The economy

Question 1

Land ownership:

Answer 1

Fertile valley of Eurotas and Pamisos allowed proudction of all cultivated food needs.

Under Lyrcurgus reforms, he distrubted 30,000 allotments to the periokoi according to Plutarch.

Sparta was an agricultural economy and therefore Kleroi (agricultural plots of land) was equally distributed through the idea of hommonio:
* Plutarch ‘life of Lyrcurgus’ highlights Lycurgus distributed 9,000 Kleroi for the 9,000 spartiates.
-> This led to a sort of state control of land.
* However, modern historan S Hodkinson 1989 highlights their were “two types of land, the ancient portion (archaia moira) and the other land.”
-> This allowed a few to gain significant land and through inheritence saw land centralise into the “hand of the few” Aristotle which would prohibt them from participating in the Syssita and as a result become inferiors.

Argiculutral work and cultivation done by helots:
* Helots were serfs to the land and didn’t own.
-> However, Tyrtaeus illustrates Helots recived a fixed proportion of approx half of their produce.

Question 2

Technology: Metal working (metallurgy)

SPARTA WASN’T STATIC

Range and quaility was little different from the rest of Greece 8th to 6th century, whist 5th to 6th saw a decline.

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Question 3

Technology: Bronze smelting

SPARTA WASN’T STATIC

Range and quaility was little different from the rest of Greece 8th to 6th century, whist 5th to 6th saw a decline.

Answer 3

Bronze smelting dictated Spartans advanced knowledge of heating and cooling of bronze.

This knowledge is evident in archaeolgist findings such as:
* Bronze greaves - military use of technology
* The Vix krater - 1.6m tall weighing 200+ kg inwhich is the largest bronze vessel to be found.
* Bronze tripod - offering to Apollo at Amyklaion, religous purpose.

Question 4

Technology: Lead moulds

SPARTA WASN’T STATIC

Range and quaility was little different from the rest of Greece 8th to 6th century, whist 5th to 6th saw a decline.

Answer 4

Lead figuries used as voting offerings at Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia
-> over 100,000 examples

Question 5

Technology: Laconian III Pottery

SPARTA WASN’T STATIC
Range and quaility was little different from the rest of Greece 8th to 6th century, whist 5th to 6th saw a decline.

Answer 5

6th century Laconian III pottery was of high quaility as it was kilmed fired and was in two styles red figure and black figure, therefore making it valuable.
-> Found across the entire Mediterain such as in Etruscan (Italy) graves where Klyix (drinking cups) were found also in Egypt.

Early 5th century Laconian pottery stopped, most likely due to Lycrugus reforms which prohibited Spartiates from particpating in craftmenship.
-> Periokoi therefore become the main creators of pottery according to Herodotus after the reforms.

Question 6

Economic roles of Helots

Answer 6

Agriucultural production dependent on helots
Paul Cartledge: “allowed their master to develope their uniquely military society”

Question 7

Economic roles of Periokoi

Question 8

Economic exchange:
Iron bars

Answer 8

Gold and silver currency was used prior to Lycrugus reforms:
* Lycrugus reforms banned the use of silver and gold coins replacing them with ‘iron spits’ according to Plutarch ‘Life of Lycurgus’.
-> To deter spartiaties from amassing personal weath which produce greed and crime, which goes against ideas of emmonia.

Spartan insistence on the use of iron currency ‘iron spits’ restricted trade with other Greek city states.
* Spartiates however did use foreign coins as Plutarch highlights they had to pay a “small sum of cash” to the Syssition.
-> Creation of wealth inbalance as those who couldn’t pay, would have their citzenship revoked and labled as an inferior.

Lycurgus monetary reforms didn’t affect the Periokoi and Helots who were able to amase a significant personal wealth.

Question 9

Economic exchange:
Trade

Answer 9

Were active partipitants in trade:
The Giglio shipwreck discovered in 1961 with Cortherian helmet dating it to the 6th century.
->Discovery of lacedonian kylix (drinking cups) and aryballos (perfume holding pottery) from Sparta

Port of Gytheum major trading hub
* Water of Gytheum held murex mollusc which could produce a redish purple which was a valuable commodity.
* Port belived to be opperated by the Periokoi as Sparitiates were forbiden in particpating in trade under Lycurgus reforms
* -> Dispoved by Plutach accounting spartiates using foreign coins to pay a “small slum of funds” to the Syssitia.

Wool and flax - excellent material for clothing:
Evidence of Lakonian textiles which were highly prized in other Greek states.