Ancient Sparta very popular today. The Spartans are considered great warriors who could bring even the most powerful enemy to their knees. At the same time, they were smart and gave Greece a large number of philosophers and scientists. But were they as stern and stoic as the myths about Sparta impose on us? Today we will understand everything and know what it was Ancient Sparta.
Ancient Sparta “uncut”
In general, the name Sparta is not original. It was invented and spread by the ancient Romans. The Spartans themselves called themselves Lacedaemonians, and their country Lacedaemon. But it so happened that original name did not take root in historical documents, but the name Ancient Sparta has reached the present day.
Ancient Sparta, like most states of its time, was distinguished by a rather complex social structure. All residents of Sparta were divided into three groups:
- Full citizens;
- Inferior citizens;
- Dependent.
At the same time, each of the groups was divided into subgroups. So, for example, the helots were slaves, but in the unique sense of the Spartans. They had their own families, their own villages, and even received monetary compensation for their work. But they were always attached to their land plot, pledged to fight on the side Ancient Sparta and belonged, interestingly, not to just one person, but to all full citizens of Sparta at once. In addition to the helots, the Spartan state had hypomeions - inferior children of full citizens of Sparta. They were considered not full citizens of the state, but at the same time they were significantly higher on the social ladder of all other segments of the population, such as helots or dependents.
Note that the presence in social structure Ancient Sparta of such a class as the hypomeions hits the very famous legend about the Spartans, according to which they threw all defective children into the abyss immediately after birth.
The myth of the abandoned children was first mentioned by Plutarch. He wrote that weak children, at the behest of the government Ancient Sparta were thrown into one of the gorges of the Taygetov Mountains. On this moment Scientists are increasingly inclined to believe that this is just a legend that played the role of a “horror story” among contemporaries, but had no serious basis. Among other things, the Spartans themselves, who loved an isolated way of life, could spread such myths about their people.
Ancient Sparta and the army
Popular legend has it that the Spartan army was virtually invincible. It should be noted that at that time Ancient Sparta could really field the best warriors of Greece on the battlefield, but, as we all know very well, they were often defeated. Moreover, due to the isolation policy, the Spartan army was in many ways inferior to the armies of other states. The Spartans were considered excellent infantrymen, capable of defeating any enemy in the field or steppe, as well as mountain gorges, with the help of strict discipline, training and a dense phalanx. On the other side, Ancient Sparta was practically not interested engineering, and therefore simply was not able to conduct effective wars of conquest, since it was not possible to besiege big cities opponents. Trouble came to the Spartans along with the Romans. Although the ancient Romans largely admired the army of Sparta, the mobile and flexible maniples quickly dealt with the linear phalanx of Sparta, which ultimately led to the complete conquest of the Greek state by the Romans.
Every Spartan man considered it his duty to be disciplined in battle, courageous and show his valor. Modesty was highly valued, but the Spartans also loved feasts and orgies, including homosexual ones. IN late period at the end of the state Ancient Sparta was already associated with completely different qualities - deceit and treachery.
Ancient Sparta and society
Ancient Sparta had the same political system, as most policies Ancient Greece– democracy. Of course, the democracy of Sparta was different from Athens. For example, if most decisions were still decided by a general meeting of citizens, then especially important questions discussed and considered the Areopagus - the supreme authority consisting of elders.
The home life of the Spartans was the same as that of everyone else. Products traditional to the ancient Greeks were grown, and the Spartans raised sheep. Agricultural work was assigned to helots, dependent and inferior citizens Ancient Sparta.
In Sparta they didn’t particularly like to strain their brains, but there were still thinkers and poets. Particularly outstanding were Terpander and Alkman, who, however, were also excellent athletes. Tisamen of Elea, who predicted the future, was also famous among his contemporaries as a discus thrower, and not as a priest-soothsayer. So, the physical data of a Spartan man was valued more than his mental abilities.
Had breakfast and dinner at Ancient Sparta only at collective meetings. There is an opinion that despite high position, even the Areopagus was forced to eat with the others. This equalized the citizens and did not allow the influential Spartans to forget that they were also part of the people.
In the 2nd millennium BC. e. Greek tribes invade the south of the Balkan Peninsula. Within the close framework outlined by the nature of the country (small valleys fenced by high mountains), a special Greek civilization developed in the form of city-states ( policy ). IN historical time The Greeks were never a single state: their relations with each other were built as international relations. However, at a certain point, among the numerous policies important role Sparta and Athens began to play. Therefore, in the discipline “History of State and Law of Foreign Countries,” Sparta is studied as an example of the Greek monarchy and Athens as an example of democracy.
State of Sparta
The emergence of the state in Sparta
On the Peloponnesian Peninsula, the earliest polis state was Sparta. Compared to other Greek city-states, the formation of the state here had significant features. In the 9th century. BC e. Dorian tribes invade Laconia and displace or enslave the local population - the Achaeans, which subsequently leads to the unification of the tribal elite of the conquerors and the conquered.
The conquerors were divided into three clan tribes, each of which was divided into nine phratry(“brotherhoods”), representing religious and legal associations with internal self-government.
The Dorians settled in independent villages (there were about a hundred of them), organized into six kingdoms. They were divided into three clans phyla, further divided into five groups (villages) given topographic names. Then the five villages are united into the Spartan state. The territory of Laconia was divided into districts ( Obama), the number of which and their organization are unknown. Five “kings” made up the Council of the Policy. During the period 800-730 BC. e. The Spartiates conquered all the other villages, and their inhabitants became vassals - perieki (literally, “living around”).
Then came the conquest of Messenia (740-720 BC) and the annexation of the country, which was distributed into shares for the Spartiates, and the Perieci were pushed into the mountains. Thanks to these conquests, Sparta became potentially the richest and most powerful state in Greece in the 8th century. BC e.
In the conditions of wars of conquest, the state structure of Sparta underwent some changes. The social development of Sparta became stagnant: elements of the communal system remained for a long time, city life and crafts developed poorly. Residents were mainly engaged in agriculture.
Maintaining order and domination over the enslaved population determined the military system of the entire life of the Spartiates. Legislator Lycurgus (8th century BC) is credited with establishing public order and government through the issuance of a treaty ( Retras). He creates Council of Elders– Gerusia (“older”, “elder”). Then he took up redistribution of land, which had socio-political significance, and, according to the ancient Greek writer Plutarch (second half of the 1st century BC), the reformer did this “in order to drive out arrogance, envy, anger, luxury and even older, even more formidable The ills of the state are wealth and poverty.” To this end, he persuaded the Spartans to unite all the lands and then divide them again. He divided the lands belonging to the city of Sparta into 9 thousand sections according to the number of Spartans, and the Laconian lands into 30 thousand sections between the perieci. Each plot was supposed to bring 70 medimnov(one medimn - about 52 liters of bulk solids) of barley.
His third reform was the division of movable property in order to eliminate all inequality. For this purpose, he puts gold and silver coins out of use, replacing them with iron ones (of enormous size and weight). According to Plutarch, “to store an amount equal to ten mines (one mine is on average from 440 to 600 grams), a large warehouse was required, and for transportation, a pair of harnesses was required.” In addition, this iron could not be used for other purposes, because it was hardened by dipping in vinegar, and this deprived the metal of its strength, it became brittle. The Spartiates lost their desire to steal and take bribes, because ill-gotten gains could not be hidden, so many types of crimes disappeared in Laconia. Lycurgus expelled useless and unnecessary crafts from the country, which was also directed against luxury, and therefore houses were made only with the help of an ax and a saw. And gradually, according to Plutarch, luxury “withered and disappeared.”
In order to destroy the passion for wealth among the Spartiates, the reformer established common meals ( sissity), at which adult citizens of 15 people gathered together and ate the same simple food. Each dining companion made monthly contributions in food and money. It was forbidden to dine at home. During meals, the Spartiates kept a vigilant eye on each other, and if they saw that a person was not eating or drinking, they reproached him, calling him “unbridled and effeminate.” Meals not only fought against wealth, but also contributed to the unity of warriors, since the diners were not separated from each other on the battlefield, being part of the same military unit.
In everyday life, the Spartans retained many customs that dated back to ancient times. For example, unions based on age groups, which apparently represented a kind of squads that had places of permanent meetings ( leshi), where not only common meals took place, but also entertainment was arranged, where young and mature warriors spent most of their time not only during the day, but also at night.
To combat wealth and establish equality, the rich were ordered to marry the poor, and wealthy women were ordered to marry the poor.
Lycurgus establishes mandatory uniform education and training of Spartans. This extended to girls as well. The reformer regulated the marriage and family sphere, and women were in many ways equal to men, engaging in sports and military affairs.
Social order
The ruling class were the Spartans, enjoying all political rights. They were provided with land plots transferred to them along with slaves ( helots), who processed them and actually kept the Spartans. The latter lived in the city of Sparta, which was a military camp. Plutarch wrote that “no one was allowed to live as he wanted, as if in a military camp; everyone in the city obeyed strictly established rules and did those things that were assigned to them that were useful for the state.”
The state took care of the upbringing of children: from the age of 7, boys were torn away from their families and they underwent training under the guidance of special persons ( pedonomov) and in special schools – agelah(lit. "cattle") At the same time, special attention was paid to physical education, to developing the qualities of a persistent and enduring warrior, to discipline, and the habit of obeying elders and authorities. They even had to speak briefly, concisely.“They learned to read and write only to the extent that they could not do without it,” noted Plutarch.
With age, the requirements became stricter: children walked barefoot, from 12 to 16 years old they were taught to walk naked (including girls), receiving only one raincoat per year. Their skin was tanned and rough. They slept together on beds made of reeds. From the age of 16, a young man (ephebe) was included in the lists of full citizens. Training ended at age 20, and Spartans remained liable for military service until age 60. They were allowed to marry only from the age of 30, when a Spartan was considered an adult and acquired political rights. The number of Spartans was small, by the 5th century. BC e. there were no more than 8 thousand of them, and later - much less - about 1,000 people.
During the conquest, part of the conquered population was turned into slaves ( helots). They were attached to to the clerks, on the territory of which they had to conduct farming under the control of persons specially authorized by the state. They were considered state property and were placed at the disposal of the Spartans, who could kill them, transfer them to another fellow citizen, or sell them abroad. With the permission of the authorities, the master could release the helot to freedom, and in this case the released one was called neodamod. The helots did not have their own land, but cultivated the land of the Spartans, paying them half of the harvest. Helots were drafted into the army as lightly armed warriors.
The Spartans maintained their dominance over the helots through terror: war was declared on them every year ( crypts), during which strong and brave helots were killed. The master who sheltered the strong helot was punished. In addition, the helots received a certain number of blows every year without any guilt so that they would not forget how to feel like slaves. Ancient Greek historian Xenophon wrote that they were ready to eat their masters with skin and hair. Therefore, Spartan warriors always went armed. The number of helots was several times greater than the number of Spartans.
Conquered inhabitants of the mountainous regions of Sparta - perieki also did not enjoy political rights, but were free, occupying an intermediate position between the helots and the Spartiates. They could acquire property and make transactions. Their main occupations were trade and craft. They carried out military service as heavily armed warriors. Perieks were under supervision garmostov. The highest officials of Sparta - the ephors - were given the right to betray the perieki death penalty without trial.
Political system
It was monarchical and was an example of a slave-owning aristocracy. People's Assembly(apella) didn't play big role and met once a month. It was attended by citizens who had reached the age of 30 and retained their land plots and the political rights associated with their ownership. The meeting was convened by the kings, and then by the ephors, who presided. In addition to regular meetings, emergency ones were also convened, in which only citizens who were currently in the city took part. Such meetings were called small meetings ( micra appell). Only officials and ambassadors of foreign powers could make speeches and proposals in the assembly.
The competence of the people's assembly included lawmaking; election of officials and ambassadors; issues of alliance with other states; issues of war and peace (during the war it decided which of the two kings should go on a campaign); issues of the Peloponnesian League; admitted new citizens or deprived individual Spartans of citizenship rights. The meeting also spoke and judicial authority, when it came to deposing an official for his crimes. If a dispute arose about the succession to the throne, it made its decision. Voting was carried out by shouting or by the meeting participants moving to the sides. Aristotle called this method of conducting a public meeting “childish.”
Royal power carried out by two kings ( archagetes or basileus) and was hereditary. Dual royal power apparently arose as a result of the unification of the elite of the Dorians and Achaeans. However, royal power was basically real only in war time, when the basileus could issue all orders, and all matters were reported to them; they acquired the right of life and death over warriors. Every eight years, a college of senior officials in Sparta ( ephors) performed star divination, as a result of which kings could be put on trial or removed from office. The ephors accompanied the king on a military campaign and watched over him. Every month, the ephors and kings swore an oath to each other: the basileus swore that they would reign according to the laws, and the ephors swore on behalf of the state that if the kings kept their oath, the state would unshakably guard their power.
In addition to military power, the kings had priestly and judicial power, and were part of gerousia- Council of Elders. The kings also monitored the correct distribution and use of land plots. In later times, they also ordered the marriage of girls who became heirs to family clerks. The kings were surrounded by honor, various fees were established in their favor, and everyone had to stand before them.
Gerusia(council of elders) consisted of 28 members and two kings. It originates from the tribal organization, from the council of elders. Members of the Gerousia ( geronts) were, as a rule, from representatives of noble families and from the age of 60, since they were already exempt from military service. Their election took place in the people's assembly by shouting, and the one who was shouted louder than the other candidates was considered elected. They held the position for life. Gerusia was initially convened by kings, and then by ephors. Its competence was as follows: preliminary discussion of cases that were to be considered in the national assembly; negotiations with other states; legal cases (state and criminal crimes), as well as against kings; military issues. However, the council of elders did not have legislative initiative. Cases regarding property disputes were under the jurisdiction of the ephors. The role of the gerusia decreased with the increase in the role of the ephors.
Ephors(“observers”) - a board of senior officials who occupied a completely exceptional position in the state. Initially, they were the kings' deputies in the civil court; later, their power expanded so much that the kings also bowed to it. The ephors were annually elected by the people's assembly by a cry of five people. At the head of the college was the first ephor, whose name was used to designate the year. Powers of the ephors: convening the gerousia and the national assembly, leading them; internal management; control of officials and verification of their reports, as well as removal from office for misconduct and referral to court; supervision of morals and compliance with discipline; external relations; civil jurisdiction. During the war, they supervised the mobilization of troops, gave the order to go on a campaign, and two ephors accompanied the king on a military campaign. They also declared cryptia against the helots and perieci. The ephors formed a single board and made their decisions by majority vote. They reported to their successors after a one-year period.
This state-political system among the Spartans remained almost unchanged for many centuries. The Spartans exercised military leadership among the Greek city-states, for this purpose in the 6th century. BC e. they led the Peloponnesian League to fight for supremacy in Hellas. After the victory in the Peloponnesian War over Athens and its allies, other Greek city states, Spartan society, having become rich, began to stratify. As a result of this, the number of full-fledged citizens is decreasing, which at the end of the 4th century. BC e. there were about 1,000 people. In the next century, as a result of another political crisis in Sparta, the old institutions of power are almost eliminated, and the kings become dictators. In the II century. BC e. the rebel helots seize power, and in the middle of this century the state of Sparta becomes part of the province of the Roman Empire.
Ancient Sparta was the main economic and military rival of Athens. The city-state and its surrounding territory were located on the Peloponnese peninsula, southwest of Athens. Administratively, Sparta (also called Lacedaemon) was the capital of the province of Laconia.
The adjective "Spartan" in modern world came from energetic warriors with with an iron heart and steel endurance. The inhabitants of Sparta were famous not for arts, science or architecture, but for brave warriors, for whom the concepts of honor, courage and strength were placed above all else. Athens at that time, with its beautiful statues and temples, was a stronghold of poetry, philosophy and politics, and thereby dominated the intellectual life of Greece. However, such dominance had to end someday.
Raising children in Sparta
One of the principles that guided the inhabitants of Sparta was that the life of every person, from birth to death, belongs entirely to the state. The elders of the city were given the right to decide the fate of newborns - healthy and strong were left in the city, and weak or sick children were thrown into the nearest abyss. This is how the Spartans tried to secure physical superiority over their enemies. Children who have passed natural selection", were brought up under conditions of severe discipline. At the age of 7, boys were taken from their parents and raised separately, in small groups. The strongest and bravest young men eventually became captains. The boys slept in common rooms on hard and uncomfortable beds from reeds. The young Spartans ate simple food - soup made from pork blood, meat and vinegar, lentils and other roughage.
One day, a rich guest who came to Sparta from Sybaris decided to try the “black soup”, after which he said that now he understands why Spartan warriors give up their lives so easily. Boys were often left hungry for several days, thereby inciting them to petty theft in the market. This was not done with the intention of making the young man a skilled thief, but only to develop ingenuity and dexterity - if he was caught stealing, he was severely punished. There are legends about one young Spartan, who stole a young fox at the market, and when it was time for lunch, hid it under his clothes. To prevent the boy from being caught stealing, he endured the pain of the fox gnawing his stomach and died without making a single sound. Over time, discipline only became stricter. All adult men between 20 and 60 years of age were required to serve in Spartan army. They were allowed to marry, but even after that, the Spartans continued to sleep in barracks and eat in common dining rooms. Warriors were not allowed to own any property, especially gold and silver. Their money looked like iron rods different sizes. Restraint extended not only to everyday life, food and clothing, but also to the speech of the Spartans. In conversation they were very laconic, limiting themselves to extremely concise and specific answers. This manner of communication in Ancient Greece was called “laconicism” after the area in which Sparta was located.
Life of the Spartans
In general, as in any other culture, issues of everyday life and nutrition shed light on interesting little things in people’s lives. Spartans, unlike the inhabitants of others Greek cities, did not attach special significance food In their opinion, food should not be used to satisfy, but only to saturate a warrior before battle. The Spartans dined at a common table, and everyone handed over food for lunch in the same quantity - this is how the equality of all citizens was maintained. The neighbors at the table kept a watchful eye on each other, and if someone did not like the food, he was ridiculed and compared to the spoiled inhabitants of Athens. But when the time came for battle, the Spartans changed radically: they put on their best outfits, and marched towards death with songs and music. From birth, they were taught to perceive each day as their last, not to be afraid and not to retreat. Death in battle was desired and equated to the ideal end to the life of a real man. There were 3 classes of inhabitants in Laconia. The first, most revered, included residents of Sparta who had military training and participating in political life cities. Second class - perieki, or residents of surrounding small towns and villages. They were free, although they did not have any political rights. Engaged in trade and handicrafts, the perieki were a kind of “service personnel” for the Spartan army. Lower class - helots, were serfs, and not much different from slaves. Due to the fact that their marriages were not controlled by the state, the helots were the most numerous category of inhabitants, and were restrained from revolt only by the iron grip of their masters.
Political life of Sparta
One of the peculiarities of Sparta was that the state was headed by two kings at the same time. They ruled together, serving as high priests and military leaders. Each of the kings controlled the activities of the other, which ensured the openness and fairness of government decisions. Subordinate to the kings was a "cabinet of ministers", consisting of five ethers or observers, who exercised general custody of laws and customs. The legislative branch consisted of a council of elders, which was headed by two kings. The most respected people were elected to the council people of Sparta who have overcome the 60-year age barrier. Army of Sparta, despite its relatively modest numbers, was well trained and disciplined. Each warrior was filled with determination to win or die - returning with a loss was unacceptable, and was an indelible shame for the rest of his life. Wives and mothers, sending their husbands and sons to war, solemnly presented them with a shield with the words: “Come back with a shield or on it.” Over time, the militant Spartans captured most of the Peloponnese, significantly expanding the boundaries of their possessions. A clash with Athens was inevitable. The rivalry reached its climax during the Peloponnesian War, and led to the fall of Athens. But the tyranny of the Spartans aroused the hatred of the inhabitants and mass uprisings, which led to the gradual liberalization of power. The number of specially trained warriors decreased, which allowed the inhabitants of Thebes, after about 30 years of Spartan oppression, to overthrow the rule of the invaders.
History of Sparta interesting not only from the point of view of military achievements, but also factors of political and life structure. The courage, dedication and desire for victory of the Spartan warriors were the qualities that made it possible not only to restrain the constant attacks of enemies, but also to expand the boundaries of influence. Warriors of this small state easily defeated armies of thousands and were a clear threat to their enemies. Sparta and its inhabitants, brought up on the principles of restraint and the rule of force, were the antipode of the educated and pampered Athens, which in the end led to a clash between these two civilizations.
Sparta was the main state Dorian tribe. Her name already plays a role in the tale of the Trojan War, since Menelaus, the husband of Helen, because of whom the war between the Greeks and the Trojans broke out, was a Spartan king. History later Sparta started with conquest of the Peloponnese by the Dorians under the leadership of the Heraclides. Of the three brothers, one (Temen) received Argos, the other (Cresphont) received Messinia, the sons of the third (Aristodemus) Proclus And Eurysthenes – Laconia. There were two in Sparta royal family who descended from these heroes through their sons Agisa And Euryponta(Agida and Eurypontida).
Genus Heraclides. Scheme. Two dynasties of Spartan kings - in the lower right corner
But all these were just folk tales or guesses Greek historians, not having complete historical accuracy. Among such legends we should include most of the legends that were very popular in ancient times about the legislator Lycurgus, whose life was attributed to the 9th century. and to whom directly attributed the entire Spartan device. Lycurgus, according to legend, was youngest son one of the kings and guardian of his young nephew Charilaus. When the latter himself began to rule, Lycurgus went on a journey, and visited Egypt, Asia Minor and Crete, but had to return to their homeland at the request of the Spartans, who were dissatisfied with internal strife and their king Charilaus himself. Lycurgus was entrusted draw up new laws for the state, and he set to work on this matter, seeking advice from the Delphic oracle. The Pythia told Lycurgus that she did not know whether to call him a god or a man, and that his decrees would be the best. Having completed his work, Lycurgus took an oath from the Spartans that they would fulfill his laws until he returned from a new trip to Delphi. Pythia confirmed her previous decision to him, and Lycurgus, having sent this answer to Sparta, took his own life so as not to return to his homeland. The Spartans honored Lycurgus as a god and built a temple in his honor, but in essence Lycurgus was originally a deity who later turned into popular fantasy into the mortal legislator of Sparta. The so-called legislation of Lycurgus was kept in memory in the form short sayings (retras).
102. Laconia and its population
Laconia occupied southeastern part Peloponnese and consisted of a river valley Eurota and the mountain ranges that bounded it from the west and east, of which the western one was called Taygetus. In this country there were arable lands, and pastures, and forests, in which there was a lot of game, and in the mountains of Taygetos there was a lot of iron; out of him local residents made weapons. There were few cities in Laconia. In the center of the country near the coast of Eurotas lay Sparta, otherwise called Lacedaemon. It was a connection of five settlements, which remained unfortified, while in others greek cities usually there was a fortress. In essence, however, Sparta was real a military camp that kept all of Laconia in subjection.
Laconia and Sparta on the map of the ancient Peloponnese
The population of the country consisted of descendants Dorian conquerors and the Achaeans they conquered. The first ones Spartiates, were alone full citizens states, the latter were divided into two classes: some were called helots and there were serfs, subordinates, however, not individual citizens, and to the entire state, others were called periekov and represented personally free people, but stood towards Sparta in relation subjects without any political rights. Most of land was considered common property states, from which the latter gave the Spartiates separate plots for food (clairs), originally were approximately same size. These plots were cultivated by helots for a certain rent, which they paid in kind in the form of most of the harvest. The Periecs were left with part of their land; they lived in cities, engaged in industry and trade, but generally in Laconia these activities were little developed: already at a time when other Greeks had coins, in this country they used iron rods. Perieks were required to pay taxes to the state treasury.
Ruins of a theater in ancient Sparta
103. Military organization of Sparta
Sparta was military state and its citizens were first and foremost warriors; Perieks and helots were also involved in the war. Spartiates, divided into three phyla with division into phratries, in an era of prosperity there were only nine thousand out of 370 thousand periecs and helots, whom they kept under their power by force; The main activities of the Spartiates were gymnastics, military exercises, hunting and war. Upbringing and whole lifestyle in Sparta were aimed at always being ready against the possibility helot revolts, which actually broke out from time to time in the country. The mood of the helots was monitored by detachments of youth, and all those suspicious were mercilessly killed (crypts). The Spartan did not belong to himself: the citizen was first and foremost a warrior, all life(actually until the age of sixty) obligated to serve the state. When a child was born into a Spartan family, he was examined to see if he would subsequently be fit to carry military service, and frail babies were not allowed to live. From seven to eighteen years old, all the boys were raised together in state “gymnasiums”, where they were taught gymnastics and military training, and were also taught singing and playing the flute. The upbringing of Spartan youth was distinguished by severity: boys and young men were always dressed in light clothes, walked barefoot and bareheaded, ate very little and were subjected to cruel corporal punishment, which had to be endured without screaming or moaning. (They were flogged for this purpose in front of the altar of Artemis).
Spartan army warrior
Adults also could not live as they wanted. And in Peaceful time the Spartans were divided into military partnerships, even having dinner together, for which the participants of common tables (sissity) They brought in a certain amount of different products, and their food was necessarily the coarsest and simplest (the famous Spartan stew). The state ensured that no one evaded execution general rules And did not deviate from the way of life prescribed by law. Each family had its own allotment from common state land, and this plot could neither be divided, nor sold, nor left for spiritual testament. Between the Spartiates it was necessary to dominate equality; they directly called themselves “equals” (ομοιοί). Luxury in privacy persecuted. For example, when building a house, you could only use an ax and a saw, with which it was difficult to make anything beautiful. With Spartan iron money it was impossible to buy anything from industrial products in other states of Greece. Moreover, the Spartiates had no right to leave their country, and foreigners were forbidden to live in Laconia (xenelasia). The Spartans did not care about mental development. Eloquence, which was so valued in other parts of Greece, was not in use in Sparta, and Laconian taciturnity ( laconicism) even became a proverb among the Greeks. The Spartans became the best warriors in Greece - hardy, persistent, disciplined. Their army consisted of heavily armed infantry (hoplites) with lightly armed auxiliary detachments (from helots and part of the perieks); They did not use cavalry in their wars.
Ancient Spartan helmet
104. Structure of the Spartan state
105. Spartan conquests
This military state set out on the path of conquest very early. The increase in the number of inhabitants forced the Spartans look for new lands, from which one could make new plots for citizens. Having gradually captured all of Laconia, Sparta in the third quarter of the 8th century conquered Messenia [First Messenian War] and its inhabitants too turned into helots and perieks. Some of the Messenians moved out, but those who remained did not want to put up with foreign domination. In the middle of the 7th century. they rebelled against Sparta [Second Messenian War], but were conquered again. The Spartans made an attempt to extend their power towards Argolis, but were at first recaptured by Argos and only later they captured part of the Argolid coast. They had more success in Arcadia, but having already made their first conquest in this area (the city of Tegea), they did not annex it to their possessions, but entered into a military alliance under its leadership. This was the beginning of a great Peloponnesian League(symmachy) under Spartan supremacy (hegemony). Little by little all the parts adhered to this symmachy Arcadia, and also Elis. Thus, by the end of the 6th century. Sparta stood at the head of almost the entire Peloponnese. Symmachia had a union council, in which, under the chairmanship of Sparta, issues of war and peace were decided, and Sparta had the very leadership in the war (hegemony). When the Shah of Persia undertook the conquest of Greece, Sparta was the strongest Greek state and therefore could become the leader of the rest of the Greeks in the fight against Persia. But already during this struggle she had to give in Athens championship.
Sparta – ancient state in Greece, now known throughout the world. Concepts such as “Spartan” and “Spartan” came from Sparta. Everyone also knows the Spartans’ custom of killing weak children to maintain the gene pool of the nation.
Now Sparta is a small town in Greece, the center of the Laconia region, located in the Peloponnese region. And before, the Spartan state was one of the main contenders for supremacy in the ancient Greek world. Some milestones in the history of Sparta are glorified in the works of Homer, including the outstanding “Iliad”. In addition, we all know the films “300 Spartans” and “Troy”, the plot of which also touches on some historical events with the participation of Sparta.
Officially, Sparta was called Lacedaemon, hence the name of the nome Laconia. The emergence of Sparta dates back to the 11th century BC. After some time, the area in which the city-state was located was conquered by Dorian tribes, who, having assimilated with the local Achaeans, became Spartakiates in the sense we know. The former inhabitants of the city were turned into helot slaves.
One of key figures the formation of Sparta as strong state is Lycurgus, who ruled the city in the 9th century BC. Before the advent of Lycurgus, Sparta, Greece was not much different from other ancient Greek city-states; art, trade, and crafts were also developed here. ABOUT high culture the Spartan state speaks and the poetry of its poets. However, with the coming to power of Lycurgus, the situation changed radically; priority in development was given to military art. From that moment on, Lacedaemon transformed into a powerful military state.
Beginning in the 8th century BC, Sparta began to wage wars of conquest in the Peloponnese, conquering its neighbors one by one. Thus, the glory of the so-called Messenian wars, the 1st and 2nd, has reached our days, as a result of which Sparta won. The citizens of Messenia were turned into helot slaves. Argos and Arcadia were conquered in the same way.
After a series of military operations to seize works and new territories, Lacedaemon moved to establish diplomatic relations with neighbors. By concluding treaties, Lacedaemon became the head of the union of the Peloponnesian states - a powerful formation of Ancient Greece.
The creation of the Peloponnesian Union of States by Sparta served as a prototype for a future alliance with Athens to repel the threat Persian invasion. During the war with Persia in the 5th century BC, the famous Battle of Thermopylae, which served as the source for the plot of the famous American film"300 Spartans". And although the plot of the film is far from historical reality, thanks to it, millions of people around the world learned about this battle.
Despite their joint victory in the war with the Persians, the alliance of Athens and Sparta did not last long. In 431 BC, the so-called Peloponnesian War broke out, in which, several decades later, the Spartan state won.
However, not everyone in Ancient Greece was happy with the supremacy of Lacedaemon and 50 years after the Peloponnesian War broke out new war. This time, Thebes and its allies became the rivals of the Spartans, who managed to inflict a serious defeat on Sparta, after which the power of the Spartan state was lost. It is worth noting that between these two bloody and brutal wars For dominance on the peninsula, the Spartans did not sit idle; almost all this time they waged wars against various city-states of Ancient Greece, which ultimately crippled the forces of Lacedaemon.
After the defeat from Thebes, Lacedaemon fought several more wars. Among them are the war with Macedonia in the 4th century BC, which brought defeat to the Spartans, and the war with the invading Galatians in the early 3rd century BC. The Spartans also fought for dominance in the Peloponnese with the newly created Achaean League, and somewhat later, already at the beginning of the 2nd century BC, they were participants in the Laconian War. All these battles and wars clearly showed the strong decline of the former power Spartan state. Eventually, Sparta, Greece was forcibly included Ancient Rome, along with other ancient Greek states. Thus ended an independent period in the history of a proud and warlike state. Sparta, an ancient state in Greece, ceased to exist, becoming one of the provinces of Ancient Rome.
The structure of the ancient Spartan state was significantly different from other ancient Greek city-polises. Thus, the rulers of Lacedaemon were two kings from two dynasties - the Agids and the Eurypontids. They ruled the state together with a council of elders, the so-called gerusia, which included 28 people. The gerusia membership was for life. In addition, important government decisions were adopted at a national meeting called an appelle. Only free citizens who had reached the age of 30 and had sufficient funds took part in the meeting. Arose somewhat later government agency ephors, which included 5 officials from 5 Spartan regions, who together had more power than the kings.
The population of the Spartan state was class-unequal: Spartans, perieki - free residents from nearby cities who did not have the right to vote, and helots - state slaves. The Spartans were supposed to engage exclusively in war; they were not allowed to participate in trade, crafts and agriculture, all this was left to the perieks. The Spartan estates were farmed by helots rented from the state. During the heyday of the Spartan state, there were 5 times fewer Spartans than perioecians and 10 times fewer than helots.
Such was the ancient Sparta, from which now remain the ruins of its buildings, the unfading glory of the warrior state and the small cities of the same name in the south of the Peloponnese.
