Sparta

History

Sparta was a very important city-state in ancient Greece. At first, it was called Lacedaemon, and the name Sparta referred to its main town in a valley by the Evrotas River. Around 650 BC, Sparta became one of the strongest military powers in Greece and kept that position until 371 BC.

Sparta was famous for its strong army. It played a key role in big battles like Thermopylae and Plataea during the Greco-Persian Wars. It also led the Peloponnesian League against Athens in the Peloponnesian War and won.

Even though Sparta faced defeats later on, it remained independent for a long time. The city had a very special way of life, with a strong focus on military training and strict rules for its people. Sparta is still remembered and admired today for its unique history and culture.

Names

Eurotas River

The ancient Greeks had different words for the Spartan city-state and its location. The word "Sparta" mainly meant the group of villages in the valley of the Eurotas River. Another word, "Lacedaemon" (Λακεδαίμων), was often used and appears in the writings of Homer and historians like Herodotus and Thucydides. A third term, "Laconice" (Λακωνική), referred to the area around the town of Sparta and sometimes all the lands controlled by Sparta, including Messenia.

The oldest known use of the name Lacedaemon comes from Mycenaean Greek writing in an ancient script called Linear B. People living in Sparta were called Lacedaemonians. Over time, the name Lacedaemonia began to be used alone to describe the land around Sparta, especially later in history.

Geography

Antique map of classical city of Sparta (based on ancient sources and not archaeology).

Sparta is located in the area of Laconia, in the south-eastern part of the Peloponnese. Ancient Sparta was built near the Eurotas River, the largest river in Laconia, which provided clean water. The Eurotas valley was naturally strong, with Mt. Taygetus on one side and Mt. Parnon on the other. To the north, Laconia is separated from Arcadia by hilly lands. These natural borders helped protect Sparta from attacks. Even though Sparta did not have its own coast, it controlled a small port town called Gytheio on the Laconian Gulf.

Mythology

Lacedaemon was a mythical king of Laconia. He was the son of Zeus and the nymph Taygete. Lacedaemon married Sparta, the daughter of Eurotas. They had children named Amyclas, Eurydice, and Asine. He named the country after himself and the city after his wife. People believed he built a special place for the Charites between Sparta and Amyclae.

The Spartan writer Tyrtaeus was the first to say that Spartans thought they were related to the hero Heracles. Later writers such as Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, and Apollodorus also talked about this idea.

Archaeology of the classical period

Thucydides wrote about Sparta and said that if you only saw the temples and buildings today, you might not think it was very powerful. The city was not all built in one place and did not have many big buildings. It looked more like a group of small villages.

Until the early 1900s, the main old buildings in Sparta included a theatre, the so-called Tomb of Leonidas, an old bridge, and some ruins of Roman walls. There were also bricks, mosaics, and many important objects kept in a local museum. In the 1890s, people started digging at a round building and found it was an old wall from Greek times, changed a bit later by the Romans.

In 1904, scientists began studying the area around Sparta. They dug at places like Thalamae, Geronthrae, and Angelona near Monemvasia. In 1906, they started digging in Sparta itself. They found a building that looked like a small theatre, made after 200 AD, where contests and special events might have happened. Nearby was a temple from the 2nd century BC, built over an even older one. Many valuable gifts made of clay, amber, bronze, ivory, and lead were found there, showing us about early Spartan art.

Ruins of the Temple of Artemis Orthia

In 1907, they found the spot where the sanctuary of Athena “of the Brazen House” was, right above the theatre. Although the temple isn’t there anymore, they found a very old writing, metal nails, plates, and many gifts left there. They also followed parts of the city wall, which was built over many years and measured nearly 10 km. They studied the land and mapped many places based on old descriptions.

For everyday life, we don’t know much about Spartan homes and villages before a certain time, but digging at Nichoria in Messenia showed small, simple houses with stone bases and clay walls.

Remaining section of wall that surrounded ancient Sparta

Menelaion

Main article: Menelaion

The Menelaion is a special place linked to Menelaus, found east of Sparta by the Eurotas River on a hill called Profitis Ilias. The Spartans thought it was once Menelaus’s home. In 1970, people started digging there to find very old remains. They found parts of two big houses from a very old time and the first gifts made for Helen and Menelaus. These houses might have been destroyed by earthquakes or fire.

Excavations from the early 1990s show that the area around the Menelaion was an important place in the valley, likely the center of Mycenaean Laconia. The old settlement there was triangle-shaped, pointing north, about the same size as later Sparta, but only broken pieces of walls and old pieces of pots are left.

History

Main article: History of Sparta

Lycurgus

Sparta has a long history that goes back thousands of years. Early signs of people living in the area come from pottery found near a place called Kouphovouno, showing that people were there during the Middle Neolithic period.

The area became part of a strong city-state called Sparta around 650 BC. Sparta became known for its strong army and played an important role in ancient Greece. One of the most famous events was when a small group of Spartans, led by King Leonidas, fought against a larger Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC. Their courage is still remembered today.

Sparta stayed powerful for many years, but faced challenges from other Greek cities like Athens and Thebes. Over time, Sparta's influence grew weaker, especially after a big battle in 371 BC. Eventually, Sparta lost its independence and became part of other empires, but it remained a place of interest for its ancient traditions and history.

Structure of Classical Spartan society

Constitution

Sparta had two kings from two families. These kings had the same power and both said they were descendants of the hero Heracles. Their main jobs were religious, judicial, and military.

Big decisions were made by a group of elders called the Gerousia and officials known as the ephors. An assembly of citizens called the Ekklesia helped choose members for the Gerousia.

Citizenship

Structure of the Spartan Constitution

Main article: Spartiate

Boys in Sparta went through a special training program called the agoge to become full citizens. Only boys who could trace their family back to the original Spartans were usually allowed to join. There were some exceptions for foreign students or the children of helots who were adopted.

Non citizens

The other groups in Sparta were the perioikoi, who were free but not citizens, and the helots, who were state-owned workers. The helots were originally free people from nearby areas who were defeated by Sparta and made to work the land.

Helots

Main article: Helots

Name vase of the Spartan artist known as the Rider Painter (Laconian black-figured kylix, c. 550–530 BC)

The helots were the largest group around Sparta. They were people from Messenia and Lakonia who had been defeated and made to work for the Spartans. Unlike slaves in other places, helots could marry, keep some of what they made, and own a little property. They worked the land, took care of homes, and sometimes travelled with the Spartan army.

There was tension between the Spartans and the helots, and sometimes helots tried to fight back.

Perioikoi

Main article: Perioeci

The perioikoi were also not citizens but were free people who lived around Sparta. They were skilled workers, traders, and sometimes fought with Spartan soldiers.

Economy

Full citizens in Sparta were not allowed to trade or make things. These jobs were done by the perioikoi. Sparta was known for its skilled artists and poets.

There were laws to keep wealth equal among citizens, but over time, wealth became concentrated in the hands of a few people.

Life in Classical Sparta

Sparta was a strong military city in ancient Greece. From a young age, Spartan children were taught to be strong and disciplined. Boys started special training at age seven. This training, called the agoge, focused on physical strength and learning important skills. Boys lived together in groups and learned to be tough. They also studied reading, writing, music, and dancing.

Spartan girls also received education. They learned music, dancing, singing, and poetry. This helped them take part in important ceremonies.

When Spartan men turned 20, they joined groups called syssitia, where they learned to work together. They could not hold public jobs until they were 30. Spartan men were known for their strong sense of unity.

Role of women

Main article: Women in ancient Sparta

Spartan women had an important role in their society. Unlike women in other Greek cities, Spartan girls were raised with more freedom. They ate the same food as boys, exercised, and could play sports. They were allowed to go outside and move around the city, wearing lighter clothes that made it easier.

Spartan women also had more rights. They could own and manage property, and they had a say in their marriages. Some Spartan women became leaders and played important roles in history. For example, Queen Gorgo helped protect Sparta from enemies, and Cynisca became the first woman in Greece to win an Olympic race.

Laconophilia

Main article: Laconophilia

Laconophilia is love or admiration for Sparta and its culture. Even in ancient times, many people, including those from rival cities like Athens, admired Sparta. They thought it was a strong and brave place, free from the influences of money and trade. Writers through history have often seen Sparta as an ideal society, though some scholars warn that these views may be too idealized.

During the Renaissance, thinkers like Machiavelli and Jean-Jacques Rousseau continued to admire Sparta. In more recent times, the word "Spartan" has come to mean simple and without luxury. Sparta is also well-known in today’s stories and films, especially for the famous battle at Thermopylae.