Sparta 2.Social/Political Flashcards
(6 cards)
The Issue of Lycurgus
-everything abt him(life & accomplishments) is reported differently
>his exsistance+contribution to Sparta is not certain or w.out dispute
-said to have created the ‘Agoge’ and ‘The Great Rhetra}concept of Eunomia-‘good order’
Political Organisation
re-inforcement of PoliticalSocialEconomic reforms of ‘Eunomia’
MONARCHY-rule by One
-Dual kingship
>Agiad &
Eurypontid Royal
families
>Military/Judicial/
Religious power
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OLIGARCHY-rule by Elite
-Gerousia} 2 kings+28 elders over 60yo.o.
-Ephorate} 5 ‘ephors’ /magistrates of the 5 villages or ‘oba’
>Legislative/Judicial power
———————————–
DEMOCRACY-rule by many
-Ekklesia}monthly assembly of Spartiates over 30y.o.
-Ephorate
>Judicial power
Social Structure
CITIZENS:
-Spartiates}male citizen, highly trained warrior, completed Agoge training
>has Kleros}plot of land (uses produce to contribute to Sysstia)
>membership in Mess/Sysstia}communal dining of 15ppl
-Citizen Women
-Homoi}elite Spartiate
-Hoplites}citizen soldier
———————————–
INFERIOR/NON-CITIZEN
-Periokoi}’dwellers around’:
>Free inhabitants
with self government
but answerable to
Spartan State,
>fought for Sparta and provided Hoplites for Spartan army
———————————–
SLAVES:
-Helots}slaves of Sparta
>owned by the state
of Sparta
>assigned to a
Spartiate to work on
their land and could
be substituted w
another slave
Spartan Army
Training: the AGOGE}rigorous education/training of the soldiers
>at birth, boys are inspected by Gov official for deformities(no place for the deformed)
>7y.o.: taken to Agoge to live at the barracks and begin lifelong service
>30y.o.:becomes full Spartiate
————————————
The Spartan army was organised according t age divisions of the Agoge
-PHALANAX} formation that aims to break opponents front line via ‘grip n shove’ technique
Women in Sparta
-educated to be mothers of warriors>believed child bearing was most important function
-women would inhertit estate–>to pass onto offspring
BUT;by the end of 4th Cent BC women owned 2/5 of all land
-women participated religious festivals/functions (i.e. votive offerings, cults, rituals)
-stayed at home as
~caretakers of the household and to raise children—>although most of their work was done by helots
~managed estates/property
Role of the 2 Kings
-voted in by Ekklesia}assemby of Spartiates
-chief priests of Zeus
–>expected to
sacrifice to Apollo
each month and
to all gods b4
battle
-held office as long as they maintained pleasure of the gods
-one king goes to war, the other stays back
