https://www.worldhistory.org/article/342/agoge-the-spartan-education-program/. Two of the ephors also accompanied one of the kings when on campaign. They were encouraged to break the exclusive ties with their own natal families and to consider all Spartans of their fathers age to be [their parents]. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Updates? The first period lasted 10 years and began with the Spartans, under Archidamus II, leading an army into Attica, the region around Athens. As a Spartan ally, Corinth resumed hostilities toward Athens when Athens threatened Corinths interests in the region surrounding Corcyra. License. Sparta was traditionally the great land power of the Greek world and controlled many neighboring territories whose populations were tied to the land as slaves. Initially, the term polis referred to a fortified area or citadel which offered protection during times of war. The following essay will focus on the main features of Spartan religion. Spartan women had a reputation for being independent-minded, and enjoyed more freedoms and power than their counterparts throughout ancient Greece. Submitted by Joshua J. Unlike other Greek city-states, Sparta "was exceptional. In the Corinthian War (395387) Sparta had two land victories over Athenian allied states and a severe naval defeat at Cnidus by a combined Athenian and Persian fleet. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. At age seven, Spartan boys were turned over by their parents to the state, where they were organized into companies that lived, studied and trained together. The Agoge was a trial by ordeal, as Paul Cartledge, a professor emeritus of Greek culture at the University of Cambridge, wrote in his 2003 book Spartan Reflections. The goal of the agoge was the transformation of boys into Spartan soldiers whose loyalty was to the state and their brothers-in-arms, not their families. Help us and translate this article into another language! Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. In Greek mythology the founder of the ancient city was Lacedaemon, a son of Zeus, who gave his name to the region and his wife's name to the city. Both city-states educated their citizens in order to become productive members of society. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. The Athenians had built walls stretching from their seaport to the city of Athens. Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. On the advice of Pericles, its most influential leader, Athens refused to back down. The assembly (Ekklsia) met once a month and was open to all citizens who voted by the simple method of shouting. The war featured two periods of combat separated by a six-year truce. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. Omissions? Plutarch writes: Of reading and writing, they learned only enough to serve their turn; all the rest of their training was calculated to make them obey commands well, endure hardships, and conquer in battle. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. The Spartan hoplite army, however, showed the rest of Greece the way forward towards a greater military professionalism and considering the iconic image of fearless and disciplined hoplites with red cloaks and lambda-emblazoned shields, for the Greeks, admiring Romans and even 21st century film-goers, this is Sparta. Last modified June 15, 2021. That ended Spartas military dominance, though their fearsome reputation lived on through history. For clothing, they were given just one cloak to wear year-round, to make them learn to endure heat and cold, and made their own beds from plants that they had to rip out of the ground with their bare hands from river banks. They thought of themselves as Greeks. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/342/agoge-the-spartan-education-program/. Off the battlefield, the rigid acceptance of the status quo that the Spartan educational system enforced made it difficult for the Spartans to deal with social problems in their society, such as inequality in land ownership and a declining population. localized power A key characteristic of ancient Greek city-state was a political (government) system based on independent city-states where everyone could be left alone to do their own thing. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. We care about our planet! Sparta is best . Failure to secure election to any mess at all was tantamount to exclusion from the Spartan citizen body and, perhaps, also army. Originally Sparta was not that different from other Greek city states. Although a Spartan woman did not have much to do with the day-to-day raising of their sons, boys were still expected to recognize and honor their mothers through displays of courage, skill, and military victory. 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. Male Spartan citizens were allowed only one occupation: soldier. The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta: The Persian Challenge, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The modern-day term laconic, meaning to express much in few words, comes from Laconia, the home of the Spartans. Whether they were in Sparta or deployed elsewhere, every man of that mess was required to bring food to be shared in common and so, obviously, had to be present. That this, however, which is the fact, should be scarcely credited in some quarters does not surprise me, seeing that in many states the laws do not oppose the desires in question. Military activity was essential to Sparta. One factor was the agoge, the Greek city-states educational and training system, which used harsh, extreme and sometimes cruel methods to prepare boys to be Spartan citizens and soldiers. The Spartans even turned it into an annual ritual, in which boys tried to steal cheeses from a temple altar, which required them to evade guards armed with whips. Athens and Sparta had fought each other before the outbreak of the Great Peloponnesian War (in what is sometimes called the First Peloponnesian War) but had agreed to a truce, called the Thirty Years Treaty, in 445. This was the name given to those who had been for two years out of the class of boys, and Melleirens, or would-be-eirens, was the name for the oldest of the boys. Known as the Agoge, the system emphasized duty, discipline and endurance. This weekend on In Focus, the conversation turns to financial literacy. Sparta was, however, an ally with Athens in the defence of Greece against the invasion of Persian king Xerxes, and fought with distinction at Thermopylae in 480 BCE and at Plataea one year later. 1996 - 2023 National Geographic Society. The Battle of Salamis (480 BCE), one of the battles in the Greco-Persian Wars, revealed the magnitude of Athenian naval power and set in motion the deadly struggle between the two powers. In the initiate stage, the focus of the program was on instilling essential skills which would enable one not only to survive but conquer. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. (2021, June 15). Boys entered the agoge at the age of 7 and graduated around the age of 30 at which time they were allowed to marry and start a family. The next 11 years made up the wars second period of fighting. The so-called Peace of Nicias began in 421 and lasted six years. There were many different dining messes, and it was imperative that a young man be elected to one of them. All Rights Reserved. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Athens' power was based upon its. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Further, the Athenians were better prepared financially than their enemies, owing to the large war chest they had amassed from the regular tribute they received from their empire. The epitome of rough and ready virility. Spartan culture was centered on loyalty to the state and military service. Its real focus was to prepare Spartan males to be compliant members of society, who were ready to sacrifice their all for Sparta. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Lazenby writes in his book The Spartan Army. Sparta is one of the most famous states in the Classical era. It is an ancient greek city home to the Spartans. The Spartan society was known for its highly-skilled warriors, elitist administrators, and its reverence for stoicism, people today still look to the Spartans as model citizens in an idealist ancient society. Thinking of ones self and what one wanted was considered not only selfish and weak but treason in that one had put ones own desire above the good of the state. Youths were taught to compress their speech to give maximum meaning and power in as few words as possible. A small commercial and industrial centre of the European plain, the city trades in citrus fruits and olive oil. Being a militaristic state, Sparta's primary focus was on its land-based army, composed of armoured hoplites. Sparta. At the age of seven, boys left home to begin training at a military academy called an agoge (a-go-je). We want people all over the world to learn about history. You cannot download interactives. How did Sparta become a Grecian superpower? The boys had to literally make their own beds as in construct them from rough reeds that grew by the river they had to break by hand without using a knife. Sparta was unique in ancient Greece for its social system and constitution, which were supposedly introduced by the semi-mythical legislator Lycurgus. Cartledge comments: Between the ages of seven and eighteen, the boys and youths were organized in 'packs' and 'herds' and placed under the supervision of young adult Spartans. Books In the former battle, the Spartan soldiers arrived too late to assist the other Greek cities and in the latter mobilised only a token force as they felt compelled to first celebrate the Karneia festival in honour of Apollo. Sparta was a warrior society in Ancient Greece that was set during 401 and 434 BC. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), https://www.history.com/news/sparta-warriors-training, How Ancient Spartas Harsh Military System Trained Boys Into Fierce Warriors. Spartas involvement in Persian civil wars in Asia Minor under Agesilaus II (ruled 399360) and the subsequent Spartan occupation (382) of the Theban citadel, Cadmea, overextended Spartan power and exposed the state to defeat at Leuctra (371) by the Theban Epaminondas, who went on to liberate Messenia. Please support World History Encyclopedia. One of Spartas allies, Corinth, had directly engaged the Athenian army. Did you know? Gabrielle Heim pitched a complete game and recorded 14 strikeouts for Sparta and allowed eight hits, four earned runs, and one walk as it defeated Lenape Valley 11-4 in Stanhope. This copper engravingby MatthausMerian illustration depicts the Athenian naval defeat near Corinth over the Corinthian and Spartan fleet around 430 B.C.E. The long wars were damaging to both sides but Sparta, with some Persian help, finally won the conflict when Lysander destroyed the Athenian fleet at Aegospotami in 405 BCE. Robinson, clocked at 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, provides power and speed to a Falcons offense which has emphasized the running game under Smith. Within a few months, however, Pericles fell victim to a terrible plague that raged through the crowded city, killing a large part of its army as well as many civilians. But experts confirm there are no COVID-19 vaccines in . Some messes were of course more exclusive and desirable than others, none more so than the royal mess, in which both kings dined jointly with their chosen aides when in Sparta. Spartan boys entered a rigorous state-sponsored education, military training and socialization program. The walls helped protect Athens from direct assault, and its leader, Pericles, urged Athens not to engage in direct land battles with the Spartans. The fighting engulfed virtually the entire Greek world, and it was properly regarded by Thucydides, whose contemporary account of it is considered to be among the world's finest . The fighting engulfed virtually the entire Greek world, and it was properly regarded by Thucydides, whose contemporary account of it is considered to be among the worlds finest works of history, as the most momentous war up to that time. World History Encyclopedia. The word means "raising" in the sense of raising livestock from youth toward a specific purpose. Famous episodes where the Spartans put religion above warfare and even national crisis were at Marathon and Thermopylae during the Greco-Persian Wars. Madden said the city was able to stay below New York's property tax cap, and said his . Sparta and Athens, the chief city-states, differed profoundly in their culture and politics. What was Sparta's focus as a city-states? Democracy was overthrown by the oligarchical party, which was in turn replaced by the more moderate regime of the Five Thousand. To others, the Spartans are a repugnant people brutish, cruel, one-dimensional proto-totalitarians.
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