Why was ancient Sparta so powerful. Ancient Sparta - history

Sparta was the most brutal civilization in human history. Around the dawn of Greek history, while it was still going through its classical period, Sparta was already undergoing radical social and political revolutions. As a result, the Spartans came to the idea of ​​complete equality. Literally. It was they who developed the key concepts that we partially use to this day.

It was in Sparta that the ideas of self-sacrifice for the sake of the common good, the high value of debt and the rights of citizens were first voiced. In short, the goal of the Spartans was to become the most ideal people, as far as it is possible for a mere mortal. You will not believe it, but every utopian idea that we still think about today draws its origins from Spartan times.

The biggest problem with studying the history of this amazing civilization is that the Spartans left very few records, and left behind no monumental structures that could be explored and analyzed.

However, scholars know that Spartan women enjoyed the right to freedom, education, and equality to a degree that women of no other civilization of that time could boast of. Each member of society, woman or man, master or slave, played a special valuable role in the life of Sparta.

That is why it is impossible to talk about the famous Spartan warriors without mentioning this civilization as a whole. Anyone could become a warrior, it was not a privilege or duty for individual social classes. For the role of a soldier, there was a very serious selection among all the citizens of Sparta, without exception. Carefully selected applicants were raised to become ideal warriors. The process of hardening the Spartans was sometimes associated with very tough methods of preparation and reached extremely extreme measures.

10. Spartan children were raised from an early age to participate in wars.

Almost every aspect of Spartan life was controlled by the city-state. This also applied to children. Each Spartan infant was brought before a board of inspectors who checked the child for physical defects. If something seemed to them out of the norm, the child was withdrawn from society and sent to perish outside the walls of the city, throwing him off the nearest hills.

In some fortunate cases, these abandoned children found their salvation among random wanderers passing by, or they were taken in by the "gelots" (lower class, Spartan slaves) working in the nearby fields.

In early childhood, those who survived the first qualifying round bathed in wine baths instead. The Spartans believed that this strengthened their strength. In addition, it was customary among parents to ignore the crying of children so that they get used to the "Spartan" lifestyle from infancy. Foreigners were so delighted with such educational methods that Spartan women were often invited to neighboring lands as nannies and nurses for their iron nerves.

Up to the age of 7, Spartan boys lived with their families, but after that they were taken away by the state itself. Children were moved to public barracks, and a training period called "agog" began in their lives. The goal of this program was to educate youngsters into ideal warriors. The new regime included physical exercise, training in various tricks, unconditional loyalty, martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, the development of pain tolerance, hunting, survival skills, communication skills, and morality lessons. They were also taught to read, write, compose poetry and orate.

At the age of 12, all boys were stripped of their clothes and all other personal belongings, except for a single red cloak. They were taught to sleep outside and make their own bed out of reeds. In addition, the boys were encouraged to dig through the trash or steal their own food. But if the thieves were caught, the children were severely punished in the form of flogging.

Spartan girls lived in their families even after the age of 7, but they also received the famous Spartan education, which included dancing lessons, gymnastics, throwing darts and discs. It was believed that it was these skills that helped them best prepare for motherhood.

9. Hazing and fights among children

One of the key ways to mold boys into ideal soldiers and develop a truly stern disposition in them was considered provoking fights with each other. Older guys and teachers often started quarrels among their students and encouraged them to get into fights.

The main goal of the agoge was to instill in children resistance to all the hardships that would await them in the war - to cold, hunger or pain. And if someone showed even the slightest weakness, cowardice or embarrassment, they immediately became the objects of cruel ridicule and punishment from their own comrades and teachers. Imagine that at school someone is bullying you, and the teacher comes up and joins the bullies. It was very unpleasant. And in order to “finish off”, the girls sang all sorts of offensive slogans about the guilty students right during ceremonial meetings in front of high-ranking dignitaries.

Even adult men did not avoid scolding. The Spartans hated overweight people. That is why all citizens, including even kings, daily participated in joint meals, “sissits”, which were distinguished by deliberate scarcity and insipidity. Together with daily physical activity, this allowed Spartan men and women to keep themselves in good shape throughout their lives. Those who got out of the main stream were subjected to public censure and even risked being expelled from the city if they were not in a hurry to cope with their inconsistency with the system.

8. Endurance competition

An integral part of Ancient Sparta, and at the same time one of its most disgusting practices, was the Endurance Competition - Diamastigosis. This tradition was intended to commemorate the incident when residents from neighboring settlements killed each other in front of the altar of Artemis as a token of veneration for the goddess. Since then, human sacrifices have been performed here every year.

During the reign of the semi-mythical Spartan king Lycurgus, who lived in the 7th century BC, the rituals of worshiping the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia were relaxed and included only the spanking of boys undergoing the agoge. The ceremony continued until they completely covered all the steps of the altar with their blood. During the ritual, the altar was strewn with cones, which the children had to reach and collect.

The older guys were waiting for the younger ones with sticks in their hands, beating the children without any compassion for their pain. The tradition, at its core, was the initiation of little boys into the ranks of full-fledged warriors and citizens of Sparta. The last child standing received great honors for his masculinity. Often, during such initiation, children died.

During the occupation of Sparta by the Roman Empire, the tradition of Diamastigosis did not disappear, but lost its main ceremonial significance. Instead, it became just a spectacular sporting event. People from all over the empire flocked to Sparta to watch the brutal flogging of young guys. By the 3rd century AD, the sanctuary had been converted into a regular theater with stands from which the audience could comfortably watch the beatings.

7. Cryptory

When the Spartans reached the age of 20 or so, those who were marked as potential leaders were given the opportunity to participate in Crypteria. It was a kind of secret police. Although, to a greater extent, it was about partisan detachments that periodically terrorized and occupied the neighboring settlements of the Geloths. The best years of this unit came in the 5th century BC, when Sparta had about 10,000 men capable of fighting, and the civilian population of the Geloths outnumbered them by a few.

On the other hand, the Spartans were constantly under the threat of rebellion from the Geloths. This constant threat was one of the reasons why Sparta developed such a militarized society and prioritized the militancy of its citizens. Every man in Sparta, by law, had to be raised as a soldier from childhood.

Every autumn, young warriors got a chance to test their skills during an unofficial declaration of war against enemy Geloth settlements. Members of the Crypteria went out on missions at night armed only with knives, and their goal was always to kill any geloth they encountered along the way. The bigger and stronger the enemy, the better.

This annual slaughter was carried out to train the neighbors into obedience and reduce their numbers to a safe level. Only those boys and men who participated in such raids could expect to receive a higher rank and a privileged status in society. For the rest of the year, the "secret police" patrolled the area, still executing any potentially dangerous gelot without any trial.

6. Forced marriage

And although it is difficult to call it something frankly horrifying, but forced marriages by the age of 30 today, many would consider unacceptable and even frightening. Until the age of 30, all Spartans lived in public barracks and served in the state army. At the onset of 30 years of age, they were released from military duty and transferred to the reserve until the age of 60. In any case, if by the age of 30 one of the men did not have time to find a wife, they were forced to marry.

The Spartans considered marriage important, but not the only way to conceive new soldiers, so girls were married no earlier than 19 years old. Applicants had to first carefully assess the health and fitness of their future life partners. And although he often decided between his future husband and father-in-law, the girl also had the right to vote. Indeed, according to the law, Spartan women had equal rights with men, and even much greater than in some modern countries to this day.

If the men of Sparta married before their 30th birthday and still during their military service, they continued to live separately from their wives. But if a man went to the reserve still single, it was believed that he was not fulfilling his duty to the state. The bachelor was expected to be publicly ridiculed for any reason, especially during official meetings.

And if for some reason the Spartan could not have children, he had to find a suitable partner for his wife. It even happened that one woman had several sexual partners, and together they raised common children.

5. Spartan weapons

The bulk of any ancient Greek army, including the Spartan, were "hoplites". They were soldiers in bulky armor, citizens whose armaments took a decent amount of money so that they could participate in wars. And while warriors from most of the Greek city-states did not have sufficient military and physical training and equipment, Spartan soldiers knew how to fight all their lives and were always ready to go to the battlefield. While all the Greek city-states were building defensive walls around their settlements, Sparta did not care about fortifications, considering hardened hoplites as their main defense.

The main weapon of the hoplite, regardless of its origin, was a spear for the right hand. The length of the spears reached about 2.5 meters. The tip of this weapon was made of bronze or iron, and the handle was made of dogwood. It was this tree that was used, because it was distinguished by the necessary density and strength. By the way, dogwood wood is so dense and heavy that it even sinks in water.

In his left hand, the warrior held his round shield, the famous "hoplon". 13 kg shields were used primarily for defense, but were also occasionally used in close-range striking techniques. Shields were made of wood and leather, and covered with a layer of bronze on top. The Spartans marked their shields with the letter "lambda", which symbolized Laconia, a region of Sparta.

If a spear broke or the battle got too close, the hoplites from the front would take up their "ksipos", short swords. They were 43 centimeters long and were intended for close combat. But the Spartans preferred their "kopis" to such ksipos. This type of sword inflicted especially painful chopping wounds on the enemy due to its specific one-sided sharpening along the inner edge of the blade. Kopis was used more as an axe. Greek artists often depicted Spartans with copies in their hands.

For additional protection, the soldiers wore bronze helmets that covered not only the head, but also the back of the neck and face. Also among the armor were chest and back shields made of bronze or leather. The shins of the soldiers were protected by special bronze plates. The forearms were closed in the same way.

4. Phalanx

There are certain signs of what stage of development a civilization is in, and among them is just how nations fight. Tribal communities tend to fight in a chaotic and haphazard fashion, with each warrior brandishing his ax or sword as he pleases and seeking personal glory.

But more advanced civilizations fight according to well-thought-out tactics. Each soldier plays a specific role in his squad and is subject to a common strategy. This is how the Romans fought, and the ancient Greeks, to whom the Spartans belonged, also fought. By and large, the famous Roman legions were formed precisely following the example of the Greek "phalanxes".

Hoplites gathered in regiments, "lokhoi", consisting of several hundred citizens, and lined up in columns of 8 or more rows. Such a formation was called a phalanx. The men stood shoulder to shoulder in tight groups, protected on all sides by comradely shields. In between the shields and helmets was a veritable forest of spears jutting outward in spikes.

The phalanxes were distinguished by very organized movement due to rhythmic accompaniments and chants, which the Spartans learned intensively at a young age during training. It happened that the Greek cities fought among themselves, and then in the battle one could see spectacular clashes of several phalanxes at once. The battle continued until one of the detachments stabbed the other to death. It could be compared to a bloody skirmish during a rugby match, but in ancient armor.

3. Nobody gives up

The Spartans were brought up to be extremely loyal and despised cowardice above all other human failings. Soldiers were expected to be fearless in all circumstances. Even if we are talking about the last drop and to the last survivor. For this reason, the act of surrender was equated with the most unbearable cowardice.

If, in some unimaginable circumstances, the Spartan hoplite had to surrender, he then committed suicide. The ancient historian Herodotus recalled two unknown Spartans who missed an important battle and committed suicide out of shame. One hanged himself, the other went to a certain redemptive death during the next battle in the name of Sparta.

Spartan mothers were notorious for often telling their sons before battle, "Return with your shield, or don't return at all." This meant that they were either expected with victory or dead. In addition, if a warrior lost his own shield, he also left his comrade without protection, which jeopardized the entire mission, and was unacceptable.

Sparta believed that a soldier fully fulfilled his duty only when he died for his state. The man had to die on the battlefield, and the woman had to give birth to children. Only those who fulfilled this duty had the right to be buried in a grave with a name engraved on the tombstone.

2. Thirty tyrants

Sparta was famous for the fact that she always sought to spread her utopian views to neighboring city-states. At first it was the Messenians from the west, whom the Spartans conquered in the 7th - 8th century BC, turning them into their Geloth slaves. Later, the gaze of Sparta rushed even to Athens. During the Peloponnesian War of 431 - 404 BC, the Spartans not only subjugated the Athenians, but also inherited their maritime superiority in the Aegean region. This hasn't happened before. The Spartans did not raze the glorious city to the ground, as the Corinthians advised them, but instead decided to mold the conquered society in their own image and likeness.

To do this, they installed in Athens a "pro-Spartan" oligarchy, infamously known as the "Thirty Tyrants" regime. The main goal of this system was the reformation, and in most cases the complete destruction of the fundamental Athenian laws and orders in exchange for the proclamation of a Spartan version of democracy. They carried out reforms in the field of power structures and lowered the rights of most social classes.

500 councilors were appointed to carry out judicial duties previously held by all citizens. The Spartans also elected 3,000 Athenians to "share power with them." In fact, these local managers simply had a few more privileges than the rest of the residents. During the 13-month regime of Sparta, 5% of the population of Athens died or simply disappeared from the city, a lot of other people's property was confiscated, and crowds of adherents of the old system of governance in Athens were sent into exile.

A former student of Socrates, Kritias, the leader of the "Thirty", was recognized as a cruel and completely inhumane ruler who intended to turn the conquered city into a reflection of Sparta at any cost. Critias acted as if he were still on post in the Spartan Cryptea and executed all the Athenians whom he considered dangerous to establish a new order of things.

300 bannermen were hired to patrol the city, who ended up intimidating and terrorizing the local population. About 1,500 of the most prominent Athenians, who did not support the new government, forcibly took the poison - hemlock. Interestingly, the more cruel the tyrants were, the more resistance they met from the locals.

In the end, after 13 months of a brutal regime, a successful coup took place, led by Trasibulus, one of the few citizens who escaped from exile. During the Athenian restaurant, 3,000 of the aforementioned traitors received an amnesty, but the rest of the defectors, including those same 30 tyrants, were executed. Critias died in one of the first battles.

Steeped in corruption, treachery and violence, the short rule of the tyrants led to a strong distrust of the Athenians towards each other even during the next few years after the fall of the dictatorship.

1. The famous Battle of Thermopylae

Best known today from the 1998 comic book series and the 2006 film 300, the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC was an epic massacre between the Greek army led by the Spartan king Leonidas I and the Persians led by King Xerxes.

Initially, the conflict arose between these two peoples even before the accession of the mentioned military leaders, during the reign of Darius I, the predecessor of Xerxes. He expanded the boundaries of his lands far into the depths of the European continent and at some point fixed his greedy gaze on Greece. After the death of Darius, Xerxes, almost immediately after taking over as king, began preparations for the invasion. This was the greatest threat Greece has ever faced.

After long negotiations between the Greek city-states, a combined force of about 7,000 hoplites was sent to defend the Thermopylae Pass, through which the Persians were going to advance into the territory of all Hellas. For some reason, in the film adaptations and comics, those very few thousand hoplites were not mentioned, including the legendary Athenian fleet.

Among the several thousand Greek warriors were the glorified 300 Spartans, whom Leonidas led into battle personally. Xerxes raised an army of 80,000 soldiers for his invasion. The relatively small defense of the Greeks was explained by the fact that they did not want to send too many warriors far to the north of the country. Another reason was a more religious motive. In those days, the sacred Olympic Games and the most important ritual festival of Sparta, Carneia, were taking place, during which bloodshed was forbidden. In any case, Leonidas was aware of the danger that threatened his army and convened 300 of his most devoted Spartans, who had already had male heirs.

Located 153 kilometers north of Athens, the Thermopylae Gorge was an excellent defensive position. Only 15 meters wide, sandwiched between almost vertical rocks and the sea, this gorge created a great inconvenience for the numerical army of Persia. Such a limited space did not allow the Persians to properly deploy all their power.

This gave the Greeks a significant advantage along with the defensive wall already built here. When Xerxes finally arrived, he had to wait 4 days in the hope that the Greeks would surrender. That did not happen. Then he sent his ambassadors for the last time to call on the enemy to lay down their arms, to which Leonidas replied "come and take it yourself."

Over the next 2 days, the Greeks repelled numerous Persian attacks, including a battle with an elite detachment of "Immortals" from the personal guard of the Persian king. But betrayed by the local shepherd, who pointed out to Xerxes about a secret detour through the mountains, on the second day the Greeks nevertheless found themselves surrounded by the enemy.

Faced with this unpleasant situation, the Greek commander dismissed most of the hoplites, except for 300 Spartans and a few other selected soldiers, to give the last stand. During the last attack of the Persians, the glorious Leonidas and 300 Spartans fell, honorably fulfilling their duty to Sparta and her people.

To this day, there is a tablet in Thermopylae with the inscription "Traveler, go to erect to our citizens in Lacedaemon that, observing their precepts, here we died with our bones." And although Leonidas and his people died, their joint feat inspired the Spartans to gather their courage and overthrow the malicious invaders during the subsequent Greco-Persian wars.

The Battle of Thermopylae forever cemented Sparta's reputation as the most unique and powerful civilization.

Ancient Sparta was the main economic and military rival of Athens. The city-state and its surrounding territory were located on the Peloponnese peninsula, southwest of Athens. Administratively, Sparta (also called Lacedaemon) was the capital of the province of Laconia.

The adjective "Spartan" in the modern world came from energetic warriors with an iron heart and steel endurance. The inhabitants of Sparta were famous not for arts, science or architecture, but for brave warriors, for whom the concept of honor, courage and strength were put above all else. Athens of that time, with its beautiful statues and temples, was a stronghold of poetry, philosophy and politics, which dominated the intellectual life of Greece. However, such superiority was bound to end someday.

Raising children in Sparta

One of the principles that guided the inhabitants of Sparta was that the life of every person, from the moment of birth until death, belongs entirely to the state. The elders of the city were empowered to decide the fate of newborns - healthy and strong children were left in the city, and weak or sick children were thrown into the nearest abyss. So the Spartans tried to secure physical superiority over their enemies. Children who have passed the "natural selection" were brought up in conditions of severe discipline. At the age of 7, the boys were taken away from their parents and brought up separately, in small groups. The strongest and most courageous young men eventually became captains. The boys slept in the common rooms on hard and uncomfortable reed beds. Young Spartans ate simple food - a soup of pig blood, meat and vinegar, lentils and other coarse food.

One day, a wealthy guest who came to Sparta from Sybaris decided to taste the “black stew”, after which he said that now he understands why Spartan warriors lose their lives so easily. Often the boys were left hungry for several days, thereby inciting petty theft in the market. This was not done with the intent to make the young man a skilled thief, but only to develop ingenuity and dexterity - if he was caught stealing, he was severely punished. There are legends about a young Spartan who stole a young fox from the market, and when it was time for dinner, he hid it under his clothes. So that the boy would not be convicted of theft, he endured the pain from the fact that the fox gnawed his stomach, and died without issuing a single sound. Over time, the discipline only became tougher. All adult males between the ages of 20 and 60 were required to serve in the Spartan army. They were allowed to marry, but even after that, the Spartans continued to spend the night in barracks and eat in common canteens. Warriors were not allowed to own any property, especially gold and silver. Their money looked like iron bars of various sizes. Restraint extended not only to life, food and clothing, but also to the speech of the Spartans. In conversation, they were very laconic, limiting themselves to extremely concise and specific answers. This manner of communication in ancient Greece was called "conciseness" on behalf of the area in which Sparta was located.

Life of the Spartans

In general, as in any other culture, issues of life and nutrition shed light on interesting little things in people's lives. The Spartans, unlike the inhabitants of other Greek cities, did not attach much importance to food. In their opinion, food should not serve to satisfy, but only to saturate the warrior before the battle. The Spartans dined at a common table, while the products for lunch were handed over in the same amount - this was how the equality of all citizens was maintained. Neighbors on the table vigilantly watched each other, and if someone did not like the food, he was ridiculed and compared with the spoiled inhabitants of Athens. But when the time came for the battle, the Spartans changed dramatically: they put on the best outfits, and marched towards death with songs and music. From birth, they were taught to perceive each day as their last, not to be afraid and not to retreat. Death in battle was desirable and equated to the ideal end of a real man's life. There were 3 classes of inhabitants in Laconia. The first, most revered, were inhabitants of Sparta who had military training and participated in the political life of the city. Second class - perieki, or residents of surrounding small towns and villages. They were free, although they did not have any political rights. Engaged in trade and handicrafts, the perieks were a kind of "service personnel" for the Spartan army. lower class - helots, were serfs, and did not differ much from slaves. Due to the fact that their marriages were not controlled by the state, the helots were the most numerous category of inhabitants, and were kept from rebellion only thanks to the iron grip of their masters.

Political life of Sparta

One of the features of Sparta was that two kings were at the head of the state at the same time. They ruled jointly, serving as high priests and military leaders. Each of the kings controlled the activities of the other, which ensured the openness and fairness of the decisions of the authorities. The kings were subject to a "cabinet of ministers", consisting of five ethers or observers, who exercised general guardianship over laws and customs. The legislative branch consisted of a council of elders headed by two kings. The Council elected the most respected people of Sparta who have overcome the 60-year age barrier. Army of Sparta, despite the relatively modest number, was well trained and disciplined. Each warrior was filled with the determination to win or die - to return with a loss was unacceptable, and was an indelible shame for life. Wives and mothers, sending their husbands and sons to war, solemnly handed them a shield with the words: "Come back with a shield or on it." Over time, the militant Spartans captured most of the Peloponnese, significantly expanding the boundaries of possessions. A clash with Athens was inevitable. The rivalry came to a head during the Peloponnesian War, and led to the fall of Athens. But the tyranny of the Spartans caused the hatred of the inhabitants and mass uprisings, which led to the gradual liberalization of power. The number of specially trained warriors decreased, which allowed the inhabitants of Thebes, after about 30 years of Spartan oppression, to overthrow the power of the invaders.

History of Sparta interesting not only from the point of view of military achievements, but also the factors of the political and life structure. Courage, selflessness and the desire for victory of the Spartan warriors - these are the qualities that made it possible not only to restrain the constant attacks of enemies, but also to expand the boundaries of influence. The warriors of this small state easily defeated armies of many thousands and were a clear threat to the enemies. Sparta and its inhabitants, brought up on the principles of restraint and the rule of force, was the opposite of the educated and pampered rich life of Athens, which in the end led to a clash of these two civilizations.

The Spartan kings considered themselves Heraclids - the descendants of the hero Hercules. Their militancy became a household name, and quite rightly so: the combat formation of the Spartans was the direct predecessor of the phalanx of Alexander the Great.

The Spartans were attentive to signs and prophecies and listened very much to the opinion of the Delphic oracle. The cultural heritage of Sparta is not known as well as Athenian, largely due to the wariness of the warlike people to the letter: for example, their laws were transmitted orally, and it was forbidden to write the names of the dead on non-military tombstones.

However, if not for Sparta, the culture of Greece could have been assimilated by foreigners who constantly invaded the territory of Hellas. The fact is that Sparta was actually the only policy that not only had a combat-ready army, but whose whole life was subject to army order, passed according to the strictest schedule, designed to discipline the soldiers. The emergence of such a militarized society, the Spartans were due to unique historical circumstances.

Early 10th century BC e. It is considered to be the time of the first large-scale settlement of the territory of Laconia, that is, the future Sparta and the lands adjacent to it. In the VIII century, the Spartans undertook expansion into the nearby lands of Messenia. During the occupation, they decided not to destroy the locals, but to make them their slaves, who are known as helots - literally "prisoners". But the creation of a colossal slave complex led to inevitable uprisings: in the 7th century, the helots fought against the enslavers for several years, and this became a lesson for Sparta.

The laws established according to the legend by the Spartan king-legislator named Lycurgus (translated as “working wolf”) as early as the 9th century served to regulate the internal political situation after the conquest of Messenia. The Spartans distributed the lands of the helots among all citizens, and all full-fledged citizens formed the backbone of the army (about 9,000 people in the 7th century - 10 times more than in any other Greek policy) and had hoplite weapons. The strengthening of the army, dictated, perhaps, by the fear that another uprising of slaves would break out, contributed to an extraordinary increase in the influence of the Spartans in the region and the formation of a special way of life, characteristic only of Sparta.

In order to optimally train the warriors of Sparta, from the age of seven they were sent to centralized state structures, where they spent time in intensive training until the age of 18. This was a kind of initiation stage: in order to become a full-fledged citizen, one had not only to successfully pass all the tests of 11 years of study, but also, as proof of one’s skills and fearlessness, kill a helot alone with a dagger. It is not surprising that the helots constantly had a reason for the next speeches. The widespread legend about the execution of handicapped Spartan boys or even babies, most likely, has no real historical basis, since there was even a certain social stratum of hypomeions in the policy - physically or mentally handicapped "citizens".

The glory of Sparta - the Peloponnesian city in Laconia - is very loud in historical chronicles and in the world. It was one of the most famous policies of ancient Greece, which did not know unrest and civil upheavals, and its army never retreated from enemies.

Sparta was founded by Lacedaemon, who reigned in Laconia one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ and named the city after his wife. In the first centuries of the existence of the city, there were no walls around it: they were erected only under the tyrant Naviz. True, they were later destroyed, but Appius Claudius soon erected new ones.

The ancient Greeks considered the legislator Lycurgus to be the creator of the Spartan state, whose life time falls approximately in the first half of the 7th century BC. e. The population of ancient Sparta in its composition was divided in those days into three groups: Spartans, perieks and helots. The Spartans lived in Sparta itself and enjoyed all the rights of citizenship of their city-state: they had to fulfill all the requirements of the law and they were admitted to all honorary public positions. The occupation of agriculture and handicrafts, although it was not forbidden to this class, did not correspond to the image of the upbringing of the Spartans and therefore was despised by them.

Most of the lands of Laconia were at their disposal and cultivated for them by the helots. In order to own a plot of land, a Spartan had to fulfill two requirements: to follow all the rules of discipline exactly and to provide a certain part of the income for a sissitium - a public table: barley flour, wine, cheese, etc.

Game was obtained by hunting in state forests; moreover, everyone who sacrificed to the gods sent a part of the carcass of the sacrificial animal to the sissitium. Violation or failure to comply with these rules (for any reason) led to the loss of citizenship rights. All full citizens of ancient Sparta, young and old, had to participate in these dinners, while no one had any advantages and privileges.

The circle of perieks was also made up of free people, but they were not full citizens of Sparta. Perieki inhabited all the cities of Laconia, except for Sparta, which belonged exclusively to the Spartans. They did not constitute a politically whole city-state, since they received control in their cities only from Sparta. The periaeci of the various cities were independent of each other, and at the same time each of them was dependent on Sparta.

Helots made up the rural population of Laconia: they were slaves of those lands that were cultivated in favor of the Spartans and perieks. Helots also lived in cities, but urban life was not typical for helots. They were allowed to have a house, a wife and a family, it was forbidden to sell the helot outside the possessions. Some scholars believe that the sale of helots was generally impossible, since they were the property of the state, and not of individuals. Some information has come down to our times about the cruel treatment of the Helots by the Spartans, although again some of the scientists believe that contempt was more visible in this respect.

Plutarch reports that every year (by virtue of the decrees of Lycurgus) the ephors solemnly declared war against the helots. Young Spartans, armed with daggers, went all over Laconia and exterminated the unfortunate helots. But over time, scientists found that this method of exterminating the helots was not legalized during Lycurgus, but only after the First Messenian War, when the helots became dangerous for the state.

Plutarch, the author of biographies of prominent Greeks and Romans, starting his story about the life and laws of Lycurgus, warned the reader that nothing reliable could be reported about them. And yet he had no doubt that this politician was a historical figure.

Most modern scholars consider Lycurgus to be a legendary person: one of the first to doubt his historical existence back in the 1820s was the well-known German historian of antiquity K.O. Muller. He suggested that the so-called "laws of Lycurgus" are much older than their legislator, since these are not so much laws as ancient folk customs, rooted in the distant past of the Dorians and all other Hellenes.

Many of the scientists (W. Wilamowitz, E. Meyer and others) consider the biography of the Spartan legislator, preserved in several versions, as a late revision of the myth of the ancient Laconian deity Lycurgus. Adherents of this trend questioned the very existence of "legislation" in ancient Sparta. E. Meyer classified the customs and rules that regulated the daily life of the Spartans as “the way of life of the Dorian tribal community”, from which classical Sparta grew almost without any changes.

But the results of archaeological excavations, which were carried out in 1906-1910 by the English archaeological expedition in Sparta, served as a pretext for the partial rehabilitation of the ancient legend about the legislation of Lycurgus. The British explored the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia, one of the most ancient temples of Sparta, and discovered many works of art of local production: wonderful examples of painted ceramics, unique terracotta masks (not found anywhere else), objects made of bronze, gold, amber and ivory.

For the most part, these finds somehow did not fit in with the ideas of the harsh and ascetic life of the Spartans, of the almost complete isolation of their city from the rest of the world. And then scientists suggested that the laws of Lycurgus in the 7th century BC. e. were not yet put into action and the economic and cultural development of Sparta proceeded in the same way as the development of other Greek states. Only towards the end of the 6th century BC. e. Sparta closes in on itself and turns into the city-state as ancient writers knew it.

Because of the threats of a rebellion by the helots, the situation was then restless, and therefore the “initiators of reforms” could resort (as was often the case in ancient times) to the authority of some hero or deity. In Sparta, Lycurgus was chosen for this role, who gradually began to turn from a deity into a historical legislator, although ideas about his divine origin persisted until the time of Herodotus.

Lycurgus had a chance to put in order a cruel and outrageous people, therefore it was necessary to teach him to resist the onslaught of other states, and for this to make everyone skillful warriors. One of the first reforms of Lycurgus was the organization of the management of the Spartan community. Ancient writers claimed that he created the Council of Elders (gerousia) of 28 people. The elders (geronts) were elected by the apella - the people's assembly; The Gerousia also included two kings, one of whose main duties was to command the army during the war.

From the descriptions of Pausanias we know that the period of the most intensive building activity in the history of Sparta was the 6th century BC. e. At that time, the temple of Athena Mednodomnaya on the acropolis, the portico of Skiada, the so-called "throne of Apollo" and other buildings were erected in the city. But on Thucydides, who saw Sparta in the last quarter of the 5th century BC. e., the city made the most bleak impression.

Against the backdrop of the luxury and grandeur of Athenian architecture from the time of Pericles, Sparta already seemed a nondescript provincial town. The Spartans themselves, not being afraid to be considered old-fashioned, did not stop worshiping archaic stone and wooden idols at a time when Phidias, Myron, Praxiteles and other outstanding sculptors of Ancient Greece created their masterpieces in other Hellenic cities.

In the second half of the VI century BC. e. there was a noticeable cooling of the Spartans for the Olympic Games. Prior to that, they took an active part in them and accounted for more than half of the winners, and in all major types of competitions. Subsequently, for all the time from 548 to 480 BC. e., only one representative of Sparta, King Demarat, won the victory, and only in one type of competition - horse racing at the hippodrome.

In order to achieve harmony and peace in Sparta, Lycurgus decided to permanently eradicate wealth and poverty in his state. He forbade the use of gold and silver coins, which were used throughout Greece, and instead introduced iron money in the form of obols. They bought only what was produced in Sparta itself; in addition, they were so heavy that even a small amount had to be transported on a wagon.

Lycurgus also prescribed the way of home life: all Spartans, from a simple citizen to a king, had to live in exactly the same conditions. A special order indicated what houses could be built, what clothes to wear: it had to be so simple that there was no place for any luxury. Even the food had to be the same for everyone.

Thus, in Sparta, wealth gradually lost all meaning, since it was impossible to use it: citizens began to think less about their own good, and more about the state. Nowhere in Sparta did poverty coexist with wealth, and as a result, there was no envy, rivalry, and other greedy passions that exhausted a person. There was also no greed that opposes private benefit to the public good and arms one citizen against another.

One of the Spartan youths, who bought land for nothing, was put on trial. The accusation said that he was still very young, and was already tempted by profit, while self-interest is the enemy of every inhabitant of Sparta.

The upbringing of children was considered in Sparta one of the main duties of a citizen. The Spartan, who had three sons, was exempted from guard duty, and the father of five from all existing duties.

From the age of 7, the Spartan no longer belonged to his family: the children were separated from their parents and began social life. From that moment on, they were brought up in special detachments (agels), where they were supervised not only by fellow citizens, but also by specially assigned censors. Children were taught to read and write, they were taught to be silent for a long time, and to speak concisely - briefly and clearly.

Gymnastic and sports exercises were supposed to develop dexterity and strength in them; so that there was harmony in the movements, the young men were obliged to participate in choral dances; hunting in the forests of Laconia developed patience for hard trials. They fed the children rather poorly, therefore they made up for the lack of food not only by hunting, but also by theft, since they were also taught to steal; however, if someone came across, they beat them mercilessly - not for theft, but for awkwardness.

Young men who reached the age of 16 were subjected to a very severe test at the altar of the goddess Artemis: they were cruelly flogged, but they had to be silent. Even the smallest cry or groan contributed to the continuation of the punishment: some did not stand the test and died.

In Sparta, there was a law according to which no one was supposed to be more complete than necessary. According to this law, all young men who had not yet achieved civil rights were shown to the ephors - members of the election commission. If the young men were strong and strong, then they were honored with praise; young men, whose body was considered too flabby and loose, were beaten with sticks, as their appearance dishonored Sparta and its laws.

Plutarch and Xenophon wrote that Lycurgus legitimized that women also perform the same exercises as men, and through that they became strong and could give birth to strong and healthy offspring. Thus, Spartan women were worthy of their husbands, as they were also subject to a harsh upbringing.

The women of ancient Sparta, whose sons died, went to the battlefield and looked where they were wounded. If in the chest, then the women proudly looked at those around them and honorably buried their children in their father's tombs. If they saw wounds on their backs, then, weeping with shame, they hurried to hide, leaving others to bury the dead.

Marriage in Sparta was also subject to the law: personal feelings did not matter, because it was all a matter of state. Boys and girls could enter into marriage, whose physiological development corresponded to each other and from whom healthy children could be expected: marriage between persons of unequal builds was not allowed.

But Aristotle speaks of the position of Spartan women in a completely different way: while the Spartans led a strict, almost ascetic life, their wives indulged in extraordinary luxury in their home. This circumstance forced men to get money often in dishonest ways, because direct funds were forbidden to them. Aristotle wrote that Lycurgus tried to subject Spartan women to the same strict discipline, but met with a decisive rebuff from their side.

Left to their own devices, women became self-willed, indulged in luxury and licentiousness, they even began to interfere in state affairs, which eventually led to a real gynecocracy in Sparta. “And what difference does it make,” Aristotle asks bitterly, “whether the women themselves rule or whether the ruling persons are under their power?” The blame for the Spartans was that they behaved boldly and impudently and allowed themselves luxury, which challenged the strict norms of state discipline and morality.

To protect his legislation from foreign influence, Lycurgus limited Sparta's ties with foreigners. Without permission, which was given only in cases of special importance, the Spartan could not leave the cities and travel abroad. Foreigners were also forbidden from entering Sparta. The inhospitality of Sparta was the most famous phenomenon in the ancient world.

The citizens of ancient Sparta were something like a military garrison, constantly exercising and always ready for war either with the helots or with an external enemy. The legislation of Lycurgus took on an exclusively military character also because those were the times when there was no public and personal security, there were no general principles on which state tranquility is based. In addition, the Dorians in a very small number settled in the country of the helots they conquered and were surrounded by half-subdued or not subdued Achaeans at all, therefore they could only hold on to battles and victories.

Such a harsh upbringing, at first glance, could make the life of ancient Sparta very boring, and the people themselves unhappy. But from the writings of ancient Greek authors it is clear that such unusual laws made the Spartans the most prosperous people in the ancient world, because everywhere only rivalry in the acquisition of virtues dominated.

There was a prediction according to which Sparta would remain a strong and powerful state as long as it followed the laws of Lycurgus and remained indifferent to gold and silver. After the war with Athens, the Spartans brought money to their city, which seduced the inhabitants of Sparta and forced them to retreat from the laws of Lycurgus. And from that moment on, their prowess began to gradually fade away ...

Aristotle, on the other hand, believes that it was the abnormal position of women in Spartan society that led to the fact that Sparta in the second half of the 4th century BC. e. terribly depopulated and lost its former military power.

Among the many ancient Greek states, two stood out - Laconia or Laconia (Sparta) and Attica (Athens). In essence, these were antagonist states with a social system opposite to each other.

Sparta of Ancient Greece existed in the southern lands of the Peloponnese from the 9th to the 2nd century BC. e. It is notable for the fact that it was ruled by two kings. They passed on their power by inheritance. However, the real administrative power belonged to the elders. They were chosen from among respected Spartans aged at least 50 years.

Sparta on the map of Greece

It was the council that decided all state affairs. As for the kings, they performed purely military functions, that is, they were commanders of the army. Moreover, when one king went on a campaign, the second remained in the city with part of the soldiers.

An example here is the king Lycurgus, although it is not known for sure whether he was a king or simply belonged to the royal family and had great authority. The ancient historians Plutarch and Herodotus wrote that he was the ruler of the state, but did not specify what position this person held.

The activities of Lycurgus belonged to the first half of the 9th century BC. e. It was under him that laws were passed that did not give citizens the opportunity to enrich themselves. Therefore, in Spartan society there was no property stratification.

All land suitable for plowing was divided into equal plots, which were called cleres. Each family received an allotment. He provided people with barley flour, wine and vegetable oil. According to the legislator, this was quite enough to lead a normal life.

Luxury was relentlessly pursued. Gold and silver coins were even withdrawn from circulation. Crafts and trade were also banned. It was forbidden to sell agricultural surpluses. That is, under Lycurgus, everything was done so that people could not earn too much.

War was considered the main occupation of the Spartan state. It was the conquered peoples who provided the conquerors with everything necessary for life. And on the land plots of the Spartans worked slaves, who were called helots.

The entire society of Sparta was divided into military units. In each of them, joint meals were practiced or sissy. People ate from a common cauldron, and food was brought from home. During the meal, the commanders of the detachment made sure that all portions were eaten. In the event that someone ate badly and without appetite, then there was a suspicion that the person ate tightly somewhere on the side. The offender could be expelled from the detachment or punished with a large fine.

Spartan warriors armed with spears

All the men of Sparta were warriors, and they were taught the art of war from early childhood. It was believed that a mortally wounded warrior should die in silence, not even uttering a quiet groan. The Spartan phalanx, bristling with long spears, horrified all the states of Ancient Greece.

Mothers and wives, seeing off their sons and husbands to the war, said: "With a shield or on a shield." This meant that the men were expected to go home either with a victory or dead. The bodies of the dead were always carried by the comrades-in-arms on shields. But those who ran away from the battlefield were awaited by universal contempt and shame. Parents, wives, and their own children turned away from them.

It should be noted that the inhabitants of Laconica (Laconia) have never been distinguished by verbosity. They were short and to the point. It was from these Greek lands that such terms as "laconic speech" and "laconicism" spread.

It must be said that Sparta of Ancient Greece had a very small population. Its number over the centuries has not consistently exceeded 10 thousand people. However, this small number of people kept all the southern and middle lands of the Balkan Peninsula at bay. And such superiority was achieved due to cruel customs.

When a boy was born in the family, the elders examined him. If the baby turned out to be too frail or sick in appearance, then he was thrown from a cliff onto sharp stones. The corpse of the unfortunate bird of prey was immediately eaten.

The customs of the Spartans were extremely cruel

Only healthy and strong children remained alive. Upon reaching the age of 7, the boys were taken away from their parents and united in small detachments. They were dominated by iron discipline. Future warriors were taught to endure pain, courageously endure beatings, unquestioningly obey their mentors.

For periods, children were not fed at all, and they had to earn their own living by hunting or stealing. If such a child was caught in someone's garden, then they were severely punished, but not for theft, but for being caught.

This barracks life continued until the age of 20. After that, the young man was given a plot of land, and he got the opportunity to start a family. It should be noted that Spartan girls were also trained in the art of war, but not in such harsh conditions as among boys.

Sunset of Sparta

Although the conquered peoples were afraid of the Spartans, they periodically rebelled against them. And the conquerors, although they had excellent military training, did not always turn out to be winners.

An example here is the uprising in Messenia in the 7th century BC. e. It was led by the fearless warrior Aristomenes. Under his leadership, several sensitive defeats were inflicted on the Spartan phalanxes.

However, there were traitors in the ranks of the rebels. Thanks to their betrayal, the army of Aristomenes was defeated, and the fearless warrior himself began a guerrilla war. One night, he made his way to Sparta, entered the main sanctuary and, wanting to shame the enemies before the gods, left on the altar the weapon taken from the Spartan warriors in battle. This shame remained in the memory of people for centuries.

In the IV century BC. e. Sparta of ancient Greece began to gradually weaken. Other peoples entered the political arena, headed by smart and talented commanders. Here one can name Philip of Macedon and his famous son Alexander of Macedon. The inhabitants of Laconica fell into complete dependence on these prominent political figures of antiquity.

Then came the turn of the Roman Republic. In 146 BC. e. The Spartans submitted to Rome. However, formally freedom was preserved, but under the complete control of the Romans. In principle, this date is considered the end of the Spartan state. It became history, but it has been preserved in the memory of people to this day.