Government in Sparta

“The City of Sparta lies in the valley of the River Eurotas. Along with having a river close by; the Spartans were also enclosed by the mountains of Taygetos to the West and Parnon to the East.” Their society was a slave based culture, which allowed the Spartans to become the only full time fighting force in Ancient Greece. Their society was manned by two kings; one of which took the reins of the army in times of conflict or war, while the other king remained in Sparta and maintained society. However, the kings did not have complete power in ancient Sparta. They took two of the 30 seats of the gerousia, or the council of elders; this council of elders prepared possible legislation such as declaring war for a citizen assembly to reject or accept.

Spartan’s government was far superior to the government of Athens. Sparta had elements of an oligarchy. The two rulers were a piece of the administration for convention were the Council of Elders, or Gerousia, a gathering of twenty-eight Spartiate men and the two lords that who make charges, that the Assembly, or basic man, vote on. . There were broad governing rules to ensure that no part, or branch, turned out to be too intense. The Assembly was made out of each mature male in Sparta, yet hypothetically anyone could take part. They voted whether to pass bills into law, and against normal conviction, they could vote more than yes or no. These individuals from the Assembly were picked, by the fair evaluators, who sat in an alternate room and tuned in for the loudest cheer for every hopeful. This technique gave everyone a shot, and in the event that you truly needed a specific competitor, you could simply shout louder. The Ephors, were a gathering of five individuals, who settled on everyday choices, and were chosen yearly.

Spartan government, in contrast, is oligarchical. People were most often brought into slavery as a result of being conquered in battle, however some were brought in to battle through their familial lineage. Upon being brought in to slavery, a Spartan slaves’ main duty was to aid in battle. In Sparta, the government and voting was held by select elites. These elites would most likely make decisions for themselves, without considering the well-being of other citizens not wealthy enough to vote. This would be undesirable for Spartan slaves and common people as their voices are not heard, and they have no rights in their freedom to vote.

The government in Sparta followed a very different coarse than that of the Athenians. It was controlled by an oligarchy in which the power was held by a group of five men called ephors. Working below the ephors was the Council of Elders and an Assembly. Male citizens over age sixty could serve on the Council while anyone, male or female, over the age of twenty could be a member of the Assembly. Though the citizens had little say in the decisions made by the government, the system worked effectively. Over the years, the Spartan's brutal reputation in war grew so great that other nations and city-states were too frightened to attack Sparta even though the Spartan army was no larger then eight thousand men. The Spartan Constitution called for all men to begin their military education at the age of seven, where they were trained to be tough and self-sufficient. Every man in the army fought with a great deal of passion for his country. Life in Sparta may have been rough, but the rest of the Greeks envied the Spartans for their simplicity, straight forwardness, and fanatical dedication. The beliefs of Sparta were oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. The combination of this philosophy, the education of Spartan males, and the discipline of their army gave the Spartans the stability needed to survive in Ancient Greece.

This tradition allowed for a city-state with an exceptional army, women with a substantial amount of liberties, and a gene pool that was superior to those around it. The Spartan way of life was one that focused itself on the importance of a physically strong society, and the people of this city-state went to great lengths to ensure that they maintained this tradition. As a result of this mentality, the authoritative figures of Sparta gave women more freedoms, as society did not see them as inadequate versions of men, but more as the mothers of society, whose job was to be the backbone of the strong Spartan army by birthing and raising robust young men. In fact, this lifestyle was so prevalent and noticeable that soldiers and writers from Athens and other outside lands took notice. Many documents from almost all areas around the Mediterranean Sea demonstrate this, especially in Xenophon’s “The Constitution of Sparta”, which describes the importance of physical ability in Sparta, as written by an Athenian soldier. The people of Sparta preserved this physical superiority in many ways. Boys moved into barracks at the young age of seven to train and become a part of the renowned Spartan army, and mothers abandoned babies with medical issues as soon as possible. This not only ensured that all citizens were able-bodied and working to improve the city-state at all times, but improved the gene pool of the civilization by eliminating any possible genetic disorders with visible phenotypes within the society. All these factors contributed to the health, wellness, and overall success of the Spartan

Did you know if a baby was born in Sparta and they were disabled they would be left on a hillside to die? Sparta was the best war state and most feared in Greece. Sparta had many great tactics in war such as flanking and round shields to protect themselves from arrows. Sparta was not just a war state, they had pottery, poetry, and architecture to do on the side of war. One of Sparta’s famous artists was Leonidas.

Spartan elders and kings were also very serious about the preservation of the Spartan’s history, culture and way of life. This is why they did not encourage foreigners to visit Sparta or anything that may corrupt their way of life. Sparta did not leave behind much art, literature or historic artifacts; but they considered their everyday life or the way that they lived to be a masterpiece all its own.

The Spartan government was rather distinctive; as it was ruled by four governmental bodies – each possessing they’re own military and judicial power. These forms of government demonstrated elements of an oligarchy, monarchy and democracy and were established in order to ensure individual power remained in check. Due to this aforementioned division of power, it is hard to form a definitive judgement, as to which government body possessed the most power. However, one could argue that the Ephors and the Gerousia were the dominant government bodies in Sparta.

The way the athenian government gave power was very effective and fair. “Power is the hands not of a minority but of the whole people” (From Alternative Two, from Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War) In the Athenian democracy decisions are made by a vote of the majority and then a decision is made by the outcome of the vote. Since “all citizens could hold government positions” (From powerpoint used in class, Athens and Sparta) The majority was making decisions based on what the people wanted modified or advanced, not a unwanted aristocratic tyrant like in the Spartan oligarchy. The citizens of sparta did not have this luxury. “We give obedience to those whom we put in positions of authority” (From Alternative Two, from Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War) This quote implies that in order for the Athenian

"The Gerousia was similar to the Roman Senate or the Athenian Areopagus. It was an elite assembly dominated by wealthier and more conservative elements of Spartan society (Brand, n.d., p.10)."

Two kings ruled Sparta together with equal powers in religious and military matters. There was a council of elders to determine judicial issues and all proposals to the citizens. Moreover, a Spartan assembly of thirty males taken from a small, elite population, ratified decisions that had already been formulated. A board of ephors, elected annually, balanced the power of kings, controlled foreign policy, presided at assembly, and guarded against rebellion by the Helots. To say that Sparta was militaristic and aristocratic was extremely accurate. Everything in society involved the military and the city-state was ruled by select members of

From about the time of the Persian invasion until the Battle of Leuctra, Sparta was viewed as the powerhouse of the Greek city-states. There were numerous reasons behind their success, but there are few that stand out as the most prevalent. Spartan boys are born to be warriors, they are sent to the Agoge at the age of seven and forced to abide by the Laws set by Lycurgus the Lawgiver. Spartan men never had to worry about chores or any work that was done in the kleroi, allowing more time and focus to be dedicated towards militaristic training. The Spartan army had the ability to call upon the Perioikoi and Helots if need be as extra warriors, which became a significant advantage at time. These reasons, along with

The Spartan elders also referred to as the Gerousia, consisted of the two Spartan Kings as well as thirty other elders. There were preliminary specifications before a Spartan could be contemplated for the Gerousia, first they had to be a Spartan citizen, also be sixty or older, and the more entitled someone’s family, the greater chance of becoming an elder. The Spartan elders themselves supplied a significant piece in the Spartan society, not contributing in politics, but also being mediator between the kings and the Apella, or the general Spartiates. They also assist as a court in the state, with the authority to assign different punishments, sanction and deport civilians, and also try the kings in certain scenarious if the Kings crimes were

In this essay I will argue that the gerousia and ephors (to a lesser extent) ultimately ruled Sparta, despite the Spartans’ claim that the assembly had the ultimate power. The evidence I will use for this will consist of both ancient authors and modern scholarship. I shall assess the evidence via the themes of power and privilege, implicit and explicit influence, and perceptions of power: where did it lie? First, I must explain a little about the gerousia, ephors and assembly.

Around 800 B.C. the Spartans were founded by Lycurgus and known for their militaristic society. In the late eighth century, Sparta fought in a war with their neighbors in Messinia, but unlike other wars in ancient Greece, the Spartans subjugated the entire population of Messinia, reducing them to helots. These people worked for the Spartans, like slaves, doing everything and anything they asked of them. The male children were taken from their mothers at young ages to serve the state, learning the art of warfare. Spartan life had one purpose and that was meant to defend the state.