How Did The Americans Develop Sparta

Sparta was a very strong, self-reliant nation. They had the strongest army, a modern government, yet a simple lifestyle. They barely resembled any other nation of that time, for they did not care for wealth, but rather for their fellow man.

At around 800 BC, a young man named Lycurgus was in line for the throne of Sparta, but due to some complications, he did not become king. However, the Spartan people loved him and wanted him to help their nation. As the king was his nephew, he became in some way the king’s advisor, yet he had a great deal more impact and control over the Spartans than the king himself. He wanted his nation to be a strong nation, and he wanted them to rely on themselves rather than another country. Bit by bit, he shaped Sparta into a nation like no other of

that time.

He made the rich people share with the poor, and after a short while, everyone became roughly equal in wealth. His next step was to take away gold and silver from the people and replace it with iron money, which was jagged and hard. People of other nations found this currency almost worthless, and it wasn’t long before trade ceased in Sparta. At first the people were unhappy, but Lycurgus soon taught them that worldly possessions were of no matter. Lycurgus soon brought changes to the government. He established a senate and added another king. The senate was to keep the government stable. This not only kept a good balance of strong leadership but also gave the citizens what they wanted, since the senate was made up of the elderly wise Spartan folk, whom the people always trusted. In this way, there would be no democracy, nor dictatorship. Lycurgus made sure the Spartan people interacted frequently with each

other and did not keep to themselves, and so he commanded that all people eat at the common mess halls, and that they eat the same food. In this way, the Spartans learned to be content with what they had, and no one was jealous over his neighbour.
The Spartan youth gathered regularly to watch, listen and learn from the older warriors. By the time they were old enough to go into battle, the young Spartan men were stronger than any other man on the battlefield, yet, they kept to their orders, were not arrogant, nor did they take unnecessary risks. They protected their own warriors, and they knew how to react to any situation they were in. These young men seemed to have a lifetime of experience in battle, because they had spent so much time with the older warriors.
Lycurgus knew that if the Spartan people were dependent on each other, and in turn could count on his fellow man, there would be no stronger nation than them. Thus, marriage was highly favoured and promoted by the government, and bachelors were given no respect. However, for the first year or so after being married, the husband would still live in the barracks with the other soldiers, and his wife would live at home with her parents. By doing this, the soldier learned that his duty came before his personal feelings. Children were considered the property of the government, and not all children were brought up by their own parents. The children were strictly disciplined from a very young age. When they were quite young still, they learned a little bit of reading and writing, just enough to perform their daily duties. When they were about the age of eight, they began their physical training so that they could become a soldier when they had grown up. Above all else, the students were taught to endure pain, to persevere in battle, and most importantly, were taught perfect obedience.
With the changes Lycurgus made to Spartan society, Sparta became one of the strongest nations of that time, without having to rely on anyone but themselves. Through Lycurgus, they found out that worldly possessions were not important, but that their fellow man, their families, and their friends were what mattered most.