The Issue Of Lycurgus THE GREAT RHETRA

Question 0

Describe the lycurgian code

Answer 0

Gives laws legitimacy to ensure revolution didn’t occur

Question 1

Wo was Lycurgus by ancient sources?

Answer 1

Viewed as lawgiver, responsible for setting up most of Spartans political and social institutions

Question 2

General ANCIENT opinions of Lycurgus

Answer 2

1. Ancient writers generally believe Lycurgus member of spartan royal family who ruled as regent for short times
2. HOWEVER tyrtaeus, a spartan living nearer to Lycurgus time NEVER MENTIONS HIM

Question 3

HERODOTUS OPINION : offers what debate

Answer 3

Either L gained reforms of Delphic of oracle or he copied some reforms from CRETANS

• ” the priestess…revealed to him the system of government which obtains Sparta”
• “the lacaedemonians themselves say that Lycurgus bought it from Crete”

Question 4

XENOPHEN OPINION

Answer 4

• remarkably wise man “who established the laws under which flourshed”
• “adopted institutions to the majority with outstanding results”

Question 5

PLUTARCH OPINION

Answer 5

States that everything about LYCURGUS is controversial yet he outlines the
Details of his life as if there is no controversy
“absolutely nothing can be said that is not controversial, either about his birth, travels or death”

Question 6

MODERN OPINIONS ABOUT LYCURGS

Answer 6

FITZHARDINGE: “he was probs primitive local god with a shrine by the Eurostar who was adopted by the spartan hoplites
MICHEL: “ the very existence of Lycurgus is strongly open to doubt.. But the balance of probs is on the side that he has lived for the benifit of Sparta

ANDREWS: “if there wasa real Lycurgus we know nothing of him”

GENERALLY: moderns ho,airship doubts of lycurvus’ existence

Question 7

Lycugus achievements based on writers

Answer 7

HERODOTUS: made fundamental laws and put Sparta in SOUND BASIS

XENOPHEn: established laws i which Sparta lived
PLUTARCH:: complete changes to the constitution
XENOPHEN AND PLUTARCH: Lycurgus
Introduced in Sparta
- changes in govt:gerousiaandgave Spartans right to vote assembly supposedly given to him by Delphic oracle
-established duties of king
- REDISTRIBUTED LAND so that each citizen had clerks or allotment and number of serfs to farm for the enabling Spartans to focus on military trai ing

Question 8

FORREST ( modern )

Answer 8

Lycurgus partly designed and made a system of an accidental discovery

Question 9

Forrest

Answer 9

The Greatest thing Lycurgus ever did was define what already existed and lay down a set of rules for the first time in Spartan history

Question 10

How was the great rhetra received

Answer 10

During a period of crises, spartansrecoeved via Lycurgus, supposed to have received oracle from Delphi and on basis on this made changes to the constitution

Question 11

What did the rhetra supposedly provide as recorded by PLUTARCH?

Answer 11

Form of government different fro. Greet city states

Question 12

Mention 3 parts of constitution

Answer 12

1. Dual kingship
2. Gerousia
   3 ecclesia

Question 13

Great rhetra

Answer 13

PUBLIC PROBOUNCEMENT THAT RECORDED GOVT FORMATION
Citizen body to be classified by birth( tribe) and residence(obai)
- royal council that already existed was to be reorganised into Gerousia and numbers fixed : 28 men and two kings
- Gerousia reconvenes assembly for final vot on gerousias proposal
-Gerousia could’ve to assembly decision
- every nine years king accession to throne , ephors inspect omens
-two ephors accompanied the king on campaign
- could be core to appear before gerousia and ephors for misdonduct