'The Spartan Way' Article Summary

Article Summary

Sparta and Athens were the two most powerful city-states of Ancient Greece. 
Athens was the birthplace of democracy, great artists and thinkers. But Sparta
 was quite the opposite, it was an oligarchy and a city of order and discipline. 
It dominated Ancient Greece from about 600 B.C. to 371 B.C. thus, it has an 
unforgettable mark on History. 


A Spartan soldier had to obey orders, ignore pain, fight to death, be strong and
be fearless about death.
The elders of the city would inspect newborn babies to see if they were strong
and healthy. If they were not, the baby would be left on a mountainside to die. 
At the age of 7, the boys were taken from their families and they began 
military training. The trainees were taught to obey and to endure pain, no sign 
of suffering was expected and if they did, they would be whipped. The trainees
would only wear a cloak and were barefoot, even in winter.  
Therefore, they were a fearsome army that terrorized Ancient Greece for more 
than 200 years. Opposing armies would crumble at the very sight of the 
Spartan soldiers.
The Spartan men's job was to be a soldier and he was not allowed to any 
manual labor. Because of that, men had plenty of free time. They would take 
part in choral dances, festivals, feasts, hunting expeditions, physical exercise, 
and conversation. 


Men were full citizens at the age of 30 and only after that were they able to 
vote or hold a public office. They ate at the army mess halls, not with their 
families. The Spartans 'looked down on any form of luxury, and their food was
deliberately bad tasting.'. 


The women's job was to have children. The Spartan woman were as athletic as
men, they wrestled, threw javelins and exercised daily. They were not allowed 
to wear jewelry, perfume or nice clothing. But they were allowed to own land,
run their own households, and do business.


According to Sean Price, "Such power was shocking to Greek men of other
city-states. One time, a visitor kidded a Spartan woman, saying, 'You Spartan
women are the only ones who can rule men.' She replied, 'This is because we
are the only ones who give birth to men.' "


I like this quote because it describes that the woman had some power in Sparta
the Ancient Greek times and that she was able to defend herself.


The Greek city states relied on slavery.
The Perioeci were Sparta's neighbors. They were free, but had no rights. They
lived in their own town and were usually treated well. Some of them became
rich craftsmen or traders.
The Helots were slaves owned by the Spartan government. No Greeks treated
their slaves more cruelly than the Spartans did. The citizens of Sparta were
outnumbered by the slaves, by nearly 10 slaves for 1 man. 
The Helots that traveled at night, that seemed more intelligent or that looked
stronger than the others, was killed. The Helots revolted but they were out
down every time.


Sparta conquered Athens in the Peloponnesian war (from 431 B.C.to 404 B.C.). 
In 371 B.C, the city-state of Thebes crushed Sparta'a army for good.


Romans took over Sparta in 146 B.C. and it was a tourist attraction to see 
little boys that could be whipped without showing pain.   




Price, Sean. "The Spartan Way." The Ancient World. 2010. Print.