The Greek Polis- Sparta

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The Greek Polis- Sparta
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The Classical Polis

• The Physical characteristics of a polis may be
  expressed by a formula asty chora polis
• Asty is the Greek word for the city proper, the
  core of the polis
• Chora means the region or district, in our
  formula, it refers to the agricultural hinterland
  around a polis
• A polis, therefore is always an urban core and a
  rural zone Athens Attica Athenian polis
  Sparta Laconia Spartan polis
• The urban area usually has an agora (market
  area), temples, a building where public decisions
  were reached, and entertainment facilities, such
  as theaters and stadiums
• Some poleis has a natural fortification
  acropolis
• Aristotle believed that people naturally lived
  in poleis. He and his pulis studied more than 100
  Greek poleis. The amount of variation from one to
  another could be considerable.

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Sparta

• One outstanding feature of the Spartan system
  were the social classes
• The homoioi (the equals) were adult male Spartan
  citizens over the age of 18. They had substantial
  rights of political participation, which was
  unusual at so early a date
• The periokoi (dwellers about) were what we would
  call resident aliens. These people were not
  citizens but enjoyed basic protection. There are
  many theories about just who they were
• The helots (state slaves) were, essentially,
  conquered Messenians the helots belonged to
  Sparta and not to individual Spartans
• There were two Kings, drawn from the same two
  families, who had veto power over each other. One
  was usually at home while the other was away with
  the army

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Sparta

• There were two deliberative councils
• All equals belonged to the Assembly. The body
  could propose laws, wars, or treaties but could
  not legislate by itself
• Real power was vested in a council consisted of
  the Kings, the ephors, and equals over the age of
  60. This body could ignore or act on suggestions
  from the assembly of equals
• There were five ephors (overseers) whose job it
  was to ensure that any law passed by the council
  or any verdict passed by a court was in
  accordance with Spartan tradition. They were
  always old and wealthy equals.
• Krypteia (secret police) were young men between
  18 and 20 who primarily spied on the helots but
  also snooped on ordinary equals.

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Agoge (upbringing)

• Babies were inspected at birth and the healthy
  ones were returned to their parents until age
  seven
• At age seven, boys were enrolled in military
  brotherhoods to which they belonged the rest of
  their lives. From 7 to 18, they underwent
  rigorous physical and military training. From 18
  to 20, many served in secret service, then
  entered the regular army unit until age 60
• Marriage was not companionate its sole function
  was the production of more equals
• The system aimed to create military excellence,
  discipline, and loyalty
• Spartan life was austere and simple
• Spartans believed that book learning made men
  more effeminate
• Spartans used iron money to make hoarding
  unattractive

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Spartan System

• By about 559, Sparta has formed the Peloponnesian
  League, which gave it the opportunity to control
  the constitutions of member states. Sparta tried
  to prevent democracies and social turmoil
• The Spartan system was still in place when Rome
  conquered Greece in the 2nd century B.C., but
  there were only a few equals left by then
• Contemporaries admired Spartas strength,
  simplicity, and stability

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