Education of Boys
“if a boy is caught stealing, he is soundly flogged” Plutarch Lycurgus 17
“encouraged tyhem to get food by cunning” Xeno CoS 2.3
“Introduced the wearing of 1 garment… better prepared to face changes of heat and cold” Xeno CoS 2.5
“nor was their training in music and poetry any less serious a concern” Plutarch Lycurgus 21
“boys drink just enough to bring their minds to cheerful optimism” Kritias Fragment 6 - shows how self control is ingrained into them
Values of the Spartans
“the boy who excelled in judgement and was most courageous in fighting” promoted to captain - plutarch Lycurgus 16
“they used to force them to drink… undiluted wine… to show the boys what it was like to be drunk” Plutarch Lycurgus 27
“illegal to inscribe… on a tomb unless it was a man who had died in war or a woman in childbirth” Lycurgus 27
“believed motherhood to be the most important function of a freeborn woman” Xeno CoS 1
“for an abundance of purple is not enough to give protection” alcman fragments 1
Education of Girls
Bronze figurine of girl throwing a discus
“he insisted on physical training for the female” Xeno CoS 1
“illegal to inscribe… on a tomb unless i… a woman in childbirth” Lycurgus 27
The scanty clothing of the girls allowed “modesty [to] attended them and wantoness banished” Plutarch Lycurgus 14.4
“Lycurgus thought the labour of slave women sufficient to supply clothing” Xeno CoS 1
Treatment of the helots
he helots farmed the land for them, handing over the due tribute I spoke of - Plutarch, Lycurgus 24.3
Each man’s allocation was sufficient to produce an annual crop of 70 measures of barley, 12 measures for his wife, and an appropriate amount of other fresh produce.- Plutarch, Lycurgus 8.4
they would force them to drink too much strong wine, and then introduce them into their public messes - Plutarch Lycurgus 28/4
But Lycurgus thought the labour of slave women sufficient to supply clothing -Xenophon, Constitution of the Spartans 1.4
Krypteia - Plutarch Lycurgus 28
supplying them with food - Tyrtaeus Fragment 6
Use of the helots in war
uarded by thirty-five thousand light-armed helots - seven serving each man -Herodotus, Histories 9.28.1 - at Plataea + 7 helots for every Spartiate
and helots alike, to go to their aid with the largest army they had ever raised. Thuc. HoPPW 5.64.2 - mantinea
welcomed an opportunity to send some of their helot population out of the country in case the current situation - Thuc. HoPPW 4.80.2
“700 as hoplites with Brasidas” Thuc. HoPPW 4.80
Role of Women in society
“the freedom given to the Spartan women were for good reason” - Would urn the household when the men were away Aristotle Politics 169b-1270a
“illegal to inscribe the name of the dead on a tomb unless… a woman in childbirth”
Plutarch Lycurgus 27
About how a man could ask another to allow him to have children with his wife -Plutarch Lycurgus 15.7 - womens role In society as childbearers
Ephors
“the office has absolute control pver their most important affairs” Aristotle Politics 1270b1
“known that those who [have taken the office]mmm take bribes ans betray the public’s interests” - 1271a Aristotle Politics
“the ephors… would force them to drink too much strong wine” Plutarch Lycurgus 28 - responsible for the education of young boys
“Ephors, then, pick out three of the very best among them… the commanders of the Guard” - Xeno CoS 3 (role of ephors in military) and shows their power
“This decision of the assembly that the treaty had been broken” - Sthenelaidas overturning the speech of Archidamus and riling the Spartans into war Thuc. HoPPW 1.87
arrest of Pausanias
Gerousia
“office of the elders, which is a prizeof virtue” Aristotle Politics 1270b1
“whoever was greeted with the most and loudest shouting they declared him elected” Plutarch Lycurgus 26
“a member of the Gerousia, Hetoemaridas… won over both the Gerousia and the people and… they abandoned their zest for war” Diodorus Siculus 11.50
“when a meeting of the Gerousia40 was convened, they considered making war upon the
Athenians” Diodorus Siculus 11.50 = gravity of what they discussed
Assembly
“a member of the Gerousia, Hetoemaridas… won over both the Gerousia and the people and… they abandoned their zest for war” Diodorus Siculus 11.50
“the cries of the assembly decided between the competitors.” Plutarch Lycurgus 26 - role of Assembly in election of political figures
“put the question to the assembly of the Lacedaemonians” abt going to war against Athens after the Corinthian Complaint Thuc. HoPPW 1.87 - 431BC
Dual Kingship
“deposed as king of Sparta” Herodotus Histories 7.3 - not completely powerful
“on service… are allowed for their own use as many cattle as they wish” Herodotus Histories 6.56
“it is their duty to select and appoint officials who see to the entertainment of foreign visitors” Herodotus Histories 6.57 - indirectly responsible for diplomatic relations
“Even the kings should mess in public, “ Xeno CoS 15 - no different to usual spartiates
“While you abide by your oath, we will keep the kingship unshaken.” xeno CoS 15. Oath of the state and shows how fragile the power of the king was
attmepted arrest of Pausanias and subsequent death by locking in temple - Thuc HoPPW 1.134
Military Organisation
“The front rank are all officers in the army and each file has all it needs to make it efficien” Xenophon CoS 11
“700 of them as hoplites with Brasidas” Thuc HoPPW 4.80
Thuc. HoPPw 5.66-73 - Battle of Mantinea
Perioikoi could be called to reserve f
“They quickly fell into their ranks and their King Agis directing everything” Thuc. HoPPW 5.66
Successes
“had brought to a close in a single hour a war which, in
length, and the incredible variety of its incidents and fortunes, surpassed all
its predecessors” - Plutarch Lysander 11 -Battle of Aegospotami
“the Spartans fighting long and stubbornly until the rout of their enemy” Thuc HoPPW 5.73.4 - battle of Mantinea
Navy
Navy
““is it in our ships? There we are inferior” Thucydides 1.80
“having fallen out of order in excitement” Thuc HoPPW 2.91-92 429-428BC
“they, the Spartans, without sea fight or risk “ Thuc HoPPW 4.8 - avoiding sea battle as navy is not strong enough
“the enemy’s vessels being as many or more than our own” Thuc. HoPPW 7.12 - spartan navy being viewed as a threat
“gave a signal to his fleet to sail with all speed… Lysander captured the beach” Xenophon Hellenica 2.1.27
Failures
Thuc HoPPW 2.91-2.92 - celebrating too early and panicked when the battle wasn’t actually over yet - “having fallen out of order in excitement”
“the disaster was thought so serious that… the authorities should go down to the camp” - Thuc. HoPPW 4.15
“Aristocles and Hippomoidas would not move over… afterwards banished” Thuc HoPPW 5.72
Other states’ views on Sparta
“regulations for the public messes… have been badly laid down” Aristotle Politics 1271a
“the lawgiver… has made the state poor and the individual citizen covetous” 1271b
“law by which Lycurgus encouraged the practice of virtue up to old age is another excellent measure in my opinion” Xeno CoS 11
“you have delayed to do so till we are smarting it” and “for all this you are responsible” Thuc HoPPW 1.68 - backed up by Sparta not backing up Athens during Mardonius’ attack
Peloponnesian League - the Peloponnesian League and its importance for Sparta
“You take from it a sense of caution, but in dealing with external matters what you use is more like ignorance.” Thuc HoPPW 1.68
“Lacedaemonians sent round orders to the cities to prep for an occupation of Attica” Thuc. HoPPW 5.17 (415Bc)
“wished to summon their allies again… To take their vote” Thuc. HoPPW 1.119.1
“word was also sent round Peloponnese to come as quickly as possible to Pylos” Thuc HoPPW 3.31
Spartan Mirage
“together they are the best warriors on earth” Herodotus Histories 7.104.4
“I myself would be reluctant to attribute to Lycurgus a disgusting institution like the krypteia.” Plutarch Lycurgus 28
“law by which Lycurgus encouraged the practice of virtue up to old age is another excellent measure in my opinion” Xeno CoS 11
“such a surplus of good government and justice did the city enjoy” Plutarch Lycurgus 30 - overlooks the inequality and treatment of the helots
Limitations of Sparta
“made a promise to do so… they were interrupted by an earthquake… led to the revolt of the helots” Thuc HoPPW 1.101
“joined together in war against the Spartans” Diodorus Library of History 11.63 - shows how their reliance on oppression doesn’t work and that the Spartans were a numerical minority
“You take from it a sense of caution, but in dealing with external matters what you use is more like ignorance.” Thuc HoPPW 1.68
“the lawgiver… has made the state poor and the individual citizen covetous” Aristotle Politics 1271b
“nowadays there are some who even boast of their possessions.” CoS 14 - decline in values
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The Social Structure of Sparta22
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Education and Values in Sparta21
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The Political Structure of Sparta65
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The Political Structure of Sparta COPY65
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The Spartan Military Culture and its Importance in the Society and Politics of Sparta40
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Other States' views of Sparta and the Effect of the Spartan System on its Policy26
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Thucydides80
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Diodorus6
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Xenophon28
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Quotes18
