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Sparta was one of the most important city-states in ancient Greece and was famous for its military prowess. The professional and well-trained Spartan hoplites with their distinctive red cloaks and long…

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Sparta | History, Location, Population, Map, & Facts

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Sparta, ancient capital of the Laconia district of the southeastern Peloponnese, southwestern Greece. The sparsity of ruins from antiquity around the modern city reflects the austerity of the military oligarchy that ruled the Spartan city-state from the 6th to the 2nd century BCE.

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Sparta Life

Sparta, also known as Lacedaemon, was an ancient Greek city-state located primarily in a region of southern Greece called Laconia. The population of Sparta consisted of three main groups: the Spartans, or Spartiates, who were full citizens; the Helots, or serfs/slaves; and the Perioeci, who were neither slaves nor citizens. The Perioeci, whose name means "dwellers-around," worked as craftsmen and traders, and made weapons for the Spartans.

Did you know? The word "spartan" means self-restrained, simple, frugal and austere. The word laconic, which means pithy and concise, is derived from the Spartans, who prized brevity of speech.

All healthy male Spartan citizens participated in the compulsory state-sponsored education system, the Agoge, which emphasized obedience, endurance, courage and self-control. Spartan men devoted their lives to military service, and lived communally well into adulthood. A Spartan was taught that loyalty to the state came before everything else, including one's family.

The Helots, whose name means "captives," were fellow Greeks, originally from Laconia and Messenia, who had been conquered by the Spartans and turned into slaves. The Spartans' way of life would not have been possible without the Helots, who handled all the day-to-day tasks and unskilled labor required to keep society functioning: They were farmers, domestic servants, nurses and military attendants.

Spartans, who were outnumbered by the Helots, often treated them brutally and oppressively in an effort to prevent uprisings. Spartans would humiliate the Helots by doing such things as forcing them to get debilitatingly drunk on wine and then make fools of themselves in public. (This practice was also intended to demonstrate to young people how an adult Spartan should never act, as self-control was a prized trait.) Methods of mistreatment could be far more extreme: Spartans were allowed to kill Helots for being too smart or too fit, among other reasons.

The Spartan Military

Unlike such Greek city-states as Athens - a center for the arts, learning and philosophy - Sparta was centered on a warrior culture. Male Spartan citizens were allowed only one occupation: soldier. Indoctrination into this lifestyle began early.

Spartan boys started their military training at age 7, when they left home and entered the Agoge. The boys lived communally under austere conditions. They were subjected to continual physical, competitions (which could involve violence), given meager rations and expected to become skilled at stealing food, among other survival skills.

The teenage boys who demonstrated the most leadership potential were selected for participation in the Crypteia, which acted as a secret police force whose primary goal was to terrorize the general Helot population and murder those who were troublemakers. At age 20, Spartan males became full-time soldiers, and remained on active duty until age 60.

Spartan Armor, Shield and Helmet

No one soldier was considered superior to another. Going into battle, a Spartan soldier, or hoplite, wore a large bronze helmet, breastplate and ankle guards, and carried a round shield made of bronze and wood, a long spear and sword. Spartan warriors were also known for their long hair and red cloaks.

The Spartans' constant military drilling and discipline made them skilled at the ancient Greek style of fighting in a phalanx formation. In the phalanx, the army worked as a unit in a close, deep formation, and made coordinated mass maneuvers.

Spartan Women

Spartan women had a reputation for being independent-minded, and enjoyed more freedoms and power than their counterparts throughout ancient Greece. While they played no role in the military, female Spartans often received a formal education, although separate from boys and not at boarding schools.

In part to attract mates, females engaged in athletic competitions, including javelin-throwing and wrestling, and also sang and danced competitively. As adults, Spartan women were allowed to own and manage property. Additionally, they were typically unencumbered by domestic responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning and making clothing, tasks which were handled by the Helots.

Marriage was important to Spartans, as the state put pressure on people to have male children who would grow up to become citizen-warriors, and to replace those who died in battle. Men who delayed marriage were publicly shamed, while those who fathered multiple sons could be rewarded.

In preparation for marriage, Spartan women had their heads shaved; they kept their hair short after they wed. Married couples typically lived apart, as men under 30 were required to continue residing in communal barracks. In order to see their wives during this time, husbands had to sneak away at night.

Decline of the Spartans

In 371 B.C., Sparta suffered a catastrophic defeat at the hands of the Thebans at the Battle of Leuctra. In a further blow, late the following year, Theban general Epaminondas (c.418 B.C.-362B.C.) led an invasion into Spartan territory and oversaw the liberation of the Messenian Helots, who had been enslaved by the Spartans for several centuries.

The Spartans would continue to exist, although as a second-rate power in a long period of decline. In 1834, Otto (1815-67), the king of Greece, ordered the founding of the modern-day town of Sparti on the site of ancient Sparta.

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Sparta: Definition, Greece & Peloponnesian War - HISTORY

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Sparta was a military city-state in ancient Greece that achieved regional power after Spartan warriors won the Peloponnesian War against the rival city of Athens.

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Although the Spartans were a stoic society heavily devoted to war and diplomacy, they also played an important role in the art history of ancient Greece. Throughout the 6th century, Spartans built workshops for several genres of art such as; vase painting, sculpture, and metalworking. One particular style of pottery painting became very popular and was spread throughout the Mediterranean, Lakonian black-figure vase painting. Spartans were recognized for their beautiful and intricate bronze art. The highly prized spartan bronze art spread to other greek islands, and was given to other Kings and important leaders as a gift. Athens was a major city and also a center for the Spartan's art and also learning and philosophy.

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On the bottom of the social hierarchy were the perioikoi, or the conquered people. They had absolutely no rights and were forced to serve in the Spartan army. Another low social group were the helots which were semi-enslaved farmers who lived on Spartan owned land but they had more liberty than the perioikoi because the helots could keep a percentage of their produce but were also constantly purged and could be forced into the army as well. At the very top of the ladder were two kings from different families that sat on the council of elders which were also important as they proposed issues for citizens to vote on. The overall society was ruled by male citizens although in Sparta women had a lot more rights than in other Greek cities. Women owned 2/5 of the land in Sparta, could participate in sports, and could drink wine.

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They believed in the existence of supernatural beings and deities (such as gods and heroes). They believed the gods intervened in human affairs and that is shown in their Epic Poems such as how the gods intervened in human life in "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey"

Some key parts of their lifestyle includes:
1) Military training: Spartans were trained in fighting, hunting, and all kinds of physical survival. They meant to produce strong-willed, discipled warriors to effectively protect their empire.

2) Living style: The majority of Spartans lived a simple life without much luxury and excess greed. They lived in simple homes, ate simple meals and few personal possessions. The government provided basic necessities.

3) Fitness: As one could clearly assume, the Spartans emphasis on physical fitness. Every citizen, including the women, were required to engage in physical training and exercises. This again, was meant to produce powerful warriors.

4) Education: Emphasis was definitely on physical strength and military strategy, but the Spartans were also well educated in literature, music, philosophy. This education provided to a well rounded society.

5) Community: The Spartans were accustomed to sharing everything and relied on each other for support and protection. They believed that the strength of the was more important than individual desires or interests.

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For all Spartan citizens there was a strong emphasis on military training and frugal living in communal mess halls where simple food such as barley meal, cheese, figs and wine were the norm.

males had a militaristic upbringing known as the agōgē where they were separated into age groups and lived in barracks

This tough training resulted in a professional hoplite army capable of relatively sophisticated battle manoeuvres and made them feared throughout Greece, a fact perhaps evidenced by Sparta's notable lack of fortifications for most of its history.

Pre- and post-battle sacrifices were a common feature of Greek warfare in general but the Spartan army took things one step further and sacrificed before crossing rivers, for example, and even withheld from mobilising the army if an important religious festival was ongoing.

The Spartans main weapon was the dory spear for close attacks and the javelin for long range attacks.

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To the Spartans, discipline, obedience, and courage were values they held above everything else. The men of Sparta learned these values when they were at a young age, and Spartan women were also expected to be strong, athletic, and disciplined, contradicting other empires

The three main Spartan beliefs were: equality (among citizens, not necessarily genders or social structures), military fitness, and austerity

Some other values they followed include:

1) Discipline: They believed in strict discipline in both their personal lives and in military training and planning. Discipline was necessary to produce strong, resilient, warriors that can easily endure hardships and sacrifices for the empire's own good.

2) Loyalty to the empire: The needs of the empire were more important than individual desires or interests. They were expected to put the needs of the empire before their own needs and make sacrifices for the benefit of others.

3) Equality: While they were a highly stratified society, they believed in equality of their citizens. They believed that "every citizen, regardless of social status, had a duty to contribute to the common good".

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The city state of Sparta was located in the southeastern Peloponnese region of ancient Greece.

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-Sparta subjugated most of neighboring Messeria and Laconia.
-The people of Messeria and Laconia after being conquered, had no political rights and were often sent to serve in the spartan army.
-in 669 BCE Sparta was defeated by Argos in Hysiae, but later got revenge to Argos in 545 BCE. Shortly after that lost to Tegea.

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The area of Sparta was first inhabited in the Neolithic period and was an important settlement in the Bronze Age, but Sparta itself wasn't didn't become an official city-state until the 10th century BCE

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The founding of the City state can be pointed to King Menelaus, who helped defeat Troy, supposedly ruled the city.

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Spartan political system was unusual in that it had two hereditary kings from two separate families. The kings were also priests of Zeus and they sat on the council of elders known as the gerousia. This body consisted of 28 over-60 years of age males who held the position for life. The gerousia led the citizen assembly, probably proposing issues on which to vote and it was also the highest court in Sparta. The assembly (Ekklēsia) met once a month and was open to all citizens who voted by the simple method of shouting.  There was also an executive committee of five ephors (ephoroi) chosen by lot from the citizen body, able only to serve for a maximum of one year and who were ineligible for future office. Two of the ephors also accompanied one of the kings when on campaign.

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Spartan political system was unusual in that it had two hereditary kings from two separate families. The kings were also priests of Zeus and they sat on the council of elders known as the gerousia. This body consisted of 28 over-60 years of age males who held the position for life. The gerousia led the citizen assembly, probably proposing issues on which to vote and it was also the highest court in Sparta. The assembly (Ekklēsia) met once a month and was open to all citizens who voted by the simple method of shouting.  There was also an executive committee of five ephors (ephoroi) chosen by lot from the citizen body, able only to serve for a maximum of one year and who were ineligible for future office. Two of the ephors also accompanied one of the kings when on campaign.

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An important part of their development was the conquering of Messenia and Laconia because their people contributed to their work force and army, and had little to no rights. The conquered peoples were called helots and helped to sustain the city-state through their cultivation and army duties

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Sparta grew to rival the size of the city-states Athens and Thebes by subjugating its neighboring region of Messenia.

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While early city-states helped shape the world today in various ways, Sparta's strong military, gender equality, and organized society had a significant cultural impact on the ancient world. Not only did the Spartan's military influence fighting styles, tactics, and armor, but they also showed a new level of courage, strength, and devotion. A famous example of this is the Battle of Thermopylae. 300 brave men fought over 100,000 Persians at the battle until each was killed. Spartan women were also seen as vital in Spartan culture. They could inherit property, own land, makes business trades and were some of the most educated women in the ancient world. They could become wealthy landowners and were relevant in every aspect of spartan life. They were viewed as equals to the men of Sparta if not honored further. Sparta was ruled by a pair of kings (twins and equal in every sense) and used a caste system.

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The economy of Sparta was based mostly based of agriculture and conquering others. They decided to use iron bars as form of money to discourage stealing. An iron bar had little value so a thief would have to steal a lot (like wagons of iron bars) for it to be a worthwhile hiest.

Key Aspects of the Economy

1) Agriculture: They were primarily farmers and agriculture was the backbone of their economy. They were known for their skill in growing crops such as barley, wheat, and even grapes. They also raised livestock such as sheep ad cattle. They had fertile soil, there was not enough land to provide food for everyone. IF they ever needed more land they would simply take it from other people.

2) Slavery: The Spartans relied on slavery because while their slaves worked in the land and provided food, the Spartans were able to focus on military training and other duties. Slaves in Sparta worked on their lands and produced agricultural products for their masters. They lived in their home country and did not have to work at the homes of their masters. In times of an emergency, the slaves had to serve as light-armed troops.

3) Limited trade: They discouraged trade. The Spartans didn't trade with others much, and weren't known for their trade or commerce. Their economy was primarily self-sufficient. They did do some limited trade, but it wasn't a major part of their economy. They feared that contact with other countries would weaken their empire.The people also weren't permitted to travel.

4) Iron production: They were known for their skills in producing iron., and they were able to produce string weapons and tools. This was a key factor in their military success because their weapons were superior to other empires.

5) Simplicity: Since they lived a simple life without much excess greed, that means they didn't engage in extravagant spending, and lived within their means.

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The Spartans had constant military drilling and discipline which made them very skilled.

They fought in a phalanx formation.
This formation made the army work as a unit in a close, deep formation, and made cordinated mass maneuvers.

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A group called the Dorians migrated to the land around 1000 BCE, and was then taken over by a ruler, Lycurgus, who turned Sparta from a city ruled by an aristocratic elite into oligarchy centered around warfare.

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Wore a large bronze helmet, breastplate, and ankle guards. They also carried a shield of wood and bronze, along with a long spear and sword.

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Spartan boys entered into the military at the age of 7. They were sent to live in very strict living conditions and subjected to very violent and physical competitions. They were also given a very little amount of food and expected to find their own food so that they could strengthen their survival skills.

The boys who demonstrated the most leadership were placed in a secret police force, whose goal was to terrorize the general Helot population and murder the troublemakers.

Then at age 20, they became full time soldiers and served until they were 60 years old