SPARTA

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SPARTA

• Utopia or Dystopia?

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Origins of Sparta

• Sparta was located 27 miles from the sea on the
  banks of the Eurotas River.
• It was formed when Dorian settlers from the north
  came to the valley sometime in the tenth century.
• These settlers, known as Lacedaemonians, formed a
  town to rival nearby Amyclae by uniting five
  villages Dyme, Konoura, Limnae, Messoa, and
  Pitane.
• They believed they were descended from
  Lacedaemon, son of Zeus and the mountain nymph
  Taygete.

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How the Spartans became so spartan

• Sparta was probably similar to other Greek poleis
  until about 700.
• Then a growing dependence on servile peoples that
  outnumbered Spartans led to a response that was
  both conservative and draconian.
• The Sparta that emerged is legend, and gave us
  the English adjectives spartan and laconic.

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The Legend Grew but numbers fell

• Sparta came to either directly control or
  dominate most of the Peloponnesian peninsula.
• They eventually controlled 3200 square miles, the
  largest area controlled by one polis in Greece.
• But there were never more than 9-10 thousand male
  citizens (and thus fighters).
• Their population shrank to 700 in the mid-third
  century
• By Roman times the Spartans had died out.

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Surrounded by Enemies

• Rather than colonize, Sparta sought to preserve
  society by conquering neighbors.
• There were non-Spartan Laconians called perioikoi
  or outdwellers who were free people living in
  their own communities but without say in
  government.
• There were subjugated people called helots or
  captives who were a compulsory labor force that
  worked the land for the Spartans.
• We dont know how many perioikoi or helots there
  were, but they vastly outnumbered Spartans.

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How Sparta Grew

• West of Laconia is the district called Messenia.
• Less mountainous, more fertile, and having a
  milder climate, Messenia was coveted by the
  Spartans.
• Co-king Theopompus waged war against the
  Messenians for 20 years, finally toppling Ithome,
  the citadel of Messene in 720.
• This was the First Messenian War and it reduced
  most inhabitants to the level of helots.

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The Legend of Aristodemus

• According to legend, the Messenian leader was a
  man named Aristodemus.
• He decided to sacrifice his adult daughter to the
  gods in exchange for saving his country.
• His daughters beau tried to save her life by
  spreading a rumor that she was pregnant.
• Aristodemus became so angry at her that he
  murdered her.
• In his dreams he was assailed and told his
  actions doomed his country.
• Going mad, he killed himself on his daughters
  grave.

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Tyrtaeus and the Second Messenian War

• Aristomenes led a revolt against the Spartans in
  northern Messenia in the mid-600s.
• At first, the revolt was successful.
• The lame poet Tyrtaeus was credited with turning
  the tide by his stirring poetry set to music that
  inspired the warriors.
• Soldiers went into battle singing the marches
  accompanied by flutes.
• His poetry, which reflected on obedience, duty,
  and the glories of war was recited after the
  evening mess.

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End of the Second Messenian War

• Tyrtaeus is the only documentary source for the
  second war and he records a great Spartan victory
  in the Battle of the Great Fosse.
• Rebels withdrew to the fortress Eira in the far
  north.
• Spartans supposedly besieged Eira for eleven
  years.
• When the Spartans finally took the city
  Aristomenes escaped to Arcadia and later died in
  Rhodes

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Results of the Messenian Wars

• The Spartans would have zero tolerance for
  domestic stasisemphasized the duty of eunomia,
  or law and order.
• The Spartans, alarmed by weaknesses, but learning
  from mistakes completely reorganized their
  armies.
• Citizens were freed from the concern of pursuing
  careers or providing for family.
• The states sole aim became to preserve a Spartan
  way of life by creating invincible warriors.

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How Sparta organized

• The Spartan constitution had four parts
• The Kings
• The Gerousia, or council of elders
• The Apella, or assembly of citizens
• The five Ephors

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The Kings

• The Spartans had two kings from two distinct
  royal houses, the Agids and the Eurypontids, both
  traced ancestry from the Dorian Heracles.
• Kingship survived with power checked rather than
  position abolished.
• Each king had a bodyguard of 100.
• Their functions were as high priests and
  commanders-in-chief.
• Controlled adoptions, arranged marriages, and
  maintained roads.

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The Gerousia, council of elders

• Council had 30 members Both kings plus
  twenty-eight men at least sixty years old.
• Members were aristocrats rewarded for known
  virtue and who served for life.
• Gerousia tried criminals and advised the kings.
• Members were chosen by acclamation in the
  Apella.

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The Apella, or assembly of citizens

• Every Spartan over 30 was a member.
• The Apella met monthly in the outdoors.
• No debating, function is to provide acclamation
  of simple majority to the proposals of the kings
  or ephors.
• If Gerousia did not approve of what Apella
  passed, they could annul it by dissolving the
  meeting in which it was acclaimed.

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The Five Ephors

• Originally came about as duties of the kings
  became overwhelming.
• Ephors were the real representatives of the
  people. Any citizen eligible for the one year
  term, and were chosen by lot.
• Ephors made sure kings were true to their oaths
  to abide by the laws of the state. Two ephors
  always accompanied the martial king during
  wartime.
• Ephors also functioned as the supreme civil court
  and responsible for discipline.

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The Annual Proclamation

• Each year the ephors term of office began on the
  day of the first full moon after the autumnal
  equinox.
• Each year the new ephors renewed the same
  proclamation
• All Spartans must shave their upper lips.
• All Spartans must obey the laws.
• War is hereby declared upon the helots
• Well return to the Spartans later, and discuss
  (among other things) their social lives.