q

How old did people have to do in order to be a member?

A

Over the age of 60

62
Q

How long did membership last?

A

A lifetime

63
Q

Who selected the members?

A

The Ekklesia

64
Q

What was their role?

A

Preparing and deliberating on bills, which were then presented to the Ekklesia, who voted for or against the bill becoming a law

65
Q

How many people did the Ekklesia comprise of?

A

30 male citizens

66
Q

What was it classified as?

A

A general assembly

67
Q

What was its role?

A

Voting on proposals put forward by the Gerousia
Electing the members of the Gerousia
Electing the 5 Ephors

68
Q

How did they vote?

A

Voted through acclamation, whichever side was the loudest won

69
Q

What did Eunomia mean?

A

“Good order”, “good governance”, which is what Lyrucgus tried to institute throughout Sparta

70
Q

Recall and define the five main groups in Spartan society

A
  • Spartiates
  • Perioikoi
  • Helots
  • Inferior
71
Q

Was Sparta focused on equality?

A

Placed a lot of emphasis on equality

72
Q

What happened as society evolved?

A

The people became less equal

73
Q

How was one deemed a Spartiate?

A
  • Spartiates were the full (and only) citizens of Sparta
  • Obtained citizenship at age 30
  • Characterised by subordination of the individual, self-discipline and maintenance of state ethos
  • All members of the military
  • Under 30= members of Agoge education system
  • Family role extremely limited
  • No economic role
  • Military only profession
74
Q

How was one deemed a Perioikoi?

A
  • Perioikoi autonomous craftsmen, manufacturers, traders
  • Responsible for Spartan Economy
  • Some were farmers, fishermen, shipbuilders
  • Name “Perioikoi” means “dwellers around”
  • Lived in own communities in regions of Laconia and Messenia
  • Contributed to Spartan Economy in exchange for independence and protection
  • Left alone to govern themselves
  • No independence when it came to foreign policy
  • Herodotus says they could be conscripted into the army when numbers were low
75
Q

How was one deemed a Helot?

A
  • Helots were conquered peoples of the region
  • Assigned by Spartiates to work on their land
  • Responsible for agriculture, serving Spartiate masters
  • They could be conscripted into the Spartan army
  • Treated rather poorly
  • Plutarch tells us the Helots were forcibly intoxicated for humiliation to reconfirm their subordinate status
  • Multiple Helot uprisings against the Spartans
  • Because there were so many Helots, this was treated as a serious threat to Sparta’s internal security
76
Q

How was one deemed an Inferior?

A

Inferiors were considered outside the Spartan social structure

77
Q

What were the four main classes, and what disntuished them?

A
  • Partheniai: rejected from social structure because they were the children of unmarried Spartans
  • Mothakes: non-Spartan boys adopted as playmates for Spartan boys. Endured Agoge education system, but never applied for citizenship as they weren’t Spartans

Neodamodeis: Helots who had been freed from slavery for serving Sparta in battle

Hypomeiones: AKA (cowards). Spartiates who were stripped of their citizenship for being cowards

78
Q

What was at the centre of Spartan identity?

A

A military ethos

79
Q

Name a great source for Spartan warfare, and provide a quote

A

A great source for this is Tyrtaeus, a Spartan War Poet
“It is a beautiful thing when a good man dies fighting for his fatherland…” – Tyrtaeus
“The worst pain is abandoning one’s city and fertile fields, to go about begging, wondering with dear mother, aged father, little children and bedded wife…” – Tyrtaeus
“Oh young men! Fight! Stand fast by one another! Never falter or retreat!” – Tyrtaeus

80
Q

How was the army organised?

A
  • The Corinthian Helmet was distinct to Spartan soldiers
  • A Hoplon (round) shield also helped to identify them
  • Their shields also gave them the name Hoplites
  • Their shields were integral for creating the Phalanx Formation
81
Q

What formation did the Hoplites fight in?

A

Phalanx Formation

82
Q

What did this involve?

A

It involved the Hoplites forming rigid rows, interlocking their Hoplon shields, with half of your shield covered you, and half the man beside you

83
Q

Where were they vulnerable?

A

Vulnerable on the flanks (sides) and from the back

ancient (5 decks)

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