Ancient Sparta: myths of mass culture and true historical realities

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Around the ancient Greek Sparta, to this day, there are many disputes and myths born of mass culture. Were the Spartans really unsurpassed warriors and did not like mental labor, did they really get rid of their own children, and were the customs of the Spartans so severe that they were forbidden to eat in their own homes? Let's try to figure it out.

Starting the conversation about Sparta, it should be noted that the self-name of this ancient Greek state was "Lacedaemon", and its inhabitants called themselves "Lacedaemonians". The emergence of the name "Sparta" humanity owes not to the Hellenes, but to the Romans.

Sparta, like many ancient states, had a complex, but logical, system of social organization. In fact, society was divided into full-fledged citizens, incomplete citizens and dependent. In turn, each of the categories was divided into estates. Although the helots were considered slaves, they were not in the usual sense of the modern man. However, the "ancient" and "classical" slavery deserves a separate consideration. It is also worth mentioning a special class of "hypomeyons", which included physically and mentally disabled children of Sparta citizens. They were considered unequal citizens, but they were still above a number of other social categories. The existence of such an estate in Sparta significantly reduces the viability of the theory of the killing of inferior children in Sparta.

This myth took root, thanks to the description of the Spartan society, created by Plutarch. So, in one of his works, he described that weak children by the decision of the elders were thrown into a gorge in the Taygeta mountains. Today, scientists on this issue have not come to a consensus, however, most of them are inclined to believe that such an unusual tradition had no place in Sparta. Do not discount the fact that the Greek chronicles sin with exaggerations and embellishments of facts. Evidence of which was found by historians after comparing the same facts and their descriptions in the Greek and Roman chronicles.

Of course, in Sparta, throughout its described history, there was a very strict system of raising children, in particular boys. The system of education was called agoge, which in translation from Greek means “withdrawal”. In Spartan society, the children of citizens were considered the public domain. Since the agoge itself was a rather cruel upbringing system, it is possible that the mortality rate was indeed high. Thus, killing weak children immediately after birth is unlikely.

Another popular myth is the invincibility of the Spartan army. The Spartan army was certainly strong enough to influence its neighbors, however, and it is known to have known defeat. In addition, the Spartan army to a large extent lost on many issues to the armies of other powers, including the armies of the neighbors of the Greeks. The warriors were distinguished by excellent training and personal combat skills. They had excellent physical fitness. Moreover, the very concept of discipline in the army was adopted by neighboring peoples from the Spartans. Even the Romans admired the strength of the Spartan army, although it ultimately lost to them. At the same time, the Spartans did not know engineering, which did not allow them to effectively besiege enemy cities.

According to historians, discipline, courage and valor on the battlefield were highly valued in Spartan society, honesty and devotion, modesty and moderation were revered (however, one can doubt the latter, knowing about their feasts and orgies). And although at times the leaders of the Spartans in matters of politics were distinguished by treachery and treachery, this people was one of the greatest representatives of the Hellenic group.

There was democracy in Sparta. In any case, all the most important issues were decided by a general meeting of citizens, at which they simply shouted over each other. Of course, not only citizens lived in Sparta, and the power, even of the people, did not belong to the entire demos.

The household of the Spartans was not much different from that of most other Greek city-states. The same products were grown in Lacedaemon's fields. The Spartans were engaged in cattle breeding, raising mainly sheep. For the most part, labor on the land was the lot of helots - slaves, as well as unemployed citizens.

In Sparta, mental labor was really not held in high esteem, but this does not mean at all that Sparta did not give history a single poet or writer. Among the most famous of them are Alkman and Terpandr. However, even they were distinguished by good physical fitness. And the Spartan priest-diviner Tisamen of Elea was even more famous for being an unsurpassed athlete. The stereotype of the cultural ignorance of the Spartans was born, probably because both Alkman and Terpandr were not natives of this city.

Social connections and foundations played a very important role in the daily life of the Spartans. There is even a theory among historians that the Spartans were forbidden to eat at home, regardless of their status and position in society. Instead, the Spartans were supposed to eat exclusively in public places, a kind of cafeteria of the time.

The image of the Spartans, like the image of the Vikings, whom many represent as warriors in horned helmetscertainly did not escape romanticization. Nevertheless, in the Lacedaemonians there is much that will not be superfluous to learn both for modern man and that which has entered our daily life. In particular, the word "laconic" has exactly Greek roots and means a restrained, moderate and not verbose person. It was with this, the word in the Peloponnese and beyond, that the Spartans were identified.