Spartan Education: The Agoge and Women Flashcards
What does Plutarch say about babies before the Agoge?
Plutarch, Lycurgus 16: Babies are inspected for defects and anyone who failed this inspection was left to die.
What does Xenophon say about the restrictions on 14 - 17 year olds?
Xenophon, Constitution of the Spartans 3.4: When they were out on the streets, he required them to keep their hands firmly under their cloak, walk in silence and keep their eyes fixed on the ground.
What does Plutarch say about education in the agoge?
Plutarch, Lycurgus 21: Education ceased at this age. This included reading, writing, physical exercise and music training.
What does Plutarch say about the values of the Agoge?
Plutarch: You weren’t allowed to inscribe the name of a body being buried unless the man had fallen in battle or the woman was a priestess.
What does Xenophon say about the values of the Agoge?
Xenophon: a noble death was seen as preferable to a disgraceful life.
What does Plutarch say about the harshness of the Agoge?
Plutarch, Agesilaus 1: The ‘agoge’ was a ‘harsh and painful way of life but one which taught the young boys to be obedient” and “led to Sparta being dubbed ‘man-breaking’”
What does Pausanias say about the harshness of the Agoge?
Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.14-18: “They fight with fists, kick with their feet, bite, and gouge opponents’ eyes…”
What happens at age 7 in the agoge?
Boys are taken from their homes and put into groupings within communal barracks. They stayed here until they were 30.
What happens at age 14 in the agoge?
They exercised naked, kept short of food and were encouraged to steal.
What happens at age 20 in the agoge?
Men might choose to be eirenes.
Military training continued after this age, as they were considered men and were required to fight.
What idea does Plutarch and Xenophon present about the reason why women were expected to exercise?
Lycurgus believed that women with strong bodies would produce strong, healthy babies, so would have them wrestle and throw javelin and discuss.
What does Plutarch say about the role women had in the education of boys?
Plutarch: women would “hurl good-natured abuse at a young man who got out of line” and would also “write hymns of praise and deliver them in honour of those who deserved it”.
What did the praise/abuse women gave to men encourage in the men?
It would encourage competitiveness and an eagerness to excel.
What is an Eirene?
A Spartan who enforced discipline over young boys and carried whips.
What does Plutarch say about the role of an Eirene?
Plutarch, Lycurgus: They would command their subordinates in mimic battles and taught them to steal. If they were caught, the boy would be flogged as a careless and unskilful thief
