Ancient history - Hypermarket of knowledge. Video lesson “Ancient Sparta

§ 1 Ancient Sparta

Along with the Athenian polis, there was another powerful state in the south of Greece - Sparta. This country was ruled by two kings, and the main occupation of the population was waging wars. Sparta was considered the ideal state by many great scientists of antiquity.

Sparta is located in Southern Greece, on the Peloponnese peninsula, connected to the rest of Greece by a narrow isthmus. This territory is dotted with mountain ranges that are difficult for travelers to navigate. There are no convenient harbors on the coast along almost its entire length, which hindered the development of maritime affairs. Only on the east coast, in the region called Argolis, where the ancient cities of Mycenae and Tiryns were located, was it possible to engage in maritime trade.

The historical center of the Spartan state was the fertile Laconian Valley, located in the south of the Peloponnese, in the valley of the Eurotas River. Laconia had a very advantageous geographical position: it was protected from the north, west and east by high mountain ranges, and in the south was the Gulf of Laconia, which was not suitable for anchoring ships. Thus, the inhabitants of this area did not have to fear unexpected attacks.

§ 2 Population of Sparta

The state in Sparta began to actively develop after the capture of the Peloponnese by the Greek tribes of the Dorians, who came from the north, and their conquest of the local, Achaean, population. As a result of this conquest, a special social structure developed in Laconia. There were three main classes:

1. Spartiates or Spartans are personally free citizens with all rights;

2. Perieki - citizens who are personally free, but do not participate in making political decisions;

3. Helots - the indigenous inhabitants of Laconia and Messenia, conquered by the Dorians. The population belonged to the state and did not have any rights.

All the fertile land of Laconia (as well as Messinia, which was annexed a little later) belonged to the Spartiates, and the helots were engaged in cultivating it. The helots owned the means necessary to cultivate the land and had their own farm. Since the helots made up the majority of the population of Laconia and Messenia, the Spartiates, in order to keep them in constant fear, periodically carried out punitive expeditions - cryptia. This is how the ancient Greek writer Plutarch describes cryptia: from time to time, the Spartan authorities sent young people to wander around the state, equipped with short swords and a small amount of food. During the day, these people rested, hiding in inconspicuous shelters, and at night they set off, killing all the helots they met along the way.

The attitude towards the Perieci on the part of the Spartiates was much better. Unlike the helots, the periecs were allowed to move freely both within the territory of Laconia and to go to other regions of Greece. The main occupations of the Perieks were crafts and trade. In addition, they took part in the military campaigns of the Spartans.

§ 3 Public administration

The political system of Sparta had significant differences from Athens. The state was headed by two simultaneously ruling kings. Their main function was to lead the army, both in peacetime and in wartime. The power of kings was inherited from father to son, with the son who was born after his father's accession to the throne having priority rights.

All current issues of government were decided by the council of elders (gerusia), which included 28 men over the age of 60 and two kings. All decisions made by the Gerusia were discussed at a monthly public assembly, consisting of male Spartiates over the age of 30. In addition, at the national assembly, a council of five ephors was elected - officials involved in legal proceedings and monitoring the activities of other officials (including kings).

The political system of Ancient Sparta was established by the legendary legislator Lycurgus, who lived at the beginning of the 9th century BC. The laws of Lycurgus were considered sacred - they were memorized and carried out unquestioningly.

§ 4 Spartans

Sparta was originally formed as a military camp. There were no fortress walls, as Lycurgus claimed: “Only that city is not without fortifications, which is surrounded by men, and not by bricks,” therefore all Spartiates were raised as warriors from birth. A newly born child was brought to the gerousia. There the elders examined him and if they found him worthy, they gave him to his father, but if the child suffered from some kind of illness or was weak, then he was thrown from a mountain cliff into the abyss.

Until the age of seven, children were raised in the family, then the state took over the upbringing. All boys were assigned to squads, where they lived, ate, played and played sports together. At the head of the detachments were the bravest and smartest boys who had the right to punish the guilty. Children studied literacy only to the extent that it was impossible to do without. They were taught to speak briefly and give clear answers (since then such speech is called laconic). The boys were taught to endure hardships: they had their hair cut short, were not given shoes, and were forced to sleep on mats made of hard reeds. They were fed very poorly, forcing them to steal food. It was believed that a Spartan should have two virtues: the ability to fight and the ability to steal. Children caught stealing were beaten with whips. There is a known case when a boy stole a fox cub and hid it under his clothes so as not to give himself away. The little fox tore the boy's stomach with his claws and teeth, and he died without uttering a word.

The Spartans were courageous people: to battle they wore clothes made of red fabric so that the blood would not be visible. They were not afraid to go into battle with a superior enemy and always fought until their last breath.

§ 5 Lesson summary

1. Sparta was one of the powerful states of Ancient Greece and was located in the south of the Peloponnese;

2. The population of Sparta was divided into three classes: Spartiates, Perieki and Helots;

3. All power in Sparta belonged to the Spartiates, the perieci were engaged in crafts and trade, and the helots were engaged in agriculture;

4. The government of the country was attended by: two kings, a council of elders (gerusia) and a national assembly;

5. Sparta - a military camp where children were taught from birth to hardships and hardships.

List of used literature:

1. Pechatnova L.G. History of Sparta. The period of archaism and classics - M., 2002.
2. Pechatnova L.G. Sparta. Myth and reality - M., 2013.
3. Plutarch. Sayings of the Spartans
4. Plutarch. Comparative biographies

Images used:

The glory of Sparta, a Peloponnesian city in Laconia, is very loud in historical chronicles and in the world. It was one of the most famous policies of Ancient Greece, which did not know unrest and civil upheaval, and its army never retreated before its enemies.

Sparta was founded by Lacedaemon, who reigned in Laconia one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ and named the city after his wife. In the first centuries of the city’s existence, there were no walls around it: they were erected only under the tyrant Naviz. True, they were later destroyed, but Appius Claudius soon erected new ones.

The ancient Greeks considered the creator of the Spartan state to be the legislator Lycurgus, whose life spanned approximately the first half of the 7th century BC. e. The population of ancient Sparta in its composition was divided at that time into three groups: Spartans, Perieki and Helots. The Spartans lived in Sparta itself and enjoyed all the rights of citizenship of their city-state: they had to fulfill all the requirements of the law and they were admitted to all honorary public positions. The occupation of agriculture and crafts, although it was not prohibited to this class, did not correspond to the way of education of the Spartans and was therefore despised by them.

Most of the land of Laconia was at their disposal; it was cultivated for them by the helots. To own a plot of land, a Spartan had to fulfill two requirements: strictly follow all the rules of discipline and provide a certain part of the income for the sissitia - the public table: barley flour, wine, cheese, etc.

Game was obtained by hunting in state forests; Moreover, everyone who made a sacrifice to the gods sent part of the carcass of the sacrificial animal to the sissitium. Violation or failure to comply with these rules (for any reason) resulted in loss of citizenship rights. All full-fledged citizens of ancient Sparta, young and old, had to participate in these dinners, while no one had any advantages or privileges.

The circle of perieki also included free people, but they were not full citizens of Sparta. The Perieci inhabited all the cities of Laconia, except Sparta, which belonged exclusively to the Spartans. They did not politically constitute an entire city-state, since they received governance in their cities only from Sparta. The perieki of various cities were independent of each other, and at the same time, each of them was dependent on Sparta.

Helots made up the rural population of Laconia: they were slaves of those lands that they cultivated for the benefit of the Spartans and Perieci. Helots also lived in cities, but city life was not typical for helots. They were allowed to have a house, a wife and a family; it was forbidden to sell helots outside their estates. Some scholars believe that the sale of helots was generally impossible, since they were the property of the state, and not of individuals. Some information has reached our times about the cruel treatment of the helots by the Spartans, although again some of the scientists believe that in this attitude there was more contempt.

Plutarch reports that every year (by virtue of the decrees of Lycurgus) the ephors solemnly declared war against the helots. Young Spartans, armed with daggers, walked throughout Laconia and exterminated the unfortunate helots. But over time, scientists found that this method of exterminating helots was legalized not during the time of Lycurgus, but only after the First Messenian War, when the helots became dangerous to the state.

Plutarch, the author of biographies of prominent Greeks and Romans, began his story about the life and laws of Lycurgus, warning the reader that nothing reliable could be reported about them. And yet he had no doubt that this politician was a historical figure.

Most modern scientists consider Lycurgus to be a legendary figure: the famous German historian of antiquity K.O. Muller was one of the first to doubt his historical existence back in the 1820s. He suggested that the so-called “laws of Lycurgus” are much older than their legislator, since they are not so much laws as ancient folk customs, rooted in the distant past of the Dorians and all other Hellenes.

Many scientists (W. Vilamowitz, E. Meyer, etc.) consider the biography of the Spartan legislator, preserved in several versions, as a late reworking of the myth of the ancient Laconian deity Lycurgus. Adherents of this trend questioned the very existence of “legislation” in ancient Sparta. E. Meyer classified the customs and rules that regulated the daily life of the Spartans as the “lifestyle of the Dorian tribal community,” from which classical Sparta grew almost without any changes.

But the results of archaeological excavations, which were carried out in 1906-1910 by an English archaeological expedition in Sparta, served as the reason for the partial rehabilitation of the ancient legend about the legislation of Lycurgus. The British explored the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia - one of the most ancient temples of Sparta - and discovered many works of art of local production: wonderful examples of painted ceramics, unique terracotta masks (not found anywhere else), objects made of bronze, gold, amber and ivory.

These finds, for the most part, somehow did not fit with the ideas about the harsh and ascetic life of the Spartans, about the almost complete isolation of their city from the rest of the world. And then scientists suggested that the laws of Lycurgus in the 7th century BC. e. were not yet put into action and the economic and cultural development of Sparta proceeded in the same way as the development of other Greek states. Only towards the end of the 6th century BC. e. Sparta closes in on itself and turns into the city-state as ancient writers knew it.

Due to the threat of a revolt of the helots, the situation was then restless, and therefore the “initiators of reforms” could resort (as often happened in ancient times) to the authority of some hero or deity. In Sparta, Lycurgus was chosen for this role, who little by little began to turn from a deity into a historical legislator, although ideas about his divine origin persisted until the time of Herodotus.

Lycurgus had the opportunity to bring order to a cruel and outrageous people, therefore it was necessary to teach them to resist the onslaught of other states, and for this to make everyone skilled warriors. One of the first reforms of Lycurgus was the organization of governance of the Spartan community. Ancient writers claimed that he created a Council of Elders (gerusia) of 28 people. The elders (geronts) were elected by the apella - the people's assembly; The gerousia also included two kings, one of whose main duties was command of the army during the war.

From the descriptions of Pausanias we know that the period of the most intensive construction activity in the history of Sparta was the 6th century BC. e. At this time, the temple of Athena Copperhouse on the acropolis, the portico of Skiada, the so-called “throne of Apollo” and other buildings were erected in the city. But Thucydides, who saw Sparta in the last quarter of the 5th century BC. e., the city made the most bleak impression.

Against the background of the luxury and grandeur of Athenian architecture from the time of Pericles, Sparta already seemed like a nondescript provincial town. The Spartans themselves, not afraid of being considered old-fashioned, did not stop worshiping archaic stone and wooden idols at a time when Phidias, Myron, Praxiteles and other outstanding sculptors of Ancient Greece were creating their masterpieces in other Hellenic cities.

In the second half of the 6th century BC. e. There was a noticeable cooling of the Spartans towards the Olympic Games. Before that, they took the most active part in them and accounted for more than half of the winners, in all major types of competitions. Subsequently, for the entire time from 548 to 480 BC. e., only one representative of Sparta, King Demaratus, won a victory and only in one type of competition - horse racing at the hippodrome.

To achieve harmony and peace in Sparta, Lycurgus decided to forever eradicate wealth and poverty in his state. He banned the use of gold and silver coins, which were used throughout Greece, and instead introduced iron money in the form of obols. They bought only what was produced in Sparta itself; In addition, they were so heavy that even a small amount had to be transported on a cart.

Lycurgus also prescribed a way of home life: all Spartans, from the common citizen to the king, had to live in exactly the same conditions. A special order indicated what kind of houses could be built, what clothes to wear: they had to be so simple that there was no room for any luxury. Even the food had to be the same for everyone.

Thus, in Sparta, wealth gradually lost all meaning, since it was impossible to use it: citizens began to think less about their own good, and more about the state. Nowhere in Sparta did poverty coexist with wealth; as a result, there was no envy, rivalry and other selfish passions that exhaust a person. There was no greed, which pits private benefit against public good and arms one citizen against another.

One of the Spartan youths, who purchased land for next to nothing, was put on trial. The accusation said that he was still very young, but was already seduced by profit, while self-interest is the enemy of every resident of Sparta.

Raising children was considered one of the main duties of a citizen in Sparta. The Spartan, who had three sons, was exempted from guard duty, and the father of five was exempted from all existing duties.

From the age of 7, the Spartan no longer belonged to his family: children were separated from their parents and began a social life. From that moment on, they were brought up in special detachments (agels), where they were supervised not only by their fellow citizens, but also by specially assigned censors. Children were taught to read and write, taught to remain silent for a long time, and to speak laconically - briefly and clearly.

Gymnastic and sports exercises were supposed to develop dexterity and strength in them; in order for there to be harmony in the movements, young men were obliged to participate in choral dances; hunting in the forests of Laconia developed patience for difficult trials. The children were fed rather poorly, so they made up for the lack of food not only by hunting, but also by stealing, since they were also accustomed to theft; however, if anyone was caught, they beat him mercilessly - not for theft, but for awkwardness.

Young men who reached the age of 16 were subjected to a very severe test at the altar of the goddess Artemis: they were severely flogged, but they had to remain silent. Even the smallest cry or groan contributed to the continuation of the punishment: some could not stand the test and died.

In Sparta there was a law according to which no one should be fatter than necessary. According to this law, all young men who had not yet achieved civil rights were shown to the ephors - members of the election commission. If the young men were strong and strong, then they were praised; young men whose bodies were considered too flabby and loose were beaten with sticks, since their appearance disgraced Sparta and its laws.

Plutarch and Xenophon wrote that Lycurgus legitimized that women should perform the same exercises as men, and thereby become strong and be able to give birth to strong and healthy offspring. Thus, Spartan women were worthy of their husbands, since they too were subject to a harsh upbringing.

The women of ancient Sparta, whose sons died, went to the battlefield and looked where they were wounded. If it was in the chest, then the women looked at those around them with pride and buried their children with honor in their father’s tombs. If they saw wounds on the back, then, sobbing with shame, they hurried to hide, leaving others to bury the dead.

Marriage in Sparta was also subject to the law: personal feelings had no meaning, because it was all a matter of state. Boys and girls whose physiological development corresponded to each other and from whom healthy children could be expected could enter into marriage: marriage between persons of unequal build was not allowed.

But Aristotle speaks quite differently about the position of Spartan women: while the Spartans led a strict, almost ascetic life, their wives indulged in extraordinary luxury in their home. This circumstance forced men to get money often through dishonest means, because direct means were prohibited to them. Aristotle wrote that Lycurgus tried to subject Spartan women to the same strict discipline, but was met with decisive rebuff from them.

Left to their own devices, women became self-willed, indulged in luxury and licentiousness, they even began to interfere in state affairs, which ultimately led to a real gynecocracy in Sparta. “And what difference does it make,” Aristotle asks bitterly, “whether the women themselves rule or whether the leaders are under their authority?” The Spartans were blamed for the fact that they behaved boldly and impudently and allowed themselves to indulge in luxury, thereby challenging the strict norms of state discipline and morality.

To protect his legislation from foreign influence, Lycurgus limited Sparta's connections with foreigners. Without permission, which was given only in cases of special importance, the Spartan could not leave the city and go abroad. Foreigners were also prohibited from entering Sparta. The inhospitality of Sparta was the most famous phenomenon in the ancient world.

The citizens of ancient Sparta were something like a military garrison, constantly training and always ready for war either with the helots or with an external enemy. The legislation of Lycurgus took on an exclusively military character also because those were times when there was no public and personal security, and generally all the principles on which state tranquility is based were absent. In addition, the Dorians, in very small numbers, settled in the country of the helots they had conquered and were surrounded by half-conquered or not at all conquered Achaeans, therefore they could only hold out through battles and victories.

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In today's lesson you will get acquainted with the second most important city in Greece - Sparta. It was located in the south of the Peloponnese peninsula. After the Dorians invaded Greece, some of them invaded Laconia and gradually conquered it. Laconica was a fertile valley sloping down to the coast, cut through by the Eurotas River. There were no harbors convenient for navigation. On all sides the valley was surrounded by impassable mountains, in which there were reserves of iron ore.

Background

Sparta is one of the largest policies of Ancient Greece and one of the most unusual. Where did the Spartans come from? It is believed that their ancestors came to Greece from the north of the Balkan Peninsula, they were a tribe of Dorians. The Dorians settled in the very south of Greece, in the region of Laconia, and began to be called Spartans.

True, there is a legend according to which the Spartans were descendants of Hercules.

Events

The Spartans were very warlike and gradually conquered the surrounding territories. The inhabitants of the Messenia region desperately resisted, so the Spartans had to fight them twice:

• VIII century BC- the first war of Sparta against Messenia. Annexation of Messinia.
• VII century BC- uprising of the Messenians under the leadership of Aristomenes. Second war of Sparta against Messenia: Messenia is completely conquered, after which Sparta became the largest polis in Greece.

Sparta was ruled by:

• Two kings. Their power was inherited. The main task of kings is to lead the army during war.
• Council of Elders of 28 people. The council members were elders in the truest sense of the word: they were all over 60 years old.
• People's Assembly. Unlike in Sparta, at a public meeting it was impossible to make a speech to the people and express one’s opinion. You could only vote “for” or “against”.

All residents of Sparta were divided into three categories:

• Spartiates (Spartans) are the upper class. Only the Spartiates were full citizens.
• Perieki - intermediate class. The Perieci were free, but were not considered citizens of Sparta. They were mainly engaged in crafts.
• Helots come from territories conquered by Sparta. They were engaged in agriculture and did hard work. They worked for the Spartans.

The way of life of the Spartans (the upper class of Sparta) was very unusual. It is believed that the rules of social order were given to the Spartans by Lycurgus.

• The main occupation of the Spartans was military affairs.
• Manual labor, trade and crafts were despised.
• The Spartans were equal in property. There were no rich and poor.
• Life was strictly disciplined, as in wartime.
• Raising children was considered a state matter, not a family matter. Only strong babies were allowed to live.
• From childhood, boys were taught to endure hardships, to be fearless, and not to be afraid of quarrels and fights.
• Much attention in education was paid to physical development and the ability to fight.
• The Spartans were obliged to speak briefly and precisely, to speak concisely.
• The Spartans were very pious.
• It was a shame for a Spartan to flee from the battlefield.
• Spartans were forbidden to travel abroad.

Participants

Legendary legislator of Sparta. Whether Lycurgus actually existed is unknown.

Aristomenes- leader of the uprising in Messinia.

Rice. 1. Peloponnese Peninsula ()

The Dorians were citizens of the Spartan state. The Spartans enslaved most of the population of Laconia and neighboring Messenia (Fig. 1), and they began to be called helots.

It just so happened that in the spring the Spartans came to the villages of the helots and killed whomever they wanted. However, they never touched women and old people. They chose young and strong men, those who could fight back. For the young Spartans it was a game. Like wolf cubs, hiding in haystacks, they burst into huts and killed people taken by surprise. And if the young man does not kill a single helot, the old men will laugh at him: “You are not a Spartan, you are a pathetic coward!”

The entire land of Laconia and Messenia was divided into equal sections. Spartan families received a plot of land without the right to sell or donate it. Helots lived and worked on these plots. From each plot, each Spartan family received the same amount of grain, olives, vegetables and other products grown by the helots.

The Spartans shrouded their state in a shroud of secrecy, not allowing either strangers to come to them or their citizens to leave the borders of the community. Even merchants did not bring goods to Sparta - the Spartans did not buy or sell anything. Sparta was like a military camp; it was a gloomy and inhospitable city. There was no noisy market, no theater, no stone statues, no temples. On the streets there are detachments of marching warriors, since the backbone of the army was infantry, which did not know what fatigue and retreat were. The Spartans were proud that their city, the only one in Hellas, had no walls, for its walls were the courage of the young warriors.

The sage Lycurgus was able to strengthen the Spartan state (Fig. 2). The figure of Lycurgus raises many questions. First of all, about whether it was the name of a deity or a real historical figure. According to the surviving data, he gave laws to Sparta and made sure that they became eternal. According to legend, Lycurgus went to Delphi, taking an oath from the Spartans not to change the laws until his return. At Delphi he committed suicide. So the Spartan laws remained unchanged.

The government structure of Sparta was very simple and remained almost unchanged from the 8th to the 3rd centuries BC. The state was headed by two kings - commanders from different clans - and a Council of 30 elders (geronts), which decided all important issues. The most important of them were discussed by a general meeting of Spartan warriors (Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. Governance in Sparta

Raising children was also special in Sparta. There was a custom in Sparta. If a Spartan had a son, the parents carried him to show the elders. If the baby was weak, as they would say frail, the elders’ sentence was harsh: such a child should not live, he was thrown from a cliff, and the parents were consoled by the fact that they would still give birth to healthy and strong children.

Boys from the age of 7 were taken away from their parents and raised in military units. They slept on mats of prickly reeds and walked barefoot. Once a year they were given a cloak, which they wore on their naked bodies. Hair was cut bald. Adults made sure that children quarreled and fought more often, so that in fights their character was strengthened and courage appeared. They were trained to endure hardship and hunger, they were fed poorly, and they were encouraged to steal from other people's gardens and storerooms. Having learned about the tricks of his sons, the father rejoiced: “Well done, they will be able to feed themselves during a military campaign, they will not be afraid of difficulties!” If the boys are caught, they will be flogged.

Young Spartans were taught to speak briefly and give precise and precise answers. (Such speech is called laconic - after the name of the Laconia region).

The Athenians called the Spartans ignoramuses because the boys learned little to read and write. But they worked hard at running, gymnastics, discus and javelin throwing, showing courage and dexterity. The boys spent hours learning the war songs with which the Spartans went into battle to the sound of a flute. Young Spartans glorified those who died for Sparta, sang courage and bravery.

References

1. A.A. Vigasin, G.I. Goder, I.S. Sventsitskaya. History of the Ancient World. 5th grade - M.: Education, 2006.
2. Nemirovsky A.I. A book to read on the history of the ancient world. - M.: Education, 1991.

1. Clan-rw.ru ()
2. Travel-in-time.org ()

Homework

1. How were the living conditions of the inhabitants of Sparta and Athens different in the 7th-6th centuries? BC eh?.
2. What did you like and what didn’t you like about raising Spartan boys? Why?
3. What should the Spartans' speech be like?

Sparta is one of the states located on ancient Greek territory (Pelloponesus), which made a significant contribution to the development of military affairs. The principles developed there are used by modern armies. Our article will discuss Sparta.

State structure

The ancient history of Sparta begins from the 11th century BC. e. the emergence of the city of the same name in Laconia (southern region of Pelloponnese). The territory was first developed by the Achaeans, and in the 10th century BC. e. conquered by the Dorians (ancient Greek tribes).

The legislator of the state structure of Sparta is considered to be King Lycurgus (9th century BC), who transformed it from a military democracy into a slave-owning republic. The aristocratic state established strict rules for the existence of residents and limited the development of private property. The aristocracy had to master only sports and the art of war, and the common people and slaves - agriculture, trade, and crafts.

The main emphasis was on the army. Through successful military operations, Sparta consolidated its superiority in Pelloponnese.

The country was headed by two rulers (archagetes). The highest authorities were:

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• Apella (people's assembly) : consisted of men over 30 years of age with full citizenship; using voting, a decision was made or rejected;
• College of Ephors : consisted of 5 aristocrats chosen by the people's assembly; was engaged in legal proceedings;
• Gerusia (council of elders) : consisted of 28 full citizens over 60 years of age and two kings; resolved issues of foreign and domestic policy, controlled civil servants.

Rice. 1. The territory of Ancient Sparta.

Social division

The population of Ancient Sparta was divided into:

• Aristocracy (Spartans or Spartiates) : Gomians are full citizens; parthenii (lower gomoi) - children of unmarried Spartan women;
• Populace : hypomeions - citizens partially deprived of rights due to loss of condition or health; mophaki - people of low origin, but received a Spartan education; perieki - powerless but free population;
• Dependent Population: helots - state slaves, residents of occupied lands; epeinacts - helots freed from slavery for marrying Spartan widows; Erikteri - helots serving aristocrats in the army.

Rice. 2. Helots in Sparta.

In Sparta there was a rather specific education system aimed at physical development and endurance (hence the unconfirmed reports that weak children were thrown into the abyss). From 7 to 20 years of age, children of free citizens studied in military boarding schools, considered the property of the state. They were instilled with thoughtless devotion to the country.

Army

From childhood they studied military disciplines and trained the corresponding qualities (decisiveness, patriotism).

Spartans were well armed. Fighters in full uniform (spear, short sword, shield, helmet, greaves, armor) were called hoplites. Warriors of additional units carried bows, javelins or light spears.

Horsemen (hippeas) They were a detachment of the royal guard (300 people) and fought together with the infantry formation.

The world-famous story about the valor of the 300 Spartans is based on real events. The detachment died in a battle with the Persians in the Thermopylae gorge.