Spartan Social Roles

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.

The following essay will focus on the main features of Spartan religion. Religion in Sparta had the ideas to support a militaristic and superstitious society, which, therefore, influenced the approach to religion to suit The Great Rhetra. To support and uphold the Spartan society which highlights that the Spartan religion had many important features such as, Gods and Goddesses which were a part of the Sparta’s polytheism religion which was believed to play a major role in many aspects of their lives. Myths and legends and how Sparta's devotion to them built their very militaristic and superstitious religion. Festivals which were important customs and major Eunomia throughout Spartan society. Death and the Burial processes which was important to the militaristic society to send its honorable and heroic soldiers to the next stage in life in a respectful and presentable manner. Religious role of the kings who had a leading and significant outcome of religion in Sparta. All of these main features of Spartan religion was to make a system that would produce Spartans that were loyal, skillful and had social coherence.

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 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.

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

Spartan women, on the other hand, were more free than women in any other Greek city-state. While they were also not given the ability to directly participate in politics, they had much more freedom in terms of their ability to own property and conduct

During the early era of the Golden age and late of Classical age of Ancient Greece, from the years 520-321 BC womens roles were significantly different between the two mainly Greek city state Athens and Sparta. These roles that the women presented had huge differences in a way women were portrayed in their societies. Both cities were very different in many ways, the females were raised very differently, and had different duties they had to perform. For example if you commit adultery by Spartan women it was considered tolerated and encourage in their society on the other hand adultery in Athenian women was not even considered and substantially have very few consequences. Unlike the Spartan women Athenian women were treated as unimportant citizens in a lot of ways. They were classified into three different classes. The lowest class which were considered as slaves, the citizen class, and the Hetaerae which were considered as prostitutes, but they were allowed to have education and go to marketplaces, and have rights. With Spartan women they were taught to read and write, also were expected to protect themselves and the children since men were barely around. They were definitely different from other Greek cities and were mainly raised to act as warriors because of the responsibility of owning and protecting their homes. These womens had three considerable lifestyle differences how they were raised , How were their marriages, and what responsibilities they had. These will serve

In the ancient Greek world, Spartan women had the most rights and power of all the women during this time. These women were allowed education, becoming a wife was important, they were also depended on to produce strong and healthy offspring, and they were independent. Spartan women were superior compared to any other women of ancient Greece. Women played a huge role in society. To begin, young girls in Sparta had the freedom to mature on their own while growing up.

Religion in Sparta, like in many societies, had a purpose. Religion was important in Sparta to support the ideals of a militaristic utopian society which, after the Messenian wars, the governing forces were aiming to create. “Those who honour the gods most finely with choruses are best in war” [Socrates]. The Spartan ideal of an elite military state influenced the approach to religion and the ways in which religion would be moulded to suite state doctrine, therefore highlighting the importance of religion in upholding the values of Spartan society. Religion in Sparta was interpreted to uphold Spartan values some of which are endurance, loyalty, obedience, conformity, and

The civilization of Ancient Sparta was comprised of four distinct classes. The men, women, Perioikio, and Helots all held important roles that allowed the society to function as it did. The men primarily served in military service and politics. The women has the primary goal of wifehood and motherhood. The Perioikio were freemen but not citizens of Sparta. They had to provide military service and dealt with the trade, manufacture, and crafts. Helots, the serfs or bondsmen of Sparta, served as agriculture supply and aided in times of war. These responsibilities and their interactions, led to a powerful, militaristic, and intertwined society. Although the result was interior decomposition of the state, the influence from these practices has been felt since.

In battle, they had the reputation of being the best soldiers in Greece, and the strength of Spartan hoplite forces let the city become the dominant state in Greece throughout much of the Classical period. Other city-states were reluctant to attack Sparta even though it could muster a force of only about 8000 Spartiates during the zenith of its dominance, such was the reputation of its soldiers.(Harley, T. Rutherford. The Public School of Sparta, Greece & Rome, Vol. 3, No. 9 ) The class and social structure of Sparta was very regimented similar to the way they treated everything, methodical and ordered.

Sparta’s women were also treated as second to men in some aspects but they had a lot more freedom than many other women in Greece at the time. Sparta and Athens primary goal for women was childbirth. Both city states agreed that women should be able to reproduce. In Sparta this was because they needed boys so

boy at age 6 was to begin his training to join the Spartan army where

The purpose of society should be to strive to create an economically prosperous community that values equality and allowing everyone equal opportunity to pursue any sort of vocation and avocation. While both Athenian and Spartan societies had elements important to a successful society, Athens and Sparta also had certain values that were degrading to their society. Overall, neither society was right in terms of what they valued. Although Sparta did allow women considerable freedom, their extreme focus on military led to an extremely one dimensional society in which value was determined only by athletic ability and not by any other characteristics. This meant that citizens were largely focused on athletic training and preparing themselves for

Although, there are several exceptions. The situation strongly differed when it came to life in Sparta. It is a well-known fact that Sparta was a military state that established its own rules. Women were given more freedom, however, remained in the secondary position in the society. The women had the same responsibilities as men and did not need to be escorted by a man. Unlike the woman in other Greek cities, the Spartan women had the right to take part in the sports competition and take part in the public events (Pomeroy, 2002). It might sound like a little advantage in comparison with the contemporary scope of freedoms women exploit nowadays but of the Ancient times and strict patriarchal construction of society, it was a big step towards