Spartan Politics

The spartan military was one of the most feared militaries in the greek society. They trained their citizens in discipline and honor. Their entire culture was based on war. The spartans began in the mycenaean age(1600 Bce to 1100 Bce).

“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.

In this research paper I am going to talk about how the Spartan Military influenced our society. You are sure to expect to learn about how it affected how we live on an everyday basis. Also, on how it affected the way the U.S military runs/works. Sparta's military has caused many influences on our modern-day society. This includes on how our military works and fights to how we live every day. In the next paragraph I am going to give a little back ground on how Sparta's military training went.

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.

Many of the arguments against Sparta reason that government officials did not grant enough power to the people of the city-state, and therefore favor Athens. This is not the case. The kings, elders, and rulers of the Spartan government knew what was best for the citizens of Sparta, and, as a consequence, created strictly regimented rules that shaped Spartan lives for the better. Although Sparta did not have a significant amount of participation in law by common people, it was able to create and sustain an advanced city-state through discipline and a form of government that placed stress on health and military supremacy.

The ‘Ephor’s’ were a part of the Ancient Spartan constitution. The Ephor’s were an order of five high magistrates elected by the people to represent the will of the people; they were replaced on an annual basis by vote to prevent one person becoming to power hungry or powerful.

Doc E states, “Two kings who were generals in command of the armies and with some religious duties.” In Sparta you might like this government because if there were two kings they could make two decisions and then meet in the middle if you like one and not the other. Doc E also states, “The Assembly of all Spartan males aged 30 or over could support or veto the council's recommendations by shouting out their votes.” Since the Spartan assembly was 30 and older they could make wiser decisions and not have some 20 year old come and make terrible decisions. Finally, the Government Document Set states, “Usually classified as an "oligarchy" (rule by a few), but it had elements of monarchy (rule by kings), democracy (through the election of council/senators), and aristocracy (rule by the upper class or land owning class),”(Doc E).

Sparta was ruled by a king or at some point two kings. These two kings were from two separate families of royalty and neither of them had absolute power. The king or kings had to be consulted by the Ephors. The Ephors had a lot of power and authority in the Spartan government. They were a group of five elders, men over the age of 30 who would serve in this position for a year. They had the power to bring up charges against anyone in Sparta, including the king. Unlike Athens who was set on trying to establish a peaceful democratic atmosphere; Sparta was a lot more militaristic and strict. One of the Spartan government’s main priorities was the strength of the Spartan army. They believed that strength, endurance and numbers were a key part in a successful and powerful army. Therefore every Spartan boy at the age of seven would be taken away from their mothers and put into training for the next 13 years.

The chief role of the Ephorate was to ensure that the Kings ruled by the constitution and worked within the division of powers. In military campaigns, two Ephors would accompany the King. These men would then advise the King and could bring him to account if he exhibited questionable behaviour. According to Xenophon the Ephors ensured that all behaved in ‘a decorum suitable to the occasion’. The Ephorate also possessed the discretionary power to punish the Kings, H. Mitchell suggests that the Kings would be wise to comply with the decisions made by the

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

Introduction This assignment describes the character of the four ancient governments in order to compare and contrast the five government forms in the Ancient Greek city-states. They are monarchy, aristocracy, tyranny, oligarchy, and democracy.

"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)."

In accordance with Sparta, it had two Kings from diverse people. So these Monarchs are patterned by the Ephors who are chosen by the popular assembly.

The Ephors controlled almost every aspect of Spartan life and were only limited by the fact that they could only rule for one year