Spartan Culture Research Paper

Spartans were very strict and set high expectations for their men in war. Taken from their families at the young age of 7 to train, the boys were whipped and starved. Spartans also enslaved people, called helots. The innocent helots were killed without warning. Spartans were so

Spartans military was a hard core and well rounded out military in its time. Part of the reason why they were so successful is because of their rigorous training each boy had to go through. Why I said boy is because the Spartan military training would start at age 7 for a chosen boy. The boy gets chosen to live in spartan society at birth. If the Spartans did not believe that the boy would be rounded out for their society they would leave the boy to die. During the boys training hazing and fighting was encouraged to help improve strength among the boys. During spartan training each boy was mainly taught mathematics, music, and how to fight. Also during their training, they would learn how to steal but without getting caught. If they were caught they would not be punished for stealing but only for getting caught. This type of training continues until the boys would become men. Which is at the age of 20 for the Spartan's. At age 20 Spartan men would have to pass a series of demanding

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

The entire Spartan society revolved around the army, essentially making it the key aspect of Spartan life and culture. The army influenced areas such as education and social structure as well as being the most important defence of Sparta in both combat and reputation.

This distinctive reputation came about through many different ways. A defeat in battle in Tegea 7th C BC may have initiated their fixated focus on the army. Spartans are famous for the agoge; their ‘education system’. Nearly every healthy male child was selected after strict evaluation through the “ test” put in the wild. These young boys then endured years of systematic rigorous brutality and training until they became men, soldiers that were able to fight in the Spartan wars.

1st-         A positive aspect of the Spartan Code was the idea to train their young beginning at a young age, by giving power to the state to control the youth. This allowed many of the children to have an equal opportunity in the situation given although they did not have many options. They could all be taught the same concepts, and this would create more unity among the people which was very important, although the method by which they took action upon this was somewhat controversial.

This included having the boys wear minimal to no clothing to endure various weather conditions and making them go barefoot to strengthen their feet. The boys were also encouraged to steal food as a way of developing independence. This can be seen as a very cold and dehumanizing way of raising soldiers, but this training helped boys become talented fighters who were very well rounded and could adapt to any situation. During a boy's teenage years, they would begin military training and at the age of twenty, they were allowed to marry, but required to live with the military until the age of thirty. The final stage of the agoge was for boys to be admitted into the syssition and to contribute a certain amount of food. Being a soldier was usually the only thing men could do in Sparta as hoplites were required to be fit for military service until they were sixty years

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

Classical Sparta Page 1 Samantha Elliott Ancient Sparta was an interesting time, one that’s like no other. There were many key components of Sparta and the Spartans that stood out to make it unique. The first unique trait of Sparta was; “Sparta was one of the most efficient and strongest of the Leading Greek city states in its time”(“Spartan Warriors.” Ancient Warriors.) regarding its military.

Sparta’s government functioned as a diarchy with two ruling houses and perpetual warfare. Men were born to be warriors and started training at the young age of seven; however, women were not withheld from an education. Each child was trained in military tactics and taught the routine and beliefs of a militaristic society. Men dedicated their lives to military service and assisting in producing as many sons as possible. On the other hand, women did not participate in the military even though they possessed some military combat training.

Even as a child, the male Spartan was treated very harshly, even to the point where it would be considered abuse in the modern society. Once born, the infant was tested in order to declare a life of war or slavery upon him. But unfortunately, some of them don’t get to live. These, either mentally or physically damaged children, are thrown into a chasm near Mount Taygetus. The strongest infants are given back to their families, but are under the military’s control at age seven. Within years, the Spartan boys would take part in the brutal wars, fighting for the ownership of Sparta, as many other kings seek to take over the land and claim it as their own.

As you may know Ancient Greece is full of many city-states and you also may know that each city-state had its own government, Economy, Education, and most likely, slaves. As you may also know, usually, not always, city-states fight. Two of the most important city-states, Athens and Sparta and they not only had different forms of government, but they had very different ways of life. Plus, if anyone had a choice to either live in the city-states Athens or Sparta, Sparta should definitely be the city-state they choose or at least what I think. Sparta is way better than Athens because their army was bold and protective and girls received some education, plus women had more freedom in Sparta than most other city-states.

Sparta was, above all, a military state, and emphasis on military fitness began at birth, imprinted through society and the political system. The education of the Spartan male children prove that the military and war was constantly a huge part of Spartan society, and the laws and systems that Sparta was governed by, only enforced the militaristic attitude into the society of Sparta. That the Spartans needed to be ready for war is proved by the discord between the Spartiate and the helots, who outnumbered and under ranked the Spartans.

The Spartans as a result transformed own society into an armed camp populated by soldiers. As early as the age of seven, boys began military training. Because of this their soldiers were better trained and disciplined than any other Greeks. They were known for courage, obedience, and discipline to achieve ideal.

It was also sometimes thought to be a crime to be a coward. Factsanddetails.com says that the most serious crime that a Spartan could commit was to retreat from battle. The Spartans that remained after the battle of Thermopylae committed suicide because they didn't want to face the shame of having to surrender. The Spartans were also ashamed to be seen with a coward.Greek philosopher Xenophon said that, Spartans were ashamed to be associated with a coward in his mess. The was the worst Spartans thought that it thing in the world to be thought of as a coward, which were they completely wrong? We need to have the mindset of the Spartans and be ashamed of cowardice. We need to face all the fears and struggles we have in our life head