In ancient times, there were many civilizations who raised their children in ways that would benefit them. Sparta was one out of the many, to conquer territory and protect themselves, they would have to fight many difficult wars that would last up to 25 years long. This was not a simple task, but they achieved this not only by training their soldiers at a very you age but rigorously too. Sparta was a city-state that did not like change, to prevent any corruption or a rebellion against them they had to treat everyone with a cold shoulder and a hard hand. Though it is considered that they “failed” at educating their children in literacy, education in Sparta had many strengths that outweigh the weaknesses because it prepared them for crucial times, …show more content…
Compared to other city-states Sparta trained the women equally as the men. In other city-states, women were thought to be weaker than men, but in Sparta, it was the opposite. They thought that even if you were a woman you were still capable of withstanding the same treatment as the men. The Spartan ruler, "Insisted on physical training for the female no less than for the male sex"(E). In Sparta, they didn't belittle women or thought that they were too delicate to do things that the men could. This gave them a sense of equality showing that women were just as capable as men. Not only did they not belittle women but they also trusted that if something happened to them during the war they would still be capable of taking care of Sparta just as much as the men were able to. Even if something did happen to the soldiers the women were treated at the same level as the men meaning they were still capable of going to war too. They didn't only treat women the same, but they were also taught, "to have regard for all older men" (D). They believed that even if you were old and puny you were still wiser than them and that you should be respected. For the Spartans, it didn't matter if you were a woman or a really old man they were all to be treated the same even if you thought you were
In many ways, Sparta's weaknesses overweigh the weakness. It’s cruel, sexist, wrong, unfair and not equal. Spartan boys were forced to learn military education and the system was cruel document A Boys were taken at age 8 to 21, document B One garment no shoes starving, Document D basic education was illegal If you never learned math, writing, reading, art, music, science, and history what would it be like?
Document D states, “But to have regard for all the older men, to make room for them on the streets, to give up their seats to them, and to keep quiet in their presence (D).” This quote shows that the Spartan boys were taught to be respectful and kind to the elders and to not fool around while being around them. Another quote states that “Moreover, the young men were required not only to respect their own fathers and to be obedient to them…”. (D) This quote explains that the Spartan boys were not only to respect the elders but to also respect any boy or man who is older than you. All this excruciating training might be too much training and make them look like beasts, they still have to be respectful and obedient to the older people. Just like how these days children still have to respect civilians of old age or people that are older than them because they know
army, and women still got to be trained. Women were treated better in ancient Sparta
EDUCATION IN SPARTA HELPFUL OR HARMFUL? Sparta is the strongest city-state in all of Greece. Their army could smash through their opponents with their battle formation, the phalanx. What made it so that this powerful city-state so strong?
Around 500 BCE, a city-state on the Peloponnese peninsula Began to grow. This city-state is Sparta that bagan has just a cluster of houses on the Evrotas River.The boys would go to Military School from 8 to 20 years in age, practicing the Phalanx and other Military practices, the Men were ready to fight.In 431 BCE, Sparta and Athens broke out in a 25-year war known as the Peloponnesian War.In the end, Sparta did win against Athens, but both of them had suffered.In Sparta the weaknesses outweighs the strengths because the Helots the slaves do their dirty work, boys were abused ,the Spartans had a weak education.
In the classical Greek polis man pronouncedly dominated. Man – superior and overbearing. Women didn’t have a voice in the society and has always dependent on man. Independent woman was not heard of in ancient times. Woman was a lower creature and this position is clearly formulated by Aristotle. But the women of ancient Sparta were a special kind of women. She was a woman that produced worriers whose legend remains until this day.
For a period as ancient as 650 BC, Spartan women had a remarkable role to play in society. The females in Sparta were given high importance ever since their birth. They were not restricted from participating actively in the community and were given a rigorous training for their physical fitness, just like their male friends and brothers. They competed in sports, were literate- a highly uncommon feature in the ancient world, and were free to speak their minds in public, which was considered rather scandalous well until as late as nineteenth century. Women in Sparta wore short clothes that had high slits exposing their thighs for the sake of unrestricted and free movement that allowed them to walk around freely and drive chariots around the city.
Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world. Sparta apparently didn’t agree with this statement. Sparta had many weaknesses compared to strengths. To begin with they lacked education in many ways, they had slavery and killed many slaves that could have retaliated ,and their children were very abused and taken from their families at young age to go to training camp for the Army.
But in the Spartan society, the woman had a dignified position just because they were the mother of the famous Sparta worriers. The Athenian women were also not allowed for education or to educate themselves. Men were the only ones allowed in the schools. They also wore clothing that completely covered their bodies and was not able to walk where they
Since Sparta was small, their main way to remain powerful was military strength therefore, their education was based on military disciplines. “A Spartiate’s son was nurtured by his parents only until he was seven years old. At that age he was removed from his family and, from his eighth to his twenty-first year, he was educated by the state according to rigorous [military-like]
Sparta valued physical strength, military strength and emotional strength. It was very important for them to have a strong military. It was so important, that they would kill new born babies if they had any disabilities that would prevent them from being part of the military or helping it in any way. They would take the boy from a young age of 7 to start training. These boys were faced with many difficult tasks such as having to walk barefoot and deprivation to make them strong. They would even mention a story of a boy who followed the Spartan Code when he hide a fox under his shirt and did not show any sign of pain when the fox was eating his stomach. They strongly believed that you shouldn’t show any sign of feeling specially not pain or weakness. They also believed that you shouldn’t be in love with the person who you marry. You are just married to help Sparta produce more boys to serve the military or girls to train and bring more healthy baby boys to Sparta. If you were in love you had to hide it, since
Sparta was a very unique society which could be defined as Utopian Militaristic State. Spartan boys all were devoted their entire lives from an early age to the Spartan army. This heavily militarist society was also unique in terms of women's position in society. They had much more rights and freedoms than other Greek women, but in terms of family life they were not so lucky. Women were living separately from spouse during their whole lives. Their husbands were only coming to home at night, they were secretly removed after a short time. And also they were separated from their sons for military training. Women had to be strong in family and social life. Spartan lawgivers wanted girls to receive a good education in order to prepare them to their womanhood duties.
In no other city-state did women enjoy the same freedom and status as Spartan women. As a military-driven society, the Spartans realized that “regardless of gender all Spartiates had an obligation to serve the militaristic end of Sparta.” With this focus in mind, women were allowed more freedom, rights, and independence. Spartan women were
When comparing power levels and women’s rights, Sparta was a leader in its time. Athens and Sparta, though both Greek city-states were different in the way they operated. More specifically, Sparta was different in the way that they treated their women. Athenian woman were treated quite appallingly compared to the standards of today’s women. The stem of this difference seems to lie in how these two city-states were governed. Sparta, known for its’ militaristic ways, was an oligarchy and Athens, known for its’ philosophers and thinkers, was a democracy. Sparta’s oligarchy was ruled by a counsel of 5 men, on being a lawmaker or giver. The lawgiver’s name was Lycurgus. Lycurgus was
The progressing city-state of Sparta was infamous for many things. Sparta was known for its powerful army, strict guidelines, and eccentric values. Due to these unique characteristics, residents of Sparta had to keep up to continue its legacy. Being a resident of Sparta meant taking numerous risks yet for reasonable causes. These risks were taken for the progression of the city state. Risks included krypteia mindlessly killing Helots to prevent them from rebelling. Despite this lack of respect for human life, Sparta had atoned for this by providing relevant teachings for women and lessons on survival. Sparta, being a city state with a small population , was primarily focused on winning battles. Thus they perpetrated many feats that were meant to benefit this major cause. Although there was a lack of respect for human life in Sparta, the strengths of a Spartan education are clearly greater than its weaknesses because of the education provided for women and teachings on survival.