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Politically how is sparta different from athens
Politically how is sparta different from athens
Politically how is sparta different from athens
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The history of Sparta was the great exception to the political evolution of the city-states. Despite the fact that Spartans in the end were all Greek, Sparta failed to ever move in the direction of democratic rule. Instead, its government evolved into something more closely resembling a modern day dictatorship. If the Spartans had followed the other Greek city-states in their political practices they might have been able to avoid their own downfall and could have even become stronger.
Spartans were originally Dorians who had come to Laconia as an invading army. Although by the end of the ninth century they had conquered all of Laconia but still were not satisfied. West of the Taygetus Mountains was the fertile plain of Messenia. The Spartans were determined to conquer, and they were successful in their goal to dominate the Messenians. The Spartans took the land of the Messenians, Killed and expelled their leaders, and turned the general population into slaves called helots. Almost all of the features of Spartan life resulted from the Messenian wars. Unfortunately when they enslaved their enemies they unknowingly and foolishly enslaved themselves. “They lived through the remaining centuries of their history in deadly fear of insurrections. This fear explains their conservatism, their stubborn resistance to change, lest any innovation result in a fatal weakening of the system.”
Shortly after the Messenian wars Sparta went into a defensive foreign policy in fear that the helots would rise up and revolt if given the chance. Spartan government devoted itself to keeping what Sparta had already gained and achieved.
In fact they choose to isolate themselves completely from the rest of Greece in fear that dangerous ideas would come i...
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...nt evolved into something more closely resembling a modern day dictatorship. If the Spartans had followed the other Greek city-states in their political practices they might have been able to avoid their own downfall and could have even become stronger.
Bibliography
Burton F. Beers. World History, Patterns of Civilization. (New Jersey 1984), 102-104.
S. G. F. Brandon. Milestones of History, Ancient Empires, (New York 1973,) 84.
William Barclay, Letters to Sparta, (London 1975). 9:14-18
Clement M. Eylera. Evidences of Plato's philosophy of education in the George Peabody demonstration school, tandfonline.com, 2009. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01619564609536025?journalCode=hpje20
S. G. F. Brandon. Milestones of History, Ancient Empires, (New York 1973,) 84.
Lerner. Western Civilizations. Norton & Company. (London 1988), 111-113.
Helots were the original residents of the Laconian plain, the term Helots often means ‘prisoner of war’ and that is a good representation of what the Helots were, prisoners or slaves. Owned as property of the state they were assigned land that was owned by individual Spartans, they worked, lived on and made profit from the agricultural products derived from the land though a half of any harvest was directly given to the landowner. The helots produced all the food for the population of Sparta and worked incessantly to maintain the spartiate’s lifestyles, Tyrtaeus compared the helots to ‘Asses exhausted under great loads: Under painful necessity to bring their masters full half the fruit their ploughed land produced’. The tasks of the helots were generally agricultural though, when the Spartans w...
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Spartan society holds its genesis in the migration of Dorian tribespeople to the fertile land of the Peloponnese. Following the end of the 9th century BCE, these tribes expanded their territorial claims by force, conquering the adjacent region of Messenia. Following the second Messenian War in 668 BCE, lawgiver Lycurgus proclaimed the Great Rhetra upon consultation with the Delphic Oracle; Tyrtaeus accounts for this in his 7th century BCE poetry ’Eunomia’. However, the romantic nature of Tyrtaeus’ poetry decreases its reliability as a factual source. Modern and ancient historians, including Andrews and Plutarch, argue that inconsistencies in Lycurgus’ recorded triumphs are questionable; with suggestions that the Great Rhetra was the result
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Like most Greek states of the Archaic and Classical Era, the Spartan city-state was a militaristic one. Sparta, however, took the idea to its extreme. In order to become the best soldiers, Spartan citizens had to dedicate their entire lives to the occupation. In fact to be a soldier – a hoplite – was the full infrastructure of Spartan society. While most Greek city-states looked down on labor, physical work, and even working for profit, they still had to work for a living, produce something. “The Spartans a...
Sparta was a key city state which was located on the Peloponnesian Peninsula in southern Greek, which today is referred to as Laconia. Sparta is historically known for their strong military training, warfare tactics, and numerous victories. This city state included full citizens known as the Spartans, the helots, and the Perioeci. The men of Sparta had a main obligation to become strong warriors, fight with their brothers, and protect against any invasions or attacks. The helots where owned by city state of Sparta. They came from Messenia and were forced into slavery after being invaded by the Spartans in c.735. The helot’s responsibilities included farming, being of help if needed during battles, used as nurses, and for any other task that need to be accomplished. Unlike many traditional slaves, the Messenia’s were given certain leeway. They had
Sparta was a strict military city-state. The people were Dorians who conquered Laconia. This region lies in the Peloponnesus, which lied in southern Greece. The invaders turned the conquered people into state owned slaves, called helots. Since the helots greatly outnumbered their rulers, Spartans established a strict and brutal system of control. The Spartan government had two kings and a council of elders who advised the monarchs. An assembly made up of all citizens approved all major decisions. From child-hood, a Spartan prepared to be part of the military. All newborn were examined and the healthy lived and the sickly were left to die. Spartans wanted future soldiers or mothers of soldiers to be healthy. At the age of seven, boys trained for a lifetime in the Spartan military. They moved to the barracks and endured brutal and extensive training.
Sparta, an ancient Greek city-state, was most well-known for its militaristic lifestyle and its soldiers’ prowess in battle. Though war was an essential part of life in Sparta, many other aspects contributed to its society. Sparta’s origin, unique government, slaves, bold women, and elite warriors all shaped the legendary city-state and defined its culture.
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