Spartan_Society

Who was Lycurgus' Lycurgus was the legendry lawgiver of Sparta; he established the military centred reforms based on the Spartan virtues: equality among citizens and military fitness, his most major reform was the Great Rhetra. Lycurgus is believed to have lived in the first half of the 7th century BC. How was Spartan Society structured' Political Structure The Spartan state was a mixed governmental state ruled by two hereditary kings, a council of elders known as the Gerousia and the Damos. The duties of the kings were primarily religious, judicial, and militaristic. The Gerousia consisted of 28 elders over the age of 60, elected for life and usually part of the royal households, and the two kings, High state policy decisions were discussed by this council. The Damos was the collective body of Spartan citizenry. Social Structure The Spartans had three many social classes. Citizens, this included all full members of the military, ex-military and all ‘Spartan’ women. The Perioikoi, who where the free inhabitants of Spartan land but where not full citizens. Helots, these where the basis of the Spartan economy, the state owned serfs. What was the importance of the Agoge in Spartan Society' How was it structured' The Agoge was the mandatary education system for Spartan males. On the boy's seventh birthday, he was enrolled in the Agoge, This began the first of the three stages of the agoge: the paides 7–17, the paidiskoi 18–19, and the hebontes 20-29. The boys lived in groups under an older leader. They were encouraged to give their loyalty to their communal mess hall rather than their families. They created beds out of reeds pulled by hand, with no knife, from the Eurotas River. Boys were intentionally underfed to encourage them to master the skills necessary to become successful at stealing their food. They would be severely punished, however, if they were caught stealing. At around age 12 the boys would enter into a relationship with a young adult male Spartan. The boy was expected to request the relationship which was seen as a method to pass on knowledge and maintain loyalty on the battlefield. At the stage of paidiskoi, around the age of 18, the students became reserve members of the Spartan army. At the stage of hebontes, age 20, the students became fully part of the Spartan army although they continued to live in barracks. When they turned 30, or at their peak age, they were finally permitted to marry and to become full citizens of Sparta who could vote and hold office. Who were the following men: Alcman, Tyrtaeus, Leonidas. Alcman was a Spartan poet that lived some time in the 7th century, Alcman's poetry has a clear, light, pleasant tone, which ancient commentators have remarked upon, and details from rituals and festivals are described with care. Tyrtaeus was a Greek poet that lived in Sparta some time in the 7th century, none know why Tyrtaeus went to Sparta it is generally admitted that Tyrtaeus flourished during the Second Messenian War a period of remarkable musical and poetical activity at Sparta. Leonidas was a king of Sparta that is known to have died at the battle of Thermopylae. Leonidas lead 300 Spartans to face Xerxes at Thermopylae to try and slow his advance into Greece, Leonidas held the pass for 7 days before being betrayed. What was the basis of the Spartan economy' The basis of the Spartan economy was the Helots working in the fields for Spartan landholders, full Spartans were forbidden to do any work other then being solders. The Perioikoi were the traders and manufactures of Sparta and the Helots were the manual labours of the Spartan economy.